Beyond The Bullets: How Trauma After Pahalgam Attack Could Spark Panic, Rage, And Collective Fear

A woman jumped down from the ladies' compartment in a train and was run over by another coming from the opposite side. More than 25 women died. This happened days after the July 7, 2006, Mumbai train blasts, where 209 people were killed in an attack engineered by LeT. Someone in the compartment had uttered the word ‘smoke’, triggering panic. The trauma of the recent blasts was fresh in their minds.

This is known as ‘hyperarousal and hypervigilance’—a state where the mind stays on high alert following a disaster. Even a harmless object, like a broom, can resemble a gun.

After the 1993 Latur earthquake, survivors often fled tents in the dead of night, mistaking the sound of passing vehicles for tremors. Trauma imprinting, a known post-disaster phenomenon, was observed here too. Even the Arthashastra acknowledges such mental states, urging people to confront them.

In the wake of the Pahalgam attack and subsequent tensions, this condition is particularly relevant. It doesn’t just affect individuals, but entire groups, including the armed forces. Traumatic memories – real or imagined – may resurface without warning. These recollections carry fear, rage, and grief and can detonate anytime, like a time bomb.

People who saw the Pahalgam visuals or the India-Pakistan skirmishes may react unexpectedly. Just witnessing police with weapons or an accident victim on the road can cause acute panic. Palpitations, breathlessness, and frozen responses are common.

Flashbacks can intensify this. Even subtle triggers mimicking the original trauma can reignite emotional upheaval. Reactions may include anger and violence. A minor incident—like the display of a rival flag—can spiral into mob fury or communal clashes. In such moments, the amygdala – a tiny, almond-shaped brain structure – takes over, bypassing logical thought.

This primitive response, once key to survival, can now reduce rational humans to instinct-driven aggression.

Lynchings of people suspected to be cow smugglers or protectors are outcomes of such terror imprinting. Even trained armed forces personnel might overreact, though our forces are routinely debriefed to prevent this.

Those who experienced Pahalgam firsthand need immediate psychological help to contain invasive memories. Border residents grieving loved ones lost to shelling also require care. Yet, they remain overlooked.

Even those affected indirectly – through media or second-hand accounts – should seek support.

Leadership must offer not just speeches but genuine assurance. Both a loaded gun and an unstable mind pose equal risks. Mental health intervention is as vital as compensation.