Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday told the Legislative Assembly that, for the first time since the onset of terrorism, Kashmir had “revolted against terrorism” following the Pahalgam attack.
Addressing a special Assembly session, Omar said the spontaneous outpouring of grief and condemnation across Kashmir marked “the beginning of the end of terrorism” in the region.
“For the first time in twenty-six years, I saw the people of Jammu and Kashmir stand up and say, ‘Not in my name’. They came out voluntarily—no political party or government order called them. They lit candles, carried banners, and walked silently through the streets to send a clear message: whoever did this, they did not do it in our name,” Omar said while seeking to pass a resolution condemning the terror attack.
The Chief Minister recalled visiting the police control room on the night of the attack, where the bodies of 26 civilians lay. He said he was left speechless before the grieving families. “What fault was theirs?” he asked. “That they had come here seeking peace and instead paid with their lives?”
Omar spoke of the heavy toll Kashmir has borne over the past three decades. “We lost lives in the attack on this very Assembly complex in 2001. Camps, Pandit settlements, Sikh colonies—no one was spared. We believed those dark days were over, but the 22 April attack reopened old wounds.”
Amidst the tragedy, he said, there was a spark of hope. “For the first time, Kashmiris did not rationalise, justify, or remain silent. They condemned the attack loudly and unequivocally. Terrorism will not end with guns or forces alone; it will end when people walk with us—and it feels like they have begun to.”
Omar highlighted a powerful moment from Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid, where worshippers observed a two-minute silence before Friday prayers—a place that had often echoed with fiery sermons in the past.
Addressing rising demands for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, Omar said he would not exploit the tragedy for political gain. “How could I use the deaths of 26 innocents to demand statehood? Am I so cheap? Their lives are not bargaining chips.”
He stressed that while the struggle for full statehood would continue, today was solely for mourning and solidarity. “No politics, no demands—only heartfelt condemnation of the attack.”
The Chief Minister also shared extraordinary stories of bravery: a boy shielding a tourist family under fire, boatmen in Dal Lake distributing free fruit, and taxi drivers opening their homes to fleeing visitors without taking any payment. “This is the Kashmir I am proud of,” he said.
Omar further acknowledged reports of harassment faced by Kashmiris elsewhere in India following the attack, but praised state governments and police forces for swiftly intervening. He announced the creation of helpline numbers and appointment of nodal officers to assist Kashmiris in distress.
He concluded with a warning to those misusing social media to spread falsehoods: “Stop your mischief. False narratives only worsen the suffering of real victims. We will not tolerate it.”
