On August 5, 2019, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its semi-autonomous status after India’s federal government revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which gave the state special rights, including its own constitution and flag. The Muslim-majority region, which has a strong sense of tradition and identity separate from India, was divided into two federally controlled Union Territories — Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh. The controversial move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government unleashed widespread unrest, and was followed by an increased deployment of troops in India-administered Kashmir, which was already heavily militarized. A strict security lockdown was imposed that lasted …
