The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has sharply condemned what it calls a “shameful and deliberate erasure” by major Western media outlets in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, where 26 Hindu tourists were executed in cold blood by terrorists affiliated with The Resistance Front—a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy backed by Pakistan.
“Let’s get this straight,” said Suhag Shukla, Executive Director of the Hindu American Foundation, in a scathing rebuke of international media coverage following the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam. “Terrorists from the Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, took credit for storming a meadow in Pahalgam and murdering at least 26 tourists, seeking out Hindus with chilling precision, in the worst civilian massacre in Kashmir since 2008.”
According to Shukla, the headlines should have written themselves: Hindus massacred in Kashmir by Islamists in a terror attack claimed by a Pakistan-backed group. But instead, Western media outlets like The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, BBC, Reuters, and AP delivered “another masterclass in whitewashing, gaslighting, false equivalencies, and revisionist history.”
“Across the board, you’ll see patronising sneer quotes around ‘terror attack’ and sanitised references to the killers as militants,” she said. “Some even have the gall to call them rebels. For the record: a rebel fights authority, a militant targets the state, and a terrorist deliberately targets and kills civilians to spread fear for ideological or religious aims.”
Shukla citing survivor accounts to highlight the ideological nature of the killings. “Terrorists demanded victims identify their religion—forcing them to show IDs or recite the Kalma—and murdered them if they were Hindu. They deliberately spared their wives and children to report the message of hate.”
What especially enraged Shukla was the BBC’s description of the victims as “non-Muslims.” “The intent here is as clear as it is old: target, murder, and terrorise Hindus for an ideological and religious war. Please spare us the neutral terms and erasure.”
For Shukla, the Pahalgam massacre fits into a broader pattern of anti-Hindu violence in Kashmir—one that media outlets routinely downplay or ignore. “Attacks on Hindus in Kashmir by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists are neither rare nor random,” she said, referencing the ethnic cleansing of over 350,000 Kashmiri Pandits in the late ’80s and ’90s and the deaths of Hindu pilgrims at sites like Amarnath and Vaishno Devi since 2000.
Shukla also pointed out the legal discrimination Kashmiri Hindus faced before Article 370 was revoked in 2019. “Before then, indigenous Hindu Pandits—already ethnically cleansed—were legally barred from reclaiming property. Kashmiri women couldn’t pass property to their children if they married outsiders. Indians from outside the region couldn’t settle there. And yet AP and Reuters describe those seeking to return as ‘outsiders’? Would they call a Californian moving to Pennsylvania an immigrant?”
Citing the operational ties between Lashkar-e-Taiba and The Resistance Front, she reminded audiences that this was not rogue violence. “Pakistan’s intelligence agency bankrolls, trains and directs them. TRF’s Falcon Squad is trained in L.E.T. camps in Pakistan. Their propaganda machine runs on L.E.T. networks—all to push Islamabad’s anti-Indian, anti-Hindu agenda.”
Shukla pointed out in a final indictment, “Legacy media’s whitewashing and spin don’t just insult the victims. It enables the very forces behind these atrocities. If you can’t call out terror for what it is, maybe you shouldn’t be reporting on it at all.”
Global Reactions
International condemnation poured in after the April 22, 2025, massacre in Pahalgam, where 26 Hindu tourists were executed by terrorists from The Resistance Front. Leaders across the globe strongly denounced the attack, with many expressing solidarity with India and the victims’ families.
US President Donald Trump called the incident “an act of savage hatred” and declared, “The United States stands strong with India against terrorism. Prime Minister Modi, and the people of India, have our full support and deepest sympathies.”
US Vice President JD Vance, who was in India at the time of the attack, issued a somber statement describing the massacre as “an unspeakable atrocity.” He added that the terrorists’ deliberate targeting of Hindus was “a reminder that religious persecution remains one of the gravest threats to global peace.”
From Capitol Hill, members of the Congressional Hindu Caucus condemned both the attack and the lack of clarity in international media reporting. Representative Tulsi Kapoor stated, “This isn’t just a terror attack—it’s an anti-Hindu hate crime. The world must call it by its name.”
The House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority took direct aim at Western media coverage, particularly The New York Times, saying: “Hey, @nytimes, we fixed it for you. This was a TERRORIST ATTACK, plain and simple. Whether it’s India or Israel, when it comes to TERRORISM, the NYT is removed from reality.”
In an unexpected move, even the Taliban condemned the killings. A spokesperson called the attack on civilians “un-Islamic” and said that deliberately targeting innocent tourists based on religion was “not permissible under any circumstance.”
Around the world, leaders echoed similar sentiments. French President Emmanuel Macron labelled it a “heinous act of terror.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the killings as “an attack on humanity.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it a “cowardly act,” while Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, “Terrorism that targets faith has no place in our world.”
Leaders from China, Australia, Nepal, and the European Union also issued statements condemning the massacre, with many affirming their commitment to counter-terrorism cooperation with India.
India’s Response
In India, the attack has triggered both national mourning and geopolitical consequences. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the massacre as “a crime against humanity” and vowed a “strong and measured response.”
The Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan’s envoy and suspended cooperation under the Indus Waters Treaty—India’s most significant diplomatic weapon against Islamabad short of war. Home Minister Amit Shah chaired an emergency security review and pledged to intensify counter-terror operations in Kashmir.
Read: Must-read stories from TOI
A Trail of Horror: Eyewitness Accounts
The attack in the picturesque meadow of Baisaran, 5km from Pahalgam, has become one of the bloodiest civilian massacres in Jammu & Kashmir in over a decade. Survivor testimonies reveal a grim pattern: names, religious symbols, and even dietary choices became markers for death.
Florida-based techie Bitan Adhikary was gunned down in front of his family when he couldn’t “prove” he was Muslim. His widow, Sohini Adhikary, said their vacation turned into a nightmare of gunfire and screams.
Another victim, Bengaluru techie Bharath Bhushan, was executed after simply stating his name. “My name is Bharath,” he told the attackers. That was enough.
Assam professor Debasish Bhattacharya, whose academic fluency in Islamic scripture saved his life, recalled: “Overwhelmed by fear, I began chanting the kalma. After a few moments, the gunman lowered his weapon and we escaped through the forest.”
In other cases, sheer chance played saviour. A Kerala family delayed their trip due to a salty lunch and missed the ambush entirely. Landslides, horse delays, and missed flights spared dozens of others. One couple, newly married and denied a Swiss visa, chose Kashmir for their honeymoon—only for Himanshi to return alone, dazed and bloodied beside the corpse of her husband Lt Vinay Narwal.

