The Indian media has often painted the picture of Kashmir in binaries. An entire generation of Kashmiri youth has taken on the Indian state, both online, and on the streets. Initially, the protests on the streets were peaceful, as large crowds gathered to protest fake encounters, land transfers, human rights violations, and cases of sexual violence, demanding an end to the occupation and the right to a plebiscite to determine Kashmir’s future. As the protests grew in momentum, the Indian state responded brutally, firing live ammunition and pellet guns into crowds, arresting political leaders and youth activists, and oftentimes, declaring shoot-on-sight curfews in the region in order to prevent further protests from occurring. Torn between battles, neverending curfews, and oppression- the life of an ordinary Kashmiri is agonizing. In this episode, Ather Zia and M Junaid join Ratnadeep Chakraborty to talk about the abrogation of Article 370, the internet shutdowns, and the effect on ordinary citizens in the valley.

Edited by: C Prateek Singh Chauhan

Source: https://www.standwithkashmir.org/

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