The Pahalgam Terrorist Attack ravaged Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, claiming the lives of at least 26 individuals—largely tourists. In a chilling turn of events, terrorists targeted non-Muslims actively, employing religious identity as a death warrant.
One individual, Debasish Bhattacharyaa, an associate professor at Assam University, survived by reciting the Islamic kalma, a confession of faith in Islam. Militants of The Resistance Front (TRF), which later took credit, patrolled the tourist area looking for non-Muslims.
This horror application of religious profiling has now revealed a sinister new pattern of terrorism targeting India’s secular fabric and public security.
Escape by Faith: Survivor’s Terror Account
Debasish Bhattacharyaa had been resting under a tree with his wife and son when panic suddenly erupted. He heard people nearby reciting the kalma, loudly and desperately. Without hesitation, he joined in.
As he went on, a militant who was camouflaged appeared and fired at the man beside him in the head. The gunman stared at him directly and said, “Kya kar rahe ho?” Bhattacharyaa replied by reciting the kalma louder than ever before. The militant hesitated and left.
Debashis Bhattacharjee & his family hailing from Assam’s Silchar got themselves rescued from the gun point of those terr0ri$ts at #PahalgamTerrorAttack!
Mr. Debashis being a professor had the knowledge of Kalema so he read it out & ran towards a hideout saving the entire family!… pic.twitter.com/lCCTdrI7sU— Sashanka Chakraborty (@SashankGuw) April 23, 2025
Without wasting any time, Bhattacharyaa escorted his family up into the hills via the woods. For close to two hours, they went along horse marks on the ground. They later spotted a horseman and came back to their hotel on horseback. “I still can’t believe that I am alive,” Bhattacharyaa shook as he stated.
How Militants Picked Their Victims ?
As per reports, the terrorists asked individuals in Pahalgam to recite the kalma and inspected them for inclusion—two indicators commonly used to determine whether one is a Muslim or not. If a person was unable to complete either test, the militants shot them on the spot. It wasn’t senseless violence. The terrorists employed religion as a criterion to determine who would live and who would not.
Tourist Paradise Becomes a Killing Field
Prior to the bloodshed, Baisaran in Pahalgam was thronged with tourists taking pony rides and eating at food stalls. Then, in daylight, gunfire disrupted the peace. Eyewitnesses report at least four to six militants carried out the ambush, transforming a popular hill station into a nightmare.
TRF Claims Responsibility
Within a day of the strike, The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility. Investigators feel that TRF is a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit based in Pakistan. Sketches and photographs of the suspects have already been released by authorities as the manhunt goes on.
This assault is a worrying turn in the strategy of terrorism. Rather than attack individuals on the basis of nationality or association, these terrorists sifted on the basis of religion. They employed faith as a tool—not merely to sanction violence, but to choose victims with gruesome deliberation. Their intent appears straightforward: divide society, fuel hatred, and cause fear.
Assault on India’s Unity in Diversity
This was more than a terror strike, this was a blow to India’s pluralism. Through the use of religion as a filter, the terrorists attacked the secular nature of the country. The attacks might ignite suspicion between communities, making coexistence even weaker.
For the security forces, this raises new alarms—they have to prepare for more ideologically motivated attacks.
