The communally sensitive town of Kishtwar in Jammu region is on the edge once again. According to reports, suspected militants attacked an RSS leader on Tuesday just when he was coming out of a hospital. The attack has left the RSS leader as well as his security guard dead. Militants also managed to take away the rifle of the guard before escaping from the area. This is not the first attack to have taken place in the hilly district where communal passions have been on the rise following the killing of a BJP state secretary and his brother by suspected militants in November last year. The killing had inflamed passions and there was talk of revenge among the majority community. This had made Muslims more vulnerable as they are in a minority in Kishtwar. The Army was called in and curfew was imposed in the town. Following the Tuesday’s attack, authorities have followed the same drill and Army has been called in to maintain law and order. Although Kishtwar has remained free from any major militant activity recently, the district has a history of communal tensions that often raise question marks about the state’s efficacy. These tensions have also damaged the secular fabric of the state as well. In 2013, at least three persons were killed and more than four dozen were wounded when communal riots broke out in the town. Also, the phenomenon of ‘new age insurgency’ has cast a shadow on this district. According to police, the district has seen a spurt in militancy related activities and at least seven local youths have picked up arms and joined various militant outfits in recent months. The November attack on BJP state secretary is believed to have been carried out by those militants. The Tuesday’s attack will naturally lead to more anger against Muslims but it is the duty of the state authorities to ensure that every citizen in the district is protected regardless of their religion or political affiliations. With state and Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the Hindu right wing groups will use the killing of RSS leader to fan passions for political mileage. The ruling party has already started using the Kashmir card to polarise voters ahead of the elections. The party’s activists and leaders will most likely use the Tuesday’s attack to create fear psychosis among the people. The state authorities must remain vigilant and ensure that those elements who are hell bent to damage the communal harmony in the state are summarily defeated.