“JAB HAR SAANS MEIN BANDOOK DIKHE TOH baccha kaise bekhauf rahe? (How can a child be fearless when she sees a gun in every breath?)” remarked Anwar, a gardener from Srinagar, when asked about the situation in Kashmir. The special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked by abrogating Articles 370 (which provided special status to the State) and 35A (special rights and privileges to permanent residents of the State) without any consultation, on August 5, 2019. Civil society members from various States recently attempted a “RestoreDemocracy March” from Jammu to Srinagar. The marchers were not allowed to interact freely with the press or with the local community in many places. The police stopped the march at Ramban, midway between Jammu and Srinagar. Indeed, a police vehicle followed us (we were among the marchers) and ensured that we crossed the Ramban district border on the way back to Jammu. Nevertheless, six of us continued our journey to Kashmir the following day from Jammu.
Even as the Government of India pushed a patently discriminatory Act—the Citizenship (Amendment) Act—down our throats in December 2019, the sense of betrayal and alienation in Jammu and Kashmir, the poster child of subversion, was haunting. We discuss three aspects of the crises that we witnessed. First, the ministry of fear that Jammu and Kashmir have become and the complete decimation of civil liberties as a consequence. Second, the massive economic fallout of August 5. Third, the stripping of Jammu and Kashmir’s political identity, which has resulted in political uncertainty and created a vacuum that rightist politics is attempting to usurp.
MINISTRY OF FEAR
Bu hikaye FRONTLINE dergisinin February 14, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
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