Valley of Tourism Reaches Its Nadir
In the quiet of the Ramadan afternoon, as Muslim Kashmiris wait to break their fast, the only sound is the wailing of a mother. It is a relentless, desolate howl. People start to gather, standing around in sullen silence. An elderly man steps forward. "Why are you here? Can any of you bring our boy back? Can you punish his killers? So many people are dead. Why? Can you answer that?" - “ Everyone lives in fear” : Patterns of Impunity in Jammu and Kashmir The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has been subject to often-bitter dispute since the partition of India in 1947, which sparked the first two wars fought between India and Pakistan over this area. Reports of human rights abuses by Kashmiri militant groups fighting to secede from India, and by Indian security forces fighting a counter insurgency have received international attention, with estimates of the number of people killed so far ranging from 6,000 to 17,000. Within Jammu and Kashm...
