In The Pressure-Cooker Of Kashmir, The Abnormal Is Now Normal ft.com
The Indian government scrapped constitutional provisions that guaranteed autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, a state torn by conflict for three decades. The government claims the move will benefit the population. More likely, it will worsen a conflict that has claimed at least 45,000 lives since the late 1980s. I was in Kashmir when the government announced its decision — along with the lockdowns and communications blackout it has called “precautionary measures” to prevent violent unrest. On August 5, my family and I watched our television screens in horror as a much-cherished marker of Kashmiri identity was dissolved. People across India celebrated while Kashmiris were caged in their homes. My father, a former Indian cabinet minister, was put under house arrest. The government detained thousands of others, including former chief ministers, legislators, political activists, and even some children. Thousands of additional troops were mobilized. Nearly two months into the crisis, many restrictions are still in place. People are cut off from their loved ones, schools and colleges remain shut, and healthcare services have taken a hit. Tourism has ground to a halt, small traders can’t conduct business and those who eke out a living on a day-to-day basis are at the mercy of charitable neighbors. While there has been supporting for the government’s move from parts of Jammu and Ladakh regions, it is in the Kashmir Valley that the consequences are likely to be most adverse.
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