Jammu: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and MLA Pulwama, Waheed-ur-Rahman Parra Monday pitched for the Pahalgam victims to be accorded the status of martyrs.
Parra described the attack as not just an act of terrorism but a “communal act” specifically targeting a particular community. “This was not just a terrorist act but a communal act — a particular community was targeted. I urge the government to officially recognize the victims as martyrs,” Parra said in his address.
“The ‘Resolution of the People of Kashmir’ — from every corner of Kashmir, the voice that perhaps for the first time in six months we are hearing in this House whenever we have convened — we fought. One thing that has united us today is, somewhere, the sacrifices of Pahalgam or the martyrdoms of Pahalgam,” Parra said while speaking during the special session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly convened to condemn the Pahalgam killings that claimed 26 civilian lives on April 22.
The PDP leader stressed that Kashmir was, for the first time in decades, mourning alongside the rest of India. “Whether it was Pulwama, the Mumbai attack, or Kargil — never during the 30 years of violence did Kashmiris and the rest of the country mourn together. But today, for the first time, Kashmir is mourning alongside the entire nation,” Parra said.
Citing instances of solidarity across Kashmir, he said, “Whether you heard the voice of the Mirwaiz at the Jama Masjid — he supports this resolution; whether in Lal Chowk, where Mehbooba Mufti held the first protest — she supports this resolution. Omar Sahib [Abdullah] held an all-party meeting — the aim of that was to show that we stand with the nation.”
Parra also acknowledged the remarks made by BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma. “Sunil Sharma Sahib said that the response of Kashmiris is being acknowledged across the country. Every nation faces trials. A nation’s mettle is not tested in victory or joy. Every nation’s testing times come during crises, and perhaps for this country, Pahalgam was a great test. Today, the entire country — India — was being tested, and the patience shown by Hindus across India needs to be acknowledged,” Parra said.
He praised the restraint shown by communities across the country in the face of provocation. “The response of Kashmiri Muslims — they said, and because there were civilian casualties and the attack was not on armed forces but on ordinary bathing people — I would say, Sir, that perhaps a nation’s real test is how it deals with a crisis. And during this crisis, the entire country behaved in a way that made us feel we were acting as a nation, trying to behave with patience so that those who carried out this attack — whose aim was to provoke riots, Hindu-Muslim tensions — could not succeed.”
Parra reiterated his demand that those who lost their lives in the Pahalgam attack be recognized as martyrs and urged authorities to address the hardships faced by the local population. “I again request all honorable members that those who died in Pahalgam should be given the status of martyrs, and also, with regard to the hardships faced in Kashmir — as many people’s homes were destroyed — that should also be acknowledged that alienation increases due to such actions. When you talk about ending terrorism, you have killed terrorists for 30 years, but every time, every year, you still have to do it again. You kill a terrorist, you do not end terrorism. The only time when there is action against terrorism is this moment when people of Kashmir have rejected terrorism,” Parra said
