Article by Vipashu Gautam,
In recent days, the nation was shaken by the horrifying incident in Pahalgam, where terrorists mercilessly killed innocent tourists simply because they were Hindus visiting the Baisaran region. At least 26 people lost their lives in this attack. Their only “crime” was being Hindu and traveling to Kashmir.
The trend of targeted killings of Hindus is not new in India. However, with time, its form keeps evolving. In the current context, multiple regions of the country are witnessing such violence. For instance, in the Murshidabad violence of West Bengal, over 10,000 Hindus were forced to flee their homes, and at least two lost their lives, according to government records reported by ANI.
In March 2025, communal violence erupted in Nagpur after alleged provocative claims by members of the Muslim community led to attacks on Hindus. Similarly, the Manipur violence is also a recent episode. These hardships faced by Hindus stem primarily from Islamic fundamentalism. This operates in a systematic way—first, Hindus are falsely accused (e.g., Quran burning in Nagpur or alleged land encroachments in Kashmir); then, minorities portray themselves as victims and attack in the name of “self-defense.”
In some instances, even political protests have turned into anti-Hindu riots, such as during the demonstrations against the Waqf Amendment Act in Murshidabad. Likewise, on Hindu festivals like Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami, incidents of stone-pelting by radicalized elements are commonly observed.
This issue operates on two levels: first, at both the national and global scale, Hindus are portrayed as an oppressive majority, thereby legitimizing violence against them. Playing the victim card has long been a political tactic. Second, despite continuous violence against Hindus, there is still no permanent solution, no unified political voice, and even the Hindu community itself is not coming together in resistance.
Focusing specifically on Kashmir—since the 1990s Kashmiri Pandit exodus, and especially after the abrogation of Article 370, radical Islamic terrorist organizations (often backed by Pakistan) have been persistently trying to prevent the normalization of the region. Their aim is to ensure that the lands seized from Pandits are never returned and that Hindus never feel safe enough to return. Violence is used as a tool to instill fear among Hindus, projecting the message that Kashmir is not safe for them.
The recent targeted killings in Kashmir are not isolated incidents. Since the abrogation of Article 370, we’ve seen several such attacks—like the killing of a Hindu jeweler on December 31, 2020, or the murder of a prominent Hindu shopkeeper in Srinagar in 2021. Even pilgrims have been targeted in recent times.
The real concern is that today’s pseudo-seculars constantly deny that this is Hinduphobic violence—even when we have seen cases where attackers specifically ask for IDs or names to identify and kill Hindus. We must acknowledge this issue and strive for a swift and lasting solution. There must be a united Hindu voice to confront this violence, and pressure should be placed on politicians who seek votes in the name of Hindutva to take prompt action. This violence is not just a Hindu issue—it is an attack on national security and Indian civilization because Hindu culture is fundamentally the soul of Bharatiya culture. Without Hindus, there is no Hindustan.
