Kashmir, in the foothills of the Himalayas, is a region claimed by both India and Pakistan. On both sides of the border, the mainly Muslim population is caught up in a decades-long conflict. The desire for independence is strongest on the Indian side. Separatist groups, sometimes supported by Pakistan, are violently opposed to Indian rule. With tensions high following a recent attack on Indian security forces, our reporters went to Kashmir to see how the conflict has affected ordinary people.
The ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan is mainly over the Himalayan region of Kashmir that both countries claim in full but rule in part. The dispute has festered and grown since the partition of India in 1947. Since an insurgency against Indian rule began in 1989, some 50,000 to 70,000 people have been killed, according to human rights groups.
This report was filmed in Kashmir just after India had conducted air strikes in Pakistani territory in retaliation for a suicide bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 44 security forces. Tensions were high between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with the international community worried about the possibility of war.
But we weren’t focusing as much on the geopolitical dynamics as we were on how this conflict has impacted ordinary Kashmiris on both sides of the border who believe they have been forgotten by the international community.
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