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.
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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:
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Paramilitary Troops took over the valley after abrogation of Article 370 & 35A. Pic: Wasim Nabi Barbed wires, also called razor wire, were spread to curb the movement of people. Pic: Wasim Nabi
Srinagar's busiest area Lal Chowk under siege. Pic: Wasim Nabi A Kashmiri youth throws stone at Paramilitary personnel in Srinagar. Pic: Wasim NabiTroopers restricting vehicular movement under the lockdown. Pic: Wasim Nabi
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 NabiA man looks out of the window as the union territory was put under lockdown on August 5, 2019. Pic: Wasim Nabi
Political uncertainty killed businesses, bringing Pashmina weavers' looms to a grinding halt much before COVID-19 struck. Pic: Wasim Nabi Heaviest snowfall in six decades on November 7, 2019 damaged 40 percent of the Saffron crop Pic: Wasim Nabi
House boats at the world famous Dal Lak remained empty as tourists stayed away from the Valley. Pic: Wasim NabiCoronavirus lockdown beginning March 25 once again brought Jammu and Kashmir to a standstill. Pic: Wasim NabiCovid-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.
Heavy deployment of paramilitary forces on Eid-ul-Fitr in April this year. Pic: Wasim NabiCherry growers had to harvest and pack the produce themselves due to non-availability of migrant workers following the COVID-19 lockdown. Pic: Wasim NabiStrawberries & 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
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 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)