‘Pearl of Kashmir’ sees fragile tourist revival
- 8 years ago
Peace is slowly returning to Srinagar, in Indian-administered Kashmir. For more than twenty years, this city of the Himalayas, nicknamed "the pearl of Kashmir" or "the Asian Switzerland", was plagued by violence and a separatist insurgency supported by neighbouring Pakistan, killing tens of thousands of people and scaring away tourists.
In 1990, the Indian government declared a state of emergency in Kashmir and issued a special act of law allowing one million soldiers to be deployed across the state. It equipped them with emergency powers to conduct large-scale search and detention operations. Purportedly, the Special Act was put in place to quell a separatist insurgency, backed in part by India’s arch rival and neighbour Pakistan. Many civil liberties were suspended, and the streets of Srinagar were transformed into a battleground that grabbed the world’s attention. Twenty-five years later, our reporters returned to Kashmir to offer a glimpse of the legendary valley of Srinagar, which is undergoing an important socio-economic revival.
>>On France24.com, also watch our report: "India - Pakistan: A new generation takes up arms in Kashmir"
The day we began filming in Srinagar, a curfew was declared in many parts of the city. A few days before, a young man had been killed when the paramilitary forces shot tear gas shells to dispel a crowd that had gathered to protest an upcoming visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The day of the curfew, the army was worried about protests over the “accidental” killing turning violent. Despite the curfew, we were able to move around the city quite freely, and even film army checkpoints - something that could have landed us in serious trouble as... Go on reading on our web site.
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In 1990, the Indian government declared a state of emergency in Kashmir and issued a special act of law allowing one million soldiers to be deployed across the state. It equipped them with emergency powers to conduct large-scale search and detention operations. Purportedly, the Special Act was put in place to quell a separatist insurgency, backed in part by India’s arch rival and neighbour Pakistan. Many civil liberties were suspended, and the streets of Srinagar were transformed into a battleground that grabbed the world’s attention. Twenty-five years later, our reporters returned to Kashmir to offer a glimpse of the legendary valley of Srinagar, which is undergoing an important socio-economic revival.
>>On France24.com, also watch our report: "India - Pakistan: A new generation takes up arms in Kashmir"
The day we began filming in Srinagar, a curfew was declared in many parts of the city. A few days before, a young man had been killed when the paramilitary forces shot tear gas shells to dispel a crowd that had gathered to protest an upcoming visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The day of the curfew, the army was worried about protests over the “accidental” killing turning violent. Despite the curfew, we were able to move around the city quite freely, and even film army checkpoints - something that could have landed us in serious trouble as... Go on reading on our web site.
Visit our website:
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