"Kashmir is one of the most militarized regions in the world, located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent between mountain ranges and rivers. For centuries, Kashmir has been governed by non-Kashmiris, living instead under the rule of various empires-including the Mughals, Afghans, Sikhs, and Dogras prior to the subcontinent's partition. Under 101 years of Dogra rule, Kashmiris could not hold land, control crops, or speak their native language, as Koshur was replaced with Urdu."
"Growing up under "the shadow of a gun," Sadiq chose to pick up a camera. As a photographer and writer, Sadiq covers national politics and human rights in Kashmir, providing on the ground reporting for local and international outlets, including Al Jazeera, Jacobin, and The Quint. It's dangerous work. "We could be jailed," Sadiq said, who requested a pseudonym to protect his safety. "Are they watching me? Are they watching my family?" he asks in the field. "What's going to happen next?""
Young Kashmiris are organizing for an independent Kashmir while facing intense militarization, surveillance, and legal risk. A photographer using a pseudonym documents national politics and human rights abuses and provides reporting for local and international outlets while fearing arrest and monitoring of family. Kashmir experienced centuries of non-Kashmiri rule and 101 years of Dogra governance that restricted land ownership, crop control, and language use, replacing Koshur with Urdu and imposing religious and social controls. After partition, India and Pakistan fought over the region, leaving Kashmiris sidelined, silenced, and subject to occupation and a continuing decolonial struggle for self-determination.
Read at The Nation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]