New Delhi: For decades, a convenient myth has floated around Kashmir’s troubled history that terrorism in the Valley is a blue-collar phenomenon driven by poverty, lack of education, and exploitation. The reality, however, has always been far more unsettling.

Kashmir’s terror ecosystem has been powered not by the poor or disadvantaged alone, but by individuals who grew up in privilege — educated, well-placed, and economically comfortable. Many lived in spacious homes, owned land, and enjoyed social standing. Yet, they chose to lend their intellect, networks, and credibility to the machinery of terror.

This uncomfortable truth resurfaced recently with the shocking revelation that several young Kashmiri doctors were part of a sinister terror plot.

For many who grew up in the Valley and w

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