As the sun sets and a call to prayer echoes through the alleys of the old town of Srinagar, Kashmir’s largest city, a German shepherd named Rambo stands patiently with a ball in his mouth. He is awaiting his caretaker, Faik Khan. A student of management at the local university, Khan, 24, has grown up in Kashmir Valley, a Muslim-majority region that has been militarized through conflict with the Hindu-led Indian government. “I have seen people being killed, mass detentions, curfews and nocturnal raids,” Khan told OZY. “Lying in bed all night, I used to recall all my childhood memories and that would give me more anxiety and fear that I cannot put into words.” He tried his best not to think about these memories but, he said, such efforts were ineffective. He eventually sought assistance from a psychologist, which brought some relief. Then a friend suggested he adopt a pet. Khan was reluctant at first. But it was Rambo’s arrival in his life that eventually brought a sense of normalcy and calm. “I raised him like a small baby. Now watching him run, and follow me everywhere I go, gives me a different kind of joy,” explained Khan, who is fond of Hollywood movies and named his dog after the famous fictional soldier who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Khan says he now hurries home after class in order to have “quality time” with Rambo. Noting that he still feels an ongoing sense of anger about the events he has witnessed, Khan says that the mere sight of Rambo helps bring him a sense of ease. This animal, he says, is his “remedy.” In 2015, Médecins Sans Frontières along with India’s Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences conducted a study that showed nearly all adults (99.2%) in Kashmir Valley had witnessed a traumatic event at least once in their lives; the average adult had witnessed or experienced more than seven traumatic events, such as violent conflict or the disappearance or death of a loved one. The study indicated that one out of five Kashmiris exhibits symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This equates to about 800,000 people, in an area smaller than Hawaii. On Aug. 5, 2019, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, in an effort to strengthen Hindu control of a Muslim-majority area, revoked the partial autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir that had been in place since India’s constitution was drafted in 1949. Thousands of additional troops deployed to Kashmir, which was already awash in military forces, to impose lockdowns that restricted the movement of ordinary citizens. Thousands of Kashmiris, including elected officials, were arrested. At the same time, there was a near-total communication blackout and what was the longest internet gag ever imposed in a democracy. The Indian government said these measures were necessary to maintain security. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. |
