The Pulwama attack in India
By Tania Arora, Staff Reporter
The Pulwama attack shook the entire country of India.
On February 14, a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying over 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel was attacked when an SUV carrying explosives rammed into a bus, causing a huge blast. The incident took place on Jammu Srinagar National Highway in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The attack resulted in the deaths of nearly 40 security personnel and injured many others.
It has been the deadliest terror attack in the region on India’s state personnel since 1989. The car carried more than 300 kilograms (approximately 660 pounds) of explosives including RDX and ammonium nitrate.
The fight for Kashmir has been ongoing since the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. Since then the region has been heavily contested. According to local officials, a Pakistan-based militant group called Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for this attack.
Pakistan issued a government statement claiming that Pakistan was “not involved in any war, means, or form,” and that the attack was “conceived, planned, and executed indigenously.”
The Indian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) released Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on the Pulwama attack, stating that “Our neighbour which is already isolated by the global community is in a state of illusion, if it thinks that it can demoralize India with its dastardly acts and nefarious designs. Let me state categorically that it should stop daydreaming to destabilize India. This neighbour of ours which is in a state of economic despair must know that […] such [an] attempt is destined to fail and will be foiled.”
The case has been taken on by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Prachi Gupta, an international student from India, said in an interview with the Other Press, “I actually got goosebumps when I heard about the attack and saw the pictures online. They were very disturbing. If I felt that way sitting more than 11,000 kilometres away, no one can even imagine the grief of the families of the police force who died. None of the countries can be at peace as long as such terrorists exist.”
The attack has sparked outrage and protests throughout the country. People are expressing their condolences through silence at gatherings, lighting candles, and writing letters to families and are making contributions by sending funds and protesting in large numbers.
Modi appealed for donations in his statement: “130 crore Indian will give a befitting reply to any such act or attack. Many big countries have strongly condemned this terror attack, have stood behind India and expressed support for India.”
