Abstract | In a democracy, elected leaders are held accountable and those who speak truth to power can do so without being punished. Yet, in an environment of censorship on dissent, any questioning of Indian ruling party leaders, especially Modi and Shah, is branded as hostile to India’s national interest. Modi’s policy towards Kashmir has been to encourage tourism in response to terrorism. This makes the people there dependent on the centre, as well as presenting the idea of post-conflict normality as a propaganda coup. But anyone who knows Kashmir will tell you that official platitudes about “normality” mean very little. The conflict in Kashmir has a complex history in which the idea of Kashmiri self-determination has long been the most important factor. Now the region is without autonomy and only held an election last year – for the first time in a decade – after the Indian Supreme Court ordered it. In today’s India, where authoritarianism is ascendant and Hindu nationalism poses a threat to Muslim rights and security, questions of Kashmiri people’s rights are almost impossible to address. Meanwhile they are vulnerable to attacks in the name of revenge for whatever Pakistani or Pakistani-backed militants do. And any acts of solidarity by Kashmiri Muslims, such as vigils and shutdowns tend simply to be ignored by a narrative that points the finger at Muslims. |
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