As military confrontations escalate between India and Pakistan, the local population in Kashmir endures the greatest suffering, caught in a cycle of violence with their lives at stake.
Kashmir: The Human Cost of Enduring Conflict
Kashmir: The Human Cost of Enduring Conflict
In the midst of India-Pakistan tensions, ordinary Kashmiris bear the brunt of military clashes.
On a recent evening in Garkote, nestled in Indian-administered Kashmir, the air was thick with apprehension as night descended. Hills on both sides of the border gleamed with lights from homes, offering a semblance of normalcy. But the peace was short-lived; a warning blared from the local mosque urging those near the border to take cover. Residents recognized this precaution as an ominous sign—shelling was imminent.
As a journalist renowned for covering conflicts in Kashmir, this was a uniquely harrowing experience for Showkat Nanda, who was visiting his friend Irshad Khwaja's family at the time. He had grown up in the area, yet this was his first night under the shadow of bombardment.
The tension had erupted just a day earlier, with military skirmishes intensifying along the Line of Control, a boundary dividing Indian and Pakistani territories. Gazing across the border, Nanda could see the stark contrast of life on each side of the conflict, yet here in Garkote, the everyday lives of Kashmiris are disrupted by the specter of violence—a cycle of fear and suffering that continues to plague the region. As alerts and explosions pierce the calm of night, it serves as a painful reminder of the converging worlds of military conflict and civilian life that defines Kashmir today.
As a journalist renowned for covering conflicts in Kashmir, this was a uniquely harrowing experience for Showkat Nanda, who was visiting his friend Irshad Khwaja's family at the time. He had grown up in the area, yet this was his first night under the shadow of bombardment.
The tension had erupted just a day earlier, with military skirmishes intensifying along the Line of Control, a boundary dividing Indian and Pakistani territories. Gazing across the border, Nanda could see the stark contrast of life on each side of the conflict, yet here in Garkote, the everyday lives of Kashmiris are disrupted by the specter of violence—a cycle of fear and suffering that continues to plague the region. As alerts and explosions pierce the calm of night, it serves as a painful reminder of the converging worlds of military conflict and civilian life that defines Kashmir today.
