The people of Kashmir have had little or no say in their future for as long as I can remember. This cycle must end<\/p>\n
By all accounts, the 26 people killed<\/a> last week in a picturesque meadow in Pahalgam in Kashmir were selected for slaughter by the militants on the basis of their religion. We\u2019ve read heart-rending testimony<\/a> of how the families watched as the men, almost all Hindu, were shot from close range. These were unconscionable killings<\/a>. We\u2019ve also read how Kashmiri tourist guides and pony operators rescued many Indian tourists, at great risk to their own lives.<\/p>\n Whether this attack was carried out by Pakistani militants, local Kashmiris, or both, is immaterial to the families of the dead. Their lives are destroyed, along with the Indian state\u2019s carefully constructed facade of normality in the region \u2013 a facade sustained by the tourism boom of recent years.<\/p>\n Mirza Waheed was born in Srinigar, Kashmir. His novels include Tell Her Everything and The Collaborator<\/p>\n Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters<\/a> section, please click here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n