Sadiq Khan
The horrifying murder of a young girl in Budgam has once again plunged Kashmir into grief, shock, and anger. A child who should have been protected by society became the victim of unspeakable brutality, leaving an entire region emotionally shattered and searching for answers that never seem to come.
From busy marketplaces to silent homes, one painful question echoes across the Valley: How many more daughters must suffer before criminals begin to fear the law? The outrage erupting on the streets and across social media is not only about one tragic incident — it reflects years of accumulated pain, helplessness, and repeated tragedies that have emotionally exhausted society.
Kashmir today is not only mourning; it is deeply furious. Many people believe that delayed justice and weak punishments have encouraged criminals to act without fear. There is a growing public demand for strict and exemplary punishment in crimes against women and children. Citizens increasingly feel that the system often reacts only after lives are destroyed, instead of preventing such crimes before they happen.
Sadly, the Budgam tragedy is not an isolated incident. Kashmir has witnessed several horrifying crimes against women and children over the years that shook public conscience but gradually faded from headlines without bringing lasting change. The brutal rape and murder of eight-year-old Asifa Bano in Kathua in 2018 sparked outrage across the country and exposed the frightening depths of communal hatred and violence. In another disturbing case, a minor girl from Handwara lost her life under tragic circumstances that triggered massive protests and public anger. More recently, incidents of sexual violence, domestic abuse, and mysterious deaths involving young women in different districts of the Valley have repeatedly reminded society that many daughters continue to live under fear and insecurity.
Each tragedy follows a painfully familiar pattern — outrage, protests, promises of justice, political statements, and eventually silence. Families are left carrying lifelong grief while society moves on to the next headline. This repeated cycle has created a dangerous sense of hopelessness among people who now fear that justice often arrives too late, if at all.
Yet this tragedy also forces society to confront uncomfortable truths about itself. The crisis is not merely legal — it is moral, social, and deeply human. Families are being reminded that children need more than education and financial support; they need emotional care, moral guidance, and safe environments. Experts have long warned that violent behavior often grows silently in toxic surroundings where abuse, aggression, and disrespect become normalized.
Parents are now being urged to pay closer attention to their children’s emotional well-being, friendships, online exposure, and daily environment. The language children hear at home, the behavior they witness among adults, and the values they absorb from society all shape the kind of human beings they eventually become. A generation raised amid anger and violence cannot easily build a peaceful society.
Religious and community leaders across Kashmir have also expressed deep grief and concern. Many have called for stronger moral education rooted in humanity, dignity, compassion, and accountability. Mosques and community gatherings have turned into spaces of collective mourning, where prayers are being offered for the victim and strength for her grieving family.
At the same time, public trust in institutions appears dangerously fragile. Many fear that after a few days of outrage, another file will gather dust, another family will suffer in silence, and another tragedy will eventually replace this one in the headlines. That fear has intensified public anger and strengthened demands for fast-track justice and uncompromising action against those responsible.
But amid the grief and rage lies a deeper and more painful question Kashmir must answer collectively: What kind of society are we becoming if our daughters cannot feel safe? This question cannot be answered through police investigations alone. It demands accountability from families, schools, institutions, communities, and leadership alike.
The Budgam tragedy is no longer just a criminal case. It has become a symbol of a wider social breakdown — a reminder that safety, morality, and humanity cannot survive through slogans alone. If a society fails to protect its children, then every claim of progress loses its meaning.
Today, Kashmir mourns another innocent life. Tomorrow, people fear, it could be someone else’s daughter. And until justice becomes swift, visible, and uncompromising, that fear will continue to haunt every parent across the Valley.