Lablu Mia, a 50-year-old local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was known as a devoted activist in Badarganj upazila of Rangpur district. But on April 5, his loyalty to the party meant nothing when rival BNP factions turned on each other in a vicious clash over control of a business near the upazila central Shaheed Minar. Stabbed repeatedly in the clashes, Mia became the latest casualty in a growing wave of internal clash tearing through the BNP.

The clash, which left at least 15 injured — nine critically — spiralled so out of control that police and army personnel had to be deployed to restore order. The BNP swiftly suspended eight of its leaders, including a former MP, in connection with the incident, but the damage was already done.

Mia’s death is not an isolated incident. Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, 2024, the BNP, arguably the most dominant political force in the country, has been torn by internal divisions. With the Awami League’s influence diminished, BNP factions are now frequently locked in clashes for influence.

Just two days after Mia’s killing, another deadly clash erupted in Raipur Upazila of Lakshmipur district, between rival BNP factions. Two activists were killed, and 15 others were hospitalised with stab wounds.

According to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), a rights organisation in Bangladesh, at least 23 people were killed and 733 more injured in over 97 incidents of political violence across the country in March. Of the deaths, 17 occurred in 64 clashes between rival factions of the BNP. These incidents left 502 others injured.

The rights body said that most of the violence was driven by efforts to establish dominance, political vendetta, extortion, and the occupation of various facilities. Although the number of political violence incidents slightly decreased last month, from 104 in February — the number of deaths more than doubled from nine. Of them, five died as result of infighting between BNP factions.

