Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has questioned whether the recent Pahalgam terror attack reflects the “unresolved questions of partition.”
Speaking at a book release event at the India International Centre in New Delhi on Saturday, Aiyar reflected on the historical divisions that led to the partition of India. “Many people almost prevented the partition. But the partition happened because there were differences in value systems and assessments of India’s nationhood and civilizational inheritance between people like Gandhi and Nehru on one side, and Jinnah and many Muslims who did not agree with Mr. Jinnah on the other,” Aiyar said.
He added, “The fact is that partition happened, and till today we are living with the consequences of that partition. Is this how we should be living? Is not the unresolved questions of partition reflected in the terrible tragedy that was enacted near Pahalgam on April 22?”
Aiyar’s comments referred to the brutal terror attack at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where terrorists killed 25 Indian tourists and one Nepali citizen, injuring several others. It is considered one of the deadliest attacks in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel.
Following the Pahalgam attack, India has intensified its diplomatic and security measures against Pakistan, accusing it of supporting cross-border terrorism. The government has vowed that those responsible for planning and executing the attack will face severe consequences.
