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Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A

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Wasim Nabi
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Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A

Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A one year 30stades

August 5 will remain a significant date in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. It was on this day in 2019 that Article 370 and Article 35A were scrapped by the central government, taking away the state’s special status which allowed it to have citizenship for state subjects, a separate constitution and flag and autonomy in administration.

J&K was split into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh -- a measure the government then said was temporary. The revocation was followed by J&K lockdown and a ban on the internet to check communication and prevent protests. While the central government believes the revocation of the two articles will boost development in the state, any concrete results are yet to be seen.

These initiatives will meet the test of success only when the administration can take people along with them. Especially in the valley, there is a trust deficit as people have undergone a long period of violence and lack of development.

A year on, there is still a sullen silence in the valley. The internet ban, poor 2G connectivity and the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), have brought life to a grinding halt. Trade, business, tourism, education have all been affected. 30 Stades looks back at the year gone by through the lens of Wasim Nabi:

Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Paramilitary Troops took over the valley after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A. Pic: Wasim Nabi

Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Barbed wires, also called razor wire, were spread to curb the movement of people. Pic: Wasim Nabi

Also Read: COVID-19 gives new wings to kabootar bazi in Kashmir

Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Srinagar's busiest area Lal Chowk under siege. Pic: Wasim Nabi

Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
A Kashmiri youth throws stone at Paramilitary personnel in Srinagar. Pic: Wasim Nabi
Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Troopers restricting vehicular movement under the lockdown. Pic: Wasim Nabi

Also Read: Kashmiri teen turns mentor to speech and hearing impaired sportspersons

Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Protests at Soura on August 23, 2019. A northern suburb of Srinagar, Soura emerged as the epicentre of protest against the withdrawal of special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Pic: Wasim Nabi
Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
A man looks out of the window as the union territory was put under lockdown on August 5, 2019. Pic: Wasim Nabi

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Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Political uncertainty killed businesses, bringing Pashmina weavers' looms to a grinding halt much before COVID-19 struck. Pic: Wasim Nabi
Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Heaviest snowfall in six decades on November 7, 2019 damaged 40 percent of the Saffron crop

Pic: Wasim Nabi

Also Read: Valley of angst: Double-whammy of Coronavirus lockdown and internet shutdown leaves Kashmir in limbo

Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
House boats at the world famous Dal Lak remained empty as tourists stayed away from the Valley. Pic: Wasim Nabi
Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Coronavirus lockdown beginning March 25 once again brought Jammu and Kashmir to a standstill. Pic: Wasim Nabi
Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Covid-19, however, brought the people and administration close after many years. Here policemen are digging the grave for an 80-year-old woman who succumbed to Cooronavirus. Her family, in quarantine, could not be part of the funeral.

Also Read: Kashmir’s first woman footballer defies odds to follow her dream

Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Heavy deployment of paramilitary forces on Eid-ul-Fitr in April this year. Pic: Wasim Nabi
Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Cherry growers had to harvest and pack the produce themselves due to non-availability of migrant workers following the COVID-19 lockdown. Pic: Wasim Nabi
Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Strawberries & cherries were sold at one-fourth the price of last season as transportation was not available due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Many farmers did not harvest the crop as it was not financially feasible. Pic: Wasim Nabi

Also Read: Lockdown: Kashmir’s teachers run open-air classrooms as Internet ban rules out online education

Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
Apples, which are stored in cold storage facilities, to be sold in summer months as they fetch better prices, were thrown on the roads this year. They could not be transported out of the valley. Pic: Wasim Nabi
Kashmir in pictures after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A, internet ban, lockdown, coronavirus covid19 eid 30 stades
With no internet and online education, teachers in Srinagar started open air classrooms with masks and sanitisers so that students don't miss another academic year. Math teacher Muneer Alam taking classes in Srinagar's Eidgah ground. Pic: Wasim Nabi

(Lead Pic: By Wasim Nabi; A young man in Soura wraps barbed wire around his head in protest against the abrogation of Article 370 & 35A.)

(Wasim Nabi is a Srinagar-based freelance multimedia journalist)

Also See: COVID-19: Dharavi & Mumbai’s other slums in pictures

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