As I began writing this Foreword, reports came pouring in from Jammu about a merciless Jihadi attack on Hindu pilgrims in Reasi on 10th June, 2024, killing at least nine of them including some toddlers and injuring many of them. At the same time, far away from this blood-soaked place of ghastly occurrence, Indian cricket team was happily playing a match with Pakistan in New York and making lots and lots of money. It was cricket diplomacy at its best according to some! There was more to come thereafter, and surely this was not the last of the Jihadi onslaughts on the Indian soil.
The media report hinted at the involvement of foreign militants in the J & K, while mentioning that the local militancy was at its lowest in the last 35 years (The Economic Times, 11 June 2024). A rudimentary knowledge of the mechanism of such successful Islamic terrorist operations, however, hint at the strong possibility of the involvement of the local logistical support base. By denying the obvious, and building up a false narrative for "secular" reasons, Indian side habitually weakens its resolve to root out Islamic terrorism.
The first two paragraphs above were written more than a year back for a Hindi version of this book. Now the original English version is being brought out, hence the need for some changes/additions to the existing Foreword.
As we all know that much had happened in the intervening period. There was a mass killing of 24 Hindus and one Christian tourist in Pahalgam on 22nd April 2025: all the Hindu husbands were killed before their panic-stricken wives and traumatised children after religious profiling, so that no true "believer" was killed. This is a well-known Islamic practice to kill innocent kafirs when they attack any gathering of people, where the religion of every one is not known. Mostly, they succeed in their theologically sanctioned "Holy" mission. All the mass murderers had reportedly fled while the Indian security forces were stationed far away. Obviously, there was an intelligence failure of the gravest sort.
Pakistan's role was too obvious to be hidden. India hit back hard with aerial bombing of Pakistani targets on 7 May. It was called operation Sindoor (the red vermilion powder which married Hindu women use in the parting of their hair or put on the forehead. Once they are widowed they can't use sindoor any more). The Pakistani operation against India was codenamed 'Bunyan-um-Marsoos' which has a religious significance.
This armed confrontation, which barely lasted for four days, Pakistan suffered heavily, and it ended suddenly with a ceasefire. In the absence of verifiable and credible data, it is not possible to shed any further light on various dimensions of this conflict including the ceasefire. Moreover, it is beyond the remit of this review,
Nothing much seems to have improved in Kashmir as far as the safety and dignity of Hindus are concerned. The miniscule Hindu population which had stayed back in the valley, including some Hindu officials have been repeatedly targeted and killed. The Islamic agenda remains intact, despite the record number of tourists who visit and help the local economy grow and the development work government of India carries out there.
Subsequently, the serving Chief Minister defied the directive of the Lt. Governor and scaled the boundary wall of the graveyard Mazar-e-Shuhada on 13 July 2025 to offer his reverence for some lawless Muslims who had been shot by Maharaja's security forces on 13 July 1931. This may have reminded the nation once again as to how "law and order" is maintained after the abolition of Article 370 when primordial identity is flaunted so brazenly.
Be that as it may, the world outside needs to be reminded that Kashmir has been a Hindu-Buddhist land since ages- the abode of Rishi Kashyap. If Hindus also now decide to mourn for their lost territory, temples, heritage and religion, then, there can be myriad of opportunity to celebrate Martyr's day in every nook and corner of Kashmir.
If that were to happen, descendants of invaders and their local collaborators and victims of conversion might find very little opportunity to flex their muscles the way they continue to do. It is Hindus who have been martyred in Kashmir for centuries long before Syama Prasad Mookerjee became one, and many after that.
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