Last week, India and Pakistan came to the brink of an all-out war that could have rapidly escalated into a nuclear conflict.

Only after four days of intense fighting, involving missile strikes, aerial dogfights and cross-border attacks, was a shaky ceasefire reached.

Tensions remain high, with both sides accusing the other of ceasefire violations and of having deliberately targeted civilians and religious sites.

India’s government, led by Narendra Modi and his Hindu supremacist BJP, insist that their military campaign against Pakistan, dubbed “Operation Sindoor,” has merely been “paused.” They have poured cold water on suggestions there will soon be de-escalation talks. The only things New Delhi is prepared to discuss with Islamabad, Modi insisted in an address to the nation last Monday, are its demands relating to Pakistan’s support for “terrorism” and Pakistan’s cessation to India of the part of divided Kashmir it controls.

The Modi government is cracking down on any opposition to war. At SRM University in Tamil Nadu, Lora S., an assistant professor, has been suspended after she criticized Operation Sindoor on social media. Independent journalists face arrest and civil liberties are under assault.

But beneath the surface, there are growing critical voices—especially among workers and students. All of them are suffering under mass unemployment, skyrocketing prices and worsening living conditions.

Workers and students in several states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, spoke to WSWS reporters and expressed their anger and opposition to the war.

Dhanesh, a worker at a Renault Nissan factory in Tamil Nadu:

This war is of no use to common people and ordinary workers. It will only lead to destruction of many lives and properties of ordinary people in both India and Pakistan. Countries like US, Russia and even India have nuclear weapons and missiles to wage war. The war equipment is of no use for the working class and are completely destructive.

The Modi government is always trying to use these terrorist attacks for its own electoral purpose, which we have seen in previous cases too. An example was Pulwama attack [2019 terrorist attack in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir].

In fact, I would say it was consciously allowed by the government to happen so that they can use it for their own purposes. Home Minister Amit Shah immediately went to the spot of the terrorist attack. What was he doing when Manipur violence happened? [Modi’s BJP fomented ethno-communal clashes in India’s northeastern state of Manipur in 2023 that killed hundreds of civilians]. He didn’t even visit there.

I believe Indian and Pakistani workers have the same feeling and commonality between. But there must be a leadership to unite them. I feel the official leadership now dominating the workers are completely fake and betraying.

I feel World Socialist Web Site and its ideas are genuine. I completely agree with its call for unity of Indian and Pakistani and even global workers. I believe that the ideas of WSWS are powerful. Yet my only concern is it must reach to broader masses. We need to take steps towards that.

Seniban, an IT professional in Chennai:

While I unequivocally condemn the atrocities committed by terrorist organizations in Pahalgam (on April 22), no rational individual would advocate or support the highly provocative jingoism or a disastrous waging of war against an entire country in response.

The Pahalgam incident was a ruthless act of terrorism deliberately targeting civilians. However, a government must not exploit such a tragedy to fuel a jingoistic frenzy, and use it as an opportunity to whip up a bellicose campaign for a diversionary aggressive war against Pakistan.

I strongly condemn, as a fellow worker and a student of Marxism, the destructive actions of both the Indian and Pakistani governments that take away the lives of innocent working people who are in no way connected to the terrorist actions.

This incident must be utilised to call for a united struggle of workers in both countries as part of the struggle to build a mass anti-war and anti-capitalist movement.

These developments emphasize the urgent need for the working people and youth to join hands with the WSWS to intensify the campaign for the united struggles of the international working class against imperialist war and for world socialism.

Akilan, an industrial worker:

On April 22, Pahalgam attack took place in a famous tourist place where many people visit. After abrogating Article 370 of the constitution in 2019 to withdraw the special status of Kashmir, Indian ruling BJP government said that thereafter Kashmir became “free” and a safe place.

But that was propaganda of the Indian ruling elite and the death of 26 people in the terrorist attack proved that the Indian government did not protect the people of Kashmir and the tourists despite the highly militarised forces deployed there. BJP deliberately let the attack happen so that they could exploit it for their political interest and turn the attention of the Indian masses away from unemployment, job loss, inflation and increasing economic crisis.

