If you’ve never had a real un-biased Kashmiri friend chances are you’ll never truly understand the ground reality of Kashmir — especially how nothing really changed after the much-hyped abrogation of Article 370. It was all a drama. Thread 🧵1/n
Let me take you back almost nine years ago. I was at a prestigious annual conference in the South — let’s keep the name confidential. Among the attendees was a group of PhD scholars from Kashmir. It was my first ever conference and it was entirely sponsored. 2/n
One evening, after the sessions, I found myself sitting in the hotel lounge. A man from Anantnag — a JRF at the time, married, calm in demeanor — joined me on the sofa. The TV was playing in the background, broadcasting breaking news from Kashmir, something about an impending statement from the Indian Army. 3/n
To my surprise, the Kashmiri scholars around me started laughing, speaking in Koshur. It felt out of place, even a bit jarring. Curious, I leaned in and asked him — why that reaction? Knowing that I was from Odisha, He said, "I am going for a smoke, join me?" I said, "I don't, but I will accompany you". 4/n
He smiled, almost tiredly, and said, “These media folks? They lie about everything. We don't even watch the news seriously anymore.”
That moment stayed with me. He was otherwise warm, always inviting me to visit Kashmir. We added each other on Facebook, moved to WhatsApp later, and stayed in touch for a while. 5/n
That moment stayed with me. He was otherwise warm, always inviting me to visit Kashmir. We added each other on Facebook, moved to WhatsApp later, and stayed in touch for a while. 5/n
Then, one day, I came across a post from him. He had shared a message about the passing of a friend — someone who was at that same conference. There was no name mentioned, just a quiet post of grief.
Out of courtesy I messaged him my condolences. But something didn’t sit right. So, I started looking. With a little searching, I found an article online. 6/n
Out of courtesy I messaged him my condolences. But something didn’t sit right. So, I started looking. With a little searching, I found an article online. 6/n
His friend — the one from the conference — had been killed in an encounter with the Indian Army. Through news articles I found old photos of him supporting Burhan Wani. At that time, I had no clue who Burhan Wani was. A quick Google search told me everything — he was a terrorist. 7/n
I reached out to that Kashmiri acquaintance, questioning him. He responded that his friend had gone missing for a week, stopped showing up to the school where he taught — and then joined “the militants,” as he called them.
What followed was a long and heated argument. But eventually, we chatted over FB. 8/n
What followed was a long and heated argument. But eventually, we chatted over FB. 8/n
He said something that still echoes in my head:
"Most Kashmiris don’t care about India or Pakistan. They dream of an independent Kashmir. That’s where these groups come from — from that desire. And when there’s nothing left for youth in the valley, they pick this path. The government hasn’t done anything meaningful to stop this. It’s the same old story." 9/n
"Most Kashmiris don’t care about India or Pakistan. They dream of an independent Kashmir. That’s where these groups come from — from that desire. And when there’s nothing left for youth in the valley, they pick this path. The government hasn’t done anything meaningful to stop this. It’s the same old story." 9/n
When I asked him directly whether Pakistan supports these groups, he dodged the question, said, "Does the BJP govt not know? Everyone knows. "
He was right. This blood is on the govt. 10/n
He was right. This blood is on the govt. 10/n
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
