Kashmiri-American journalist on throwing a wedding party in a region rocked by violence
It’s one of the most hotly contested regions in the world, and for almost two months, Kashmir has been rocked by violence between protesters and police. More than 70 people have been killed — the latest victim, a teenager who was shot by Indian security forces.
Imagine throwing a wedding party in a storm of violence between two nuclear-armed adversaries and you’ll get a glimpse into what Kashmiri-American journalist Sana Bég’s life has been like in the past several weeks.
Bég and her soon-to-be husband met in New York City. They are both journalists, and they both hail from Kashmir. After a long courtship, they were engaged and decided to return home to the picturesque Kashmir Valley to hold the multiday wedding celebration of their dreams. But just as they arrived, a spasm of violence enveloped their plans.
“This morning I heard tear gas outside of the house and protests,” Bég told Yahoo News during a Skype interview from Kashmir. “Nothing is routine, except the violence.”
Triggered by the death of Burhan Wani, a popular separatist militant who was killed by Indian security forces, tens of thousands of Kashmiris took to the streets on July 9, but the mourning turned to enraged protests against India’s rule. Wani was viewed as a social-media-savvy rebel leader by his supporters and a security threat by the Indian government. Law enforcement responded with live ammunition, tear gas and pellet guns.
“We have never seen such a long period of these continuous protests, curfews and shutdowns,” Bég said. “It seems like it’s only intensifying.”
Bég blames the recent violence on resentment by Kashmiri youth, who are buckling under the Indian security apparatus. India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir and have fought three wars over the region. The “Line of Control” marks a de facto, highly militarized border that divides Kashmir between the two nations.
With 11,000 people injured in the past 50 days, and more than a hundred blinded by pellet guns, a curfew has been imposed, and Bég finds herself making last-minute wedding plans in a state of siege.
This week, things calmed down enough for her to hold a traditional henna ceremony, and cooks made it to the family home to prepare a pre-wedding feast in the backyard. But the delivery of the bride’s richly embroidered wedding gown is uncertain, and she’ll have to leave her home at the crack of dawn to avoid street clashes on her wedding day.
With family and friends traveling to the Himalayan valley from as far afield as the U.S., Bég decided against postponing the nuptials. Besides, she said, “What day do you postpone the wedding to? There’s no telling when this will end.”
