A Silent Season in Kashmir

In the campaign rallies in Kashmir, political candidates from different regional parties spoke about breaking the silence. They said the abrogation of Article 370 took away their dignity. Now is the time to speak up, they said. People turned out in record numbers to cast their votes in the Valley. What does that mean? Is it acceptance or is it the act of breaking the silence? What is this silence?

- Chinki Sinha

Kashmir Speaks in Metaphors In 2019, a man started making paper planes in another country far away from Kashmir, which had been sealed off from the world for months when the government abrogated Article 370, which gave Jammu & Kashmir a special status. It was done suddenly. Without any warning. Internet and phone lines were suspended. Silence descended on the Valley. People still wrap the silence around themselves. Everyone has their own reason and version of this silence.