In addition to that, Hindutva forces such as the BJP, Bajrang Dal [a violent Hindu-supremacist organisation close to the BJP] and the Shiv Sena [a fascistic Marathi regional political party], make the Muslims responsible for the terrorist attack. Muslim people have been beaten and their shops attacked by these Hindutva forces trying to stoke Muslim hatred among the masses.

But, the wife of the navy officer Vinay Narwal, who was killed, asked not to attack the Muslims, nor to spread Muslim hatred. Many of the tourists on the day of attack said that Kashmiri civilians only protected them from the terrorists and no military or police force reached there and helped them. This shows the fraternity of the Kashmiri civilians.

There is no progressive force against this fascistic BJP government and the war other than the working class in India. I agree, the working class and students in India and Pakistan must be united to oppose this war and their respective countries that are involved in this dangerous war.

A medical representative from Hyderabad opposed the war-mongering campaign launched by the Modi government and pointed to the roots of the current conflict: “The Indo-Pakistan conflict was rooted in the 1947 communal partition engineered by British imperialism in collaboration with Congress Party and the Muslim League [dividing then British India into a Muslim Pakistan and a Hindu India].”

Akash Dev, a worker from Kolkata commented:

The majority of citizens in both nations continue to struggle with daily survival—grappling with unemployment, meagre wages, a failing healthcare system, and inadequate education. Their hardships seem endless. This war will only deepen their suffering, disproportionately affecting the working class and the poor.

In the name of national security and protecting the nation, the ruling class cultivates jingoism. This is the same ruling class that, during the COVID-19 crisis, prioritized avoiding lockdowns over saving lives. Their policies ultimately benefited the capitalist elite, while millions suffered and perished due to these reckless decisions.

Globally, whether in developed or developing nations, there is always a shortage of funds when it comes to improving people’s welfare. Yet, when it comes to war and destruction, there is never a shortage of resources. History has shown that war only brings devastation, with the working class and the poor bearing the greatest burden. Workers, students and young people must unite to oppose war and demand peace.

Nachiappan, a retired Telecom worker, vehemently criticized the Modi government for its war-mongering campaign and said: “Terrorists killed innocent people. Nevertheless, it is not the right way the Modi government is proceeding. When the Pakistan government sends missiles or drones into India, it would be the innocent people in India who would suffer, and vice versa. When Indian ministers and politicians talk about destroying Pakistan and launch missiles into Pakistan, it would be the ordinary innocent people would suffer, there may be some military causalities too.

“As a worker, I am opposed to any actions that would affect the lives and interests of workers. I am for the class unity of workers in both countries.”

Shyam, an assistant film director in Tamil Nadu said:

The fascistic BJP is attempting to capitalize on the terrorist assault in Pahalgam. When the BJP administration repealed Article 370 in 2019, it stated that not only Kashmiris, but every Indian may now own land in Kashmir. BJP leaders’ frantic speeches over the attack expose their ideological alliance with Zionism that India should achieve in Kashmir what Israel is doing in Palestine.

The attack occurred in Kashmir, which is a highly militarized zone and bragged safest for tourists. If the BJP government isn’t capable of maintaining the security, then Modi should walk out of power with guilt.

Shyam continued, “The BJP is attempting to massively organize people as a fascistic force by fostering Muslim hatred, which is also a core component of fascism.”

Abishega Priyan, student studying for the Indian Civil Service (ICS) examination:

Exclusively, this war serves the governments of India and Pakistan and the ruling elites of these countries. It has nothing to do with the common people.

The Indo-Pakistan war is falsely made to be seen as war between Hindu and Muslim people.

The Indian government does not have any concern about the Indian people. This Indo-Pakistan war makes this more visible to us.

The BJP-led government has been waging an invisible war on the people with skyrocketing prices of essential goods, petrol and diesel, staggering unemployment rate. There is no access to proper education and public health. While we all have got strangled through this silent war, Adani, Ambani and the other Indian capitalists will use this war with Pakistan to trample us further.

This war [against Pakistan] is an eye wash to avert the social anger of desperate poor Indian masses. The BJP government started this war to conceal its inability to solve the socioeconomic crisis faced by the Indian masses.

When innocent people of India and Pakistan are being killed in this war, this war cannot be celebrated as a victory for any country. But the Indian government is trying to invoke nationalist frenzy using this war as the Indian government usually does cricket matches. I oppose this war of the capitalists of both countries, which is being used to divide and spread Muslim hatred among the Indian masses.