WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY 2025: KASHMIR’S JOURNEY FROM TURMOIL TO HUMANITY

Every year on August 19, the world pauses to mark World Humanitarian Day. It is meant to honor those who risk everything in the service of others and to remind humanity of its duty toward the suffering and the vulnerable. Yet, as we look at Kashmir in 2025, this day demands more than solemn words. It demands truth. And the truth is this: if Kashmiris have suffered, it is because of Pakistan’s endless appetite for terrorism, not because of India. If Kashmiris are now breathing a little easier, it is because of India’s resilience, not Pakistan’s deceit.

For decades, Pakistan has tried to hijack the narrative of Kashmir under the false garb of “solidarity.” But the record is crystal clear. Pakistan has exported nothing but terror, hatred and radicalism into the Valley. It has trained militants, armed infiltrators and poisoned young minds while abandoning its own people in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. To call this anything remotely humanitarian is an insult to the very word. Pakistan has never cared for the Kashmiri. It has only cared for its failed obsession with destabilizing India.

India, on the other hand, has carried the weight of real humanitarian responsibility in Kashmir. Our soldiers do not just fight to keep terrorists out; they build schools, run medical camps and ensure that even the remotest hamlet has access to basic dignity. While Pakistan sends drugs and guns across the border, India sends books, vaccines and jobs. While Pakistan celebrates disruption, India builds roads, hospitals and universities. This is the contrast the world must confront on World Humanitarian Day.

The abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 was a landmark step in restoring justice in Kashmir. For too long, separatist leaders exploited its provisions while Pakistan fueled the fire from across the border. Ordinary Kashmiris paid the price. With its removal, India made a bold and humanitarian promise: that Kashmiris would no longer be second-class citizens within their own country. The results are evident. Development projects are at full speed, tourism is thriving and marginalized communities that were denied rights for generations are finally being heard. That is not politics. That is humanitarianism in action.

And let us not ignore the everyday acts of humanity that Kashmiris themselves embody. They are not defined by Pakistan’s terror agenda but by their resilience and compassion. When floods strike, neighbours rescue each other. During the Amarnath Yatra, locals extend warmth and hospitality to yatris. Despite years of bloodshed, the spirit of Kashmir has not bowed to Pakistan’s designs. It has chosen peace, progress and unity with India. That choice is in itself a rejection of terror and a triumph of humanitarian values.

The global community must stop indulging Pakistan’s lies. On a day dedicated to humanitarian principles, it is hypocritical to look away from Pakistan’s blood-soaked fingerprints in Kashmir. If the world is serious about defending humanitarian values, then it must call Pakistan out for what it is—a state sponsor of terror, a violator of human rights in its own provinces and an enemy of peace in South Asia. Enough of the double standards. The people of Kashmir deserve acknowledgment for their courage and India deserves recognition for its commitment to protecting them.

World Humanitarian Day 2025 is not just another date on the calendar for Kashmir. It is a reminder that humanitarianism is not about hollow speeches—it is about real action. India has acted, consistently and selflessly. Pakistan has plotted, consistently and cynically. The difference between the two nations could not be starker.

As we reflect today, let us be clear: the humanitarian story of Kashmir is not about Pakistan’s propaganda; it is about India’s persistence and the Kashmiri people’s resilience. It is the story of soldiers carrying medical supplies across icy passes, of teachers braving odds to keep children in school, of doctors treating patients in villages cut off by snow, of communities rebuilding together after every blow inflicted by terror. These are the real faces of humanitarianism in Kashmir.

And so, on this World Humanitarian Day, let the message from Kashmir be heard loud and clear. Humanity stands with India. Humanity rejects Pakistan’s terror. Humanity celebrates the courage of Kashmiris who have chosen progress over propaganda. No matter how many decades Pakistan wastes on its failed obsession, the spirit of Kashmir will continue to rise—protected, nurtured and strengthened by India.

This is not just an opinion. This is a truth the world must accept.