Post-Pahalgam Crackdown: Kashmiri Families Crushed Under Collective Punishment

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, Indian authorities have unleashed a harsh tactic in IIOJK by demolishing family homes of civilians without trial or notice. Aggrieved Kashmiri families and many innocent, are now caught in a cycle of state vengeance, rubble, and repression.

Following the Pahalgam attack on April 22, 2025, Indian authorities have resorted to demolishing the homes of civilians without due process in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Between April 24 and 27, explosives were used to destroy at least 10 homes in Anantnag, Tral, and Shopian. These demolitions have also affected neighboring homes with no known links to militants, raising concerns about collective punishment and violations of constitutional rights.

Ruqaiya Bano, a resident of Kulgam, witnessed her childhood home reduced to rubble. Her only crime: being the sister of a pro freedom brother. Similarly, Aisha Begum lost her home and hope as soldiers razed her son Zakir Ghani’s house while detaining her family. In Shopian, Mohammed Shafi Dar mourns not just his son Adnan, who is missing, but the blasted ruins of his family shelter. Kupwara’s Mansha Tedwa questions: why destroy their home for a relative they haven’t seen since the 1990s? Pulwama’s Sheikh family is traumatized as their bombed home leaves 13 neighbors homeless too.

Article 21 of India’s Constitution guarantees the right to life and shelter. However, these demolitions appear to contravene this fundamental right. India’s Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled against demolitions without due process, yet Kashmir remains an exception to its own laws.

Over 1,500 Kashmiris have been detained in post-Pahalgam crackdowns, echoing the mass arrests of 2016 after Burhan Wani’s killing. Many detainees, including those with no known ties to militancy, report being beaten and interrogated without cause. Authorities have also demolished homes of many families, despite a Supreme Court ruling deeming such demolitions illegal.

From Gawkadal in 1990 to Kulgam in 2025, Kashmir bleeds, and the world stays silent. In 1991, Indian forces razed dozens of homes in Sopore after a deadly rebel ambush—a chilling precedent to today’s demolitions. The Gawkadal massacre of 1990, where 50 peaceful protesters were gunned down, marked the beginning of mass repression tactics. These events highlight the ongoing cycle of violence and repression faced by the Kashmiri people.

The recent crackdowns in IIOJK, characterized by unlawful demolitions and mass detentions, have inflicted immense suffering on innocent families. These actions not only violate constitutional rights but also perpetuate a cycle of trauma and repression. It is imperative for the international community to recognize and address these human rights violations to ensure justice and peace for the Kashmiri people.