Kashmir Chalo: Let Every Indian Region Launch A Civilian Movement That Shall Rewrite The Valley’s Story
The blood spilled in Pahalgam is not just another entry in the long, sorrowful history of Kashmir—it is a wake-up call. The time for passive mourning is over. The nation must rise—not just with guns and security apparatus, but with a united civilian front that refuses to let Kashmir be held hostage by terror or propaganda. This is where Kashmir Chalo must begin—not as a hashtag, but as a national awakening.
Pahalgam was targeted because it represented hope, revival, and a potential narrative shift in Kashmir. The pain of Pahalgam must not paralyze us. It must galvanize us.
Kashmir’s Youth Bulge: India’s Asset or Pakistan’s Arsenal?
Kashmir has one of the youngest populations in India. Over 60% of the population is under the age of 30. This can either be India’s greatest strategic advantage or its Achilles’ heel.
The Valley’s youth need opportunities, not indoctrination. They need jobs, not jihads. They need exposure to the outside world—not ghettoized propaganda. If India allows this generation to drift, to feel abandoned, then we are not just failing Kashmir—we are failing our own future.
This is why Kashmir Chalo must begin with the youth. Every Indian university should open seats for Kashmiri students. Exchange programs must be intensified.
In the last few years, Bharat Darshan initiatives for Kashmiri students and youths were zealously organised as part of state policy. These should be continued.
Let Kashmir’s youth see Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and other regions through the lens of friendship, collaboration, and mutual respect. Let them know that they are part of the future of this republic.
Kashmir Chalo: The Civilian Counteroffensive India Needs
India’s response to the Pahalgam massacre cannot be limited to military retaliation or diplomatic statements. The Kashmir Chalo campaign must be the civilian movement that rewrites the Valley’s story. Every Indian region, every citizen, must be a stakeholder.
This is not a moment for silence. This is a moment for presence. Travel agencies must promote Kashmir like never before – as a crown jewel. Investors must see opportunity where others see uncertainty.
Artists, entrepreneurs, social workers, educators—every Indian with a cause must take it to Kashmir. The Valley must not be a no-go zone—it must become a national destination for rebuilding trust and unity.
Imagine: students from Gujarat organizing workshops in Srinagar. Women entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu mentoring Kashmiri startups. Tech professionals from Hyderabad setting up coding bootcamps in Baramulla. These are not pipe dreams. They are peace strategies. This is strengthening ties with the nation – ties that engage, empower, and include.
This Is The Time To Galvanize
The wounds of Pahalgam are raw. But let them also reflect our national conscience. Will we allow the Valley to slip once more into darkness, abandoned to the whims of divisive forces? Or will we take ownership of its future?
Kashmir Chalo is not a retreat—it is a rally. It is not a holiday—it is a pilgrimage of purpose. It is a campaign to rehumanize a region that has long been dehumanized by both conflict and clichés.
We must replace alienation with affiliation
The people of Kashmir do not want to be trapped in a binary of nationalism and insurgency. They want dignity, stability, and opportunity. And the rest of India must help deliver that—not as charity, but as duty.
Every Indian who books a trip to Gulmarg, who supports a Kashmiri handicraft business, who hires from a Kashmiri talent pool, is part of this quiet revolution. The response to Pakistan’s bombs must be India’s bridges. The antidote to terror must be togetherness.
The Valley must not be a no-go zone—it must become a national destination for rebuilding trust and unity
India cannot afford to treat Kashmir as an afterthought. Nor can it afford to lose the youth of Kashmir to cynicism, extremism, or apathy. We must act now. Not just with security forces and intelligence grids—but with compassion, connectivity, and conviction.
Kashmir is a wound that must be healed—with patience, presence, and people power. Kashmir Chalo must become India’s call to conscience. Let this be the year when families from every corner of India take their children to see the Valley not just as a vacation, but as a vow—that this land will not bleed in vain. That its beauty will not be overshadowed by bombs. That its youth will not be manipulated by hate.
Pahalgam will not be forgotten. But it will also not define the future
The blood spilled in Pahalgam will not be the last chapter. It will be the first page of a new beginning. Kashmir Chalo. Not because it’s easy. But because it’s ours. Because silence is complicity. Because healing requires presence. Because the war unleashed against us all must be answered—not just by soldiers, but by every Indian who refuses to surrender Kashmir to terror, treachery, or tragedy.
Dr Toseef Ahmad formerly served as an Associate Research Fellow at the International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS), Delhi
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