MOST WRITING ABOUT KASHMIR, ever since militancy began in the valley in the late 1980s, has confined itself to issues of human-rights violations or national-security frameworks. It has not documented the changes that have occurred over the last three decades in the daily lives of Kashmiris—in their beliefs, dreams, friendships, livelihoods and even notions of honour and shame. Kashmir’s children have changed, and so have the games they play. People’s fears and their ability to trust and love have altered. The ordinary moments of their lives unfold in the presence of extraordinary garrisons of the Indian state, set up across the valley since 1990s. Resistance has become part of their routine and renders their lives exceptional.
Kashmiri society has lived far too long under the shadow of death and brutality. The battle for Kashmir’s territory has also led to the demonisation of its people’s faith, while their efforts to defend it have fostered religious orthodoxy. Many kinds of Islam now contend for supremacy. Amid everyday violence and the hyper-masculine discourses of nationalism and religion, the space for women has shrunk, and much that was progressive and valuable in the cultural traditions of Kashmir has been degraded or lost. The left-liberal writing on Kashmir misses this nuance, and tends to criticise the militant movement for the lack of women in it. Kashmir’s many women soldiers have long been fighting from within but their struggles seldom grab attention. More here.