Thread by @thecaravanindia

#Thread | Today marks two years since the central government abrogated Kashmir’s special status by reading down #Article370 of the Constitution.

In “State Subjects,” The Caravan featured a collection of voices from various parts of the erstwhile state:

Replug | Kargil is closer to Srinagar than it is to Leh. Most of the region’s life essentials—from groceries to daily supplies—come from Kashmir. The people of Kargil have always endorsed the unity of the state.

Mustafa Haji writes. #Article370 bit.ly/2nv30cY

Replug | Our union territory would have been welcome by everyone if the government had brought it in a democratic way, via dialogue. How will we justify this to our future generations?

Rigzin Yangdol, a Ladakhi professional, writes. #Article370 bit.ly/2mExARB

Replug | A slow splurge of melancholy grooms us to accept this new normal. Silences replace the conversations we had with people back home. There is a curfew on our words, so they are unable to reach our loved ones.

Hafsa Sayeed writes. #Article370 bit.ly/2ogAMDj

Replug | The decision to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir and reduce its status from an autonomous state to a union territory is just another attempt by the BJP to force its pseudo-nationalism on the people of Kashmir.

Aamir Sohail writes. #Article370 bit.ly/2nGOHCc

Replug | The communalisation of the Kashmiri people’s demand for their political right to self-determination made it easier to mould the sentiments of the people of Jammu into an anti-Kashmir stance.

Surbhi Kesar, a doctoral student from Jammu, writes. bit.ly/3inRiej

Replug | It had been easy, so far, to dismiss some bigoted voices in my extended family and the wider Kashmir Pandit community. But this is now not only about Kashmir. It strikes at the very heart of what it means to be Indian.

Apurva Bamezai writes. bit.ly/3joWyxK