“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist,” Indira Gandhi had famously said in 1982, in the context of the secret talks initiated by her government to try and resolve the impasse in the historically troubled region of Kashmir. The idea was “to give peace a chance” as P. Chidambaram and Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq attempted to tackle what was seen as a near impossible challenge of settling the Kashmir issue, once and for all. Didn’t happen. Hasn’t happened. But it can happen… and the time is now. The unspeakable tragedy that shook the country (and the watching world) on April 22, when 26 innocents were mercilessly gunned down by heavily-armed terrorists, will never be forgotten or forgiven. This is the lowest form of “warfare”, contemptible and abhorrent in the extreme. Men of honour don’t stoop to killing unarmed civilians, no matter what ideology or religion they follow.The important story is just starting: how will India respond? Who can obliterate the tragic images of victims cold-bloodedly shot at point-blank range in the presence of horrified family members pleading with the monsters to spare the lives of loved ones. A tranquil meadow was converted into a blood-soaked battlefield as the cowardly killers retreated into the woods after shooting macabre videos of their targets.The word “retaliation” keeps coming up in public discourses, post-Pahalgam. It’s an emotional, knee-jerk reaction to a monumental tragedy that should never have happened. Let’s admit it boldly: we were caught with our pants down. It’s not just a security “lapse”, as the IB spokesperson sheepishly confessed. It’s way beyond that: it is, in fact, a massive and highly shameful intelligence failure on India’s part. No alibis. No excuses. It’s beyond rational thinking why such a popular tourist spot was left unguarded, given how heavily protected the other areas in and around Srinagar are throughout the year. And yet, here was one picturesque spot that always attracts hundreds of eager travellers from across the country, especially during the peak tourist season, that was left entirely vulnerable and without a single armed guard on duty. Coincidence?So far, there has been zero explanation about this bizarre failure. Nobody has taken direct responsibility for it either. In any other country, heads would have rolled by now. People expected an immediate assurance that those responsible for this gross negligence of duty would be swiftly identified and made accountable. Instead, what we are hearing is strident sloganeering and cries for revenge. What sort of revenge, folks? What irresponsible nonsense! A sober and wise long-term resolution is the only call that needs to be taken. Not some hysterical demand to go to war and “finish them off”.Meanwhile, well-meaning citizens like actor Atul Kulkarni are being trolled for advising tourists to book holidays in Kashmir over summer. His video, posted soon after the attack, assured viewers that some semblance of calm and “normalcy” had indeed returned and people were getting on with their lives. Poor Atul was massacred for not showing enough sensitivity. Rubbish! After years of struggling to keep businesses going, the Pahalgam attack has shut down the Valley overnight. Everyone is affected… the spectre of unemployment, zero income, hardship, curfews, frequent searches, has resurfaced. The buoyant, optimistic surge in the local economy has been badly hit yet again. The best way to get Kashmir back on its feet is to support the people who are suffering right now — like the underprivileged villagers who take tourists for pony rides, for example. Or, owners of small guest houses, restaurants, sellers of trinkets and souvenirs.When Atul urged people “Come to Kashmir. Kashmir is ours…”, the response was hostile, accusatory and misplaced. Of course, it is important to stand united and support the government. What Atul suggested is one more way of extending support. Atul nailed it when he said: “Hamara Kashmir hai… hum yahan aayenge”. Bilkul, janab!Let the government do its job. Let’s show some faith in the capabilities of those taking a call on how best to contain the crisis.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the armed forces have “operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response” at a top security review in Delhi. This is the right way forward: leave it to the experts. Mr Modi roared: “We will pursue the terrorists to the ends of the earth.” A fitting warning to the insolent killer who’d taunted a woman whose husband he had shot: “Go tell Modi”. Now wait for Modi to find you: which he has vowed to do, and will. Also… take that you snotty BBC-wallahs, who insisted on calling these animals “militants” not terrorists.So many actors/artists have hit “pause” and cancelled shows to demonstrate solidarity with the victims of the tragedy. Salman Khan informed fans that his UK event titled “The Bollywood Big One”, scheduled for early May, has been kept on hold: “Only right to pause during this time of grief”, said Salman solemnly. These are symbolic, but powerful gestures. However, the much harder business of political/military strategy, from this point on, is going to take a huge investment of effort from all the key players. Global thought leaders have strongly condemned the attacks. Having the right allies during such a time is critical. It’s time to play our cards smartly, shrewdly, stealthily. And get the perpetrators to face the music at the earliest.Meanwhile, look at Didi’s masterstroke! Maan liya, this is Tactician Mamata Banerjee at her sharpest. “After a millennium, the shores of Digha are ready to welcome the congregation of devotees from around the world with the newly constructed temple of Lord Jagannath.”Whooooopie!!! Jagannathdham, Digha: here come the pilgrims. Didi’s detractors can cry themselves hoarse about this ambitious project. But who can fault her logic? Should Odisha be worried about a fall in religious tourism at the historic Puri Jagannath temple complex? Not just yet. A new temple is a new temple. The one at Puri, let’s call it the OG, was rebuilt from the eleventh century onwards (completed 1161 CE), on the site of the pre-existing temples in the complex.The sentiments attached to its sanctity are immeasurable. The ancient Puri temple is described as the epicentre of the Jagannath cult. But after Didi’s brash move, allegedly, the Puri temple servitors have been warned against taking part in the Digha temple ceremonies. They have been forbidden from participating in the preparation of the “bhog” at any temple other than the Puri temple.Hey Bhagwan! Politics, politics, politics… here, there and everywhere.Even the Gods are not spared!
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