The Kashmir We Don't Photograph

Every season, our phones fill with different shades of Kashmir. There are images of Dal Lake shining at sunrise, tulip gardens in full bloom, and hillsides covered in flowers. Tourists arrive with cameras, calling it “paradise on earth.” Those pictures travel far, but they show only one side of life here.

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Away from those frames, another Kashmir exists. The man rowing a shikara at dawn has been working since early morning, hoping to earn enough to feed his family. The woman planting rice spends hours in muddy fields, her back bent and hands sore. The street vendor selling nuts near the lake faces eviction whenever officials clear the roads.

These people are the ones who keep the valley alive, but their stories rarely appear in anyone’s photo.