Political violence

January also witnessed alarming levels of political violence, with at least 15 people killed and 987 injured in 124 incidents. The bloodshed predominantly stemmed from internal party conflicts, particularly within BNP, which accounted for 68 violent incidents resulting in 677 injuries and five deaths. However, inter-party clashes between BNP and Awami League activists turned deadly in 22 instances, leaving 106 wounded and four dead, while three confrontations between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami supporters saw 60 casualties and one fatality.

According to data from Ain o Salish Kendra, another rights organisation, at least 36 people have been killed in political violence over the past three months, including 24 who were killed in infighting between the BNP and its affiliated organisations. Besides, at least 1,415 people were injured in clashes between BNP members and their affiliated wings during the period, while 189 were injured in clashes between the BNP and the Awami League, and 262 in clashes involving the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

In 2024, following the fall of the Hasina-led government, violence within BNP circles intensified, leading to at least 1,697 injuries and 31 deaths. While the BNP has long positioned the Awami League as its primary rival, after Ms. Hasina’s fall and the Awami League’s political decline, internal instability appears to be the BNP’s most pressing challenge.

Although the BNP’s top leadership has consistently warned its leaders and activists of stern action if found involved in wrongdoings, including extortion, such warnings have largely gone in vain. Suspension orders are frequently issued when allegations surface against party members; however, these measures have failed to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

Asked how the BNP sees the infighting, party organising secretary Shama Obaid told The Hindu that internal competition is common in big political parties. However, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has instructed party leaders and activists to always stand by the people.

When asked about the deaths reportedly caused by infighting within the BNP over the past three months, Ms. Obaid said, “Each incident needs to be examined individually to determine whether it was truly an internal conflict or part of a conspiracy against the BNP. In many cases, members of the Awami League and their fascist collaborators infiltrate the BNP to create unrest and sabotage the party from within. These isolated incidents are often the result of such conspiracies.”

“While competition exists in large political parties, it doesn’t usually lead to these many deaths. These fatalities are happening because outsiders are orchestrating plots and blaming the BNP for the consequences,” she added.

Amid such incidents, politicians from different parties have called on BNP Acting Chairman Rahman to take decisive action against leaders involved in extortion and violence.

Ariful Islam Adib, senior joint convener of the Nationalist Citizens’ Party (NCP), a newly formed political party of students who led the anti-Hasina protest, said: “I urge Tarique Rahman to take immediate action not only within the party but also through legal means against those involved in extortion and criminal activities. Merely expelling them from the party is not enough. If these individuals are not dealt with firmly, they won’t just target opposition activists—they will eventually destroy the BNP from within.”

The law-and-order situation in the country is yet to be fully restored, as incidents of extortion and deadly violence occur unabated.

However, Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury warned that strict action will be taken against police officials who fail to maintain law and order. “Clear and firm instructions have already been issued to law enforcement agencies to further strengthen control on the ground. If any police officers fail to bring the situation under control, they will face severe consequences,” he said.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a total of 390 individuals involved in various criminal activities — including robbery, extortion, mugging, and fugitives with multiple arrest warrants — were arrested across the country between April 10 and April 17 during joint operations conducted by the Bangladesh Army and other law enforcement agencies.

Changed situation

Advocate Saidur Rahman, chief executive of the Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF), told The Hindu that although the BNP has been out of power for nearly two decades, in the changed and favourable situation its leaders and activists are now involved in extortion.

“When they were completely out of power, we didn’t see such infighting among them. But now, driven by financial motives, they are clashing internally. When one faction tries to take control of an area, another group wants to dominate the same territory, leading to violent confrontations,” he said.

“We rarely see any concrete action from the government (against such incidents). Authorities seem to treat these internal fights as outside their jurisdiction. Even the police, despite being aware of the potential for violence, often refrain themselves from intervening out of fear for their own safety. There’s also a clear lack of coordination among different ministries; they don’t know what the others are doing. The government has largely taken a hands-off approach, as if to say, ‘Let the BNP fight among themselves; we don’t need to get involved’,” added Mr. Rahman.

(Rabiul Alam is a Dhaka-based journalist)