The Wire Talks Beneath the Modi Government’s Push for Tourism in Kashmir Was the Disempowering of Kashmiris | Anuradha Bhasin
May 2, 2025
Anuradha Bhasin, managing editor of the Kashmir Times and author focusing on Kashmir's political landscape, discusses the recent attack on tourists that shocked the community. She highlights how, despite government narratives promoting tourism, locals feel disempowered by new land laws and political alienation. Bhasin emphasizes the resilience of Kashmiris, who continually extend hospitality to tourists while grappling with deep-seated social tensions and the erosion of local governance. Her insights shed light on the complex realities beyond the surface of Kashmir's tourism push.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Unprecedented Terrorist Attack on Tourists
- Attack on tourists in Pahalgam was unprecedented and shocking to Kashmiris.
- It revealed that terrorism was ongoing despite government claims of its end.
Tourism Narrative Fuels Alienation
- Tourism was aggressively pushed as a show of normalcy by the government.
- This created resentment and alienation among locals who felt economically disempowered.
Disempowerment Hidden Beneath Tourism
- Beneath the tourism narrative, Kashmiris experienced political and economic disempowerment.
- Land laws changed allowing outsiders to buy land, causing local resentment.
