NITI Aayog

Duaa Bhat is a 17-Year -old girl in Indian-administered Kashmir, one of The Most militarized zones in The World . Two years ago, she was friends with Saumya Sagarika, 18, to understand from the country's capital, Delhi, in an attempt to the different worlds they grew up.

The army was deployed in Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority region, because of The Rise of an armed rebellion in 1989. Like, Duaa, the studies have been interrupted by strikes and school shutdowns. The problem was often compounded by the Indian government, which switched off deliberately or to "snap" The Internet and Social Media .

Then, in August of last Year - a degree of autonomy under article 370 of the Constitution of the country and imposed a communications crackdown. Schools were closed, thousands, including politicians, were put under detention, and the phone lines and internet have been blocked.

Five months later, the government began to facilitate the communication constraints, to write to Saumya began to Duaa again. Here are edited excerpts from their letters.

Dear Duaa

A big Hello from Delhi. How are you? How everyone in your family? We don't have to start really, to stay our promise of "pen pals" after our last round of letters, but I Am very glad to our conversation.

must have changed A lot in her life and the circumstances around you in The Past two years. I got to know that article 370 back to liberated Kashmir for a couple of months, and for some time the telecommunications were caught, it, and internet is probably not working yet.

I'm sure The Situation must be changed. I hope everyone is safe there?

Dear Saumya

A chilling salaam from Kashmir.

Chill out, because it is really cold here these days. I'm good at and, Allhamdullilah, everyone in My Family is doing well. We are not more than pen pals, because The Internet is down here, most of the time, and stay in contact with someone outside of The Valley is a task in itself.

I was really happy to know that you have started University and your studies are going well. People Like Me who have suffered The Most in the last couple of months. We used to study, with the help of The Magic of The Internet . Only The Almighty knows how our curriculum have been completed In Time for the exams.

the people here are not happy with the removal of our special status. Personally, I feel Rob to speak to the people of even to their near and dear ones is a violation of Human Rights .

Saumya, Most People , myself included, do not understand the protests in the rest of the country. News channels do not give us enough information to understand what the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) really is. You can give me a brief about you?

In December, offers amnesty for non-Muslim illegal immigrants from the three nearby Muslim-majority countries - Pakistan , Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It sparked massive protests, because a lot of what denies it as discriminatory towards Muslims-something that the government. Saumya, a Hindu, joined the against the new citizenship laws.

Dear Duaa

It's pretty cold in Delhi, but The Mood is really hot.

A few days back, I went to the protest in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh is. Women protest against this law for the last 26 days. These women are not the University professors or activists, but Housewives, women remain in purdah, have stepped out on to The Streets to protest. You have to fight this battle, so that your children are able, and live their lives in peace.

After witnessing the enthusiasm among the people in Shaheen Bagh, I'm going to say that people are willing to fight for our rights.

In her Last Letter , she wrote that she had heard, slogans such as, "you wanted to be Kashmir, as India, but India in Kashmir," were sung, in Delhi. You are 100% right.

Since this protest movement started, all of Delhi is a feeling like cashmere. How The Internet /to the phone, section 144 (curfew) is imposed, stone-throwing and police lathi-charge (long rods) during the protests. So I can say that I understand today, Kashmir, and The Situation of the people living there very well.

Dear Saumya

From what you said about CAA, I think we go back In Time instead of forward. I still can't believe that even in the 21St Century , some of the people other, on the basis of caste, religion and in some parts of society, gender-discriminate.

These protests are a proof that people still believe in a stand for each other, and that humanity is still alive. In contrast to other places in India, Kashmir has been really quiet about this law. In our hearts we know this law is wrong, but these days we Kashmiris could not care less about what happens outside of The Valley . Our voices, our rights are neglected and have been neglected in The Past now.

A few days ago, a Niti Aayog (a government Think Tank ) member VK Saraswat, the communication defended the ban and he went so far as to say that the Kashmiris do nothing but watch "dirty movies" online. Although he apologized later on, these remarks will not be thrown only from our minds. The people really make it so the think About Us ? No One talks about the problems that we face just by The Internet ban. We are really invisible to the rest of the country?

the Religious identities will always come back to Saumya and Duaa ' s letters. In 1989-90, at the beginning of the uprising, when hundreds of thousands of Hindus, known as Pandits were terrorized to leave, the militant Muslims. It is the centuries-old harmony between the two communities tore.

Dear Duaa

I feel that people are watching here, cashmere is a precious property of the country, and of no importance for the people. Only last week there was a discussion about the film Shikara on the TV. The film is based on Kashmiri Pandits. There is no discussion about their plight for the last 30 years was here. And I don't think people are going to see this movie or talk about it even now.

Through our letters, I have been able to understand a lot about Kashmir and the Muslims of the usual ideas. We have a lot of family friends that are Muslims, but not such issues be open to discussing this with you, that we offend you. This CAA issue motivated me to protest, even though I Am a Hindu.

As I understand Kashmir through their letters, it was removed my fears and made me curious even more, Kashmir and Kashmiris. Earlier I was scared because of The Image society and the media. But after our conversations, I Am excited to, in order to understand Kashmir and experience it for yourself. The Kashmir Valley is open for people from outside now?

Dear Saumya

I write this letter not from Kashmir but from one of The Most sacred cities in The World , Mecca , Saudi Arabia . It's a fantastic feeling to see Muslims from all over The World to pray here.

I feel glad that you know The Truth about Kashmir. The Valley is open to tourists now (officially), but for us Kashmiris, it was and always will be open to the people outside.

you know, there is a place in the Khanyar area of Kashmir, where the worship places of different religions are located on top of a hill. At the bottom there is a Gurdwara (Sikh Temple ), in The Middle is a Shrine, and at The Top of a temple. My Mother is a virgin was a house in the vicinity, and had Pandits as neighbors. In My Childhood , My Mother told me various stories about The Brotherhood between the different communities.

cashmere is a really nice place To Live , and I pray to The Almighty , in this Holy city of Makkah to Kashmir, the lost was to a peaceful place again and again for The Brotherhood . I close this letter with The Hope that my dua (wish) comes true and they come in cashmere to meet me.

With love,

Duaa

illustrations by Neelima P Aryan

splits A season full of stories about people to bring together in a fragmented world.

Source of news: bbc.com