In the classic 1977 Malayali film "Agraharathil Kazhuthai" (Donkey in a Brahmin Village) by director John Abraham, a donkey becomes the target of hatred and violence in a Brahmin community. In the film, a professor named Narayanaswami adopts a donkey as a pet, which angers the villagers. When a mute girl's baby is found dead near the temple, the villagers blame the donkey's presence and kill it in revenge, even though it had nothing to do with the death.
This film offers a powerful metaphor for what happens to Muslim Kashmiris and Muslims living in India after terror attacks. Like the donkey in the film, these communities often face collective punishment for actions they had no part in.
On April 22, 2025, terrorists attacked tourists at the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, killing 24 Hindu civilians, one Christian, and a local Gujjar pony operator who died fighting the attackers. The Indian army claimed the attackers were a mixed group of locals and Pakistan-based terrorists and blamed Pakistan state for abetting the act.
What followed shows how Muslim communities often bear the brunt of revenge. Similar to how Nazi Germany targeted non-Germans with collective punishment, many Indian right-wing groups and people with strong anti-Muslim views have made it common practice to target innocent Muslims, particularly Kashmiris. They harass, beat up, and threaten Kashmiri students, workers, and others who had nothing to do with the terrible terror attacks that happened in their homeland.
In Dehradun, about 20 Kashmiri students fled to the airport after a right-wing group called Hindu Raksha Dal posted warnings on social media against Kashmiris.
On April 24, a Kashmiri Muslim student and her friends were harassed and attacked by a cab driver in Chandigarh as they tried to return to Kashmir. Local Sikh groups and the Punjab Women Panel later came to their aid.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association received over a thousand distress calls after the Pahalgam attack and advised students to stay in their hostels to avoid confrontations.
In Mussoorie, 16 Kashmiri shawl vendors were attacked by locals who slapped them and told them to leave. The incident was captured on video and caused widespread criticism.
The army demolished nine houses belonging to families of terrorists involved in the attack. However, family members claimed the properties belonged to their fathers and other relatives who weren't involved.
Even LGBTQIA+ people faced street harassment in many Indian states after the attack.
A man named Ashraf, who worked as a scrap picker, was attacked and later died on April 27 after allegedly shouting "Pakistan Zindabad" while watching a cricket match in Mangaluru.
After the Pahalgam attack, parts of India transformed into scenes of fear and hostility. Much like in the horror film "Hellraiser," where opening a mysterious box unleashes terrifying demons called Cenobites who torture humans, right-wing extremists and people filled with hatred became like these demons. They harassed, beat, and threatened Kashmiri Muslim students and other Muslims across the country, creating an atmosphere of terror for innocent people.
This villification of Kashmiri Muslims is not new, nor is it rare. It is an ongoing saga of several years, particularly after 2019 when Jammu and Kashmir lost its special status and statehood.
After the removal of Article 370 in 2019, a BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh, Vikram Saini, made disturbing comments about party workers now being able to "marry fair women of Kashmir." Sexist remarks and bigotry against Kashmiris now pours out even more venomously even as hundreds of Kashmiri Muslims held candlelight vigils across Kashmir to protest the Pahalgam attack.
The hate rhetoric does not only target Muslims. It also targets anybody who speaks for communal amity or asks questions of the government. Himanshi Narwal, the wife of Naval Officer Vinay Narwal who was killed in the terror attack, urged people not to take revenge on Kashmiris and Muslims, calling instead for peace while seeking justice.
She now faces the abuse of trolls in the digital space. But there is no action from the government to stop this outpouring of venom.
Like the donkey in the Malayali film, innocent Muslims often face punishment for actions they never committed.
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