26 tourists were killed at Baisaran in Pahalgam. (File Photo) 4 min read Apr 29, 2026 06:27 AM IST First published on: Apr 29, 2026 at 06:27 AM IST In Kashmir, time does not pass in straight lines; it circles back through memory, disruption, and uneasy calm. One year after Pahalgam, the Valley appears composed once again — tourists have returned, roads are busy, the rhythms of life restored. But if the state’s response since then has been to project normalcy, the time has come to ask a harder question: Was that normalcy real, or merely held in place? A year on, what is required is not commemoration, but clear-eyed scrutiny. The Pahalgam attack revealed what may be described as a “terror triangle strategy” — a synchronised architecture involving local logistical support, foreign-trained commandos, and carefully chosen global timing. The use of M4 carbines and body-mounted cameras underscored a dual objective: Tactical lethality on the ground and propaganda amplification in the digital domain.…