Kashmir: 65 Years of Occupation

Since the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947 the state of Kashmir has been divided and controlled by both countries. Over the past 65 years Kashmir has fluctuated between moments of peace and revolt. Violence has been committed by both sides with the killing of Indian soldiers from nationalist rebels or religious extremists (Kashmir is predominantly Muslim compared to the southern Hindu region of Jammu or the eastern Buddhist region of Ladakh). As with most military occupations, whenever there is militancy against the ruling power it is almost always the civilian population that suffers the consequences. Military checkpoints are placed along the roads and night raids into private homes can be frequent. There has also been reported incidences of mass rape (Kunan Poshpora village) committed by the Indian army as well as thousands of civilian arrests and imprisonments without a stated cause or due process.

My next post will cover the lives of people living in the urban slums of the Kashmiri capital city of Srinagar. For the few days it took to set up that story with my contacts I lived on the outskirts of the city in a small village nestled on an inlet of Dal Lake to do a small story on rural life. This massive lake dominates the landscape and many of the local farmers and fishermen rely on this body of water for their livelihoods.

A woman transporting her crops.

A man farming for edible underwater roots.

A woman rowing into town.