The Failing Art Of Selling Normalcy In Kashmir thewire.in

Remember when a sniper gun mysteriously appeared en route the yatra to Amarnath a few days before the Centre read down Article 370 on August 5? India’s ‘fast-forward’ home minister at once understood that the customary enemy was once again up to no good. With an alacrity that would have shamed the best of Rommel, the state moved to secure the lives of Indian citizens by ordering an unprecedented suspension of the yatra.

All tourists in the Valley were ordered to go back to mainland India, and students from other states studying in Kashmir’s educational institutions were asked to leave as well. Although schools and colleges were decreed closed, Kashmiris were not asked to vacate the valley. That would certainly have given the game away.