The Future of Kashmir

How India decided to end the area’s autonomous status and what it means for the region.

By , the executive editor for podcasts at Foreign Policy.
Security personnel stand guard on a deserted road during a lockdown in Srinagar, Kashmir, on Aug. 15.
Security personnel stand guard on a deserted road during a lockdown in Srinagar, Kashmir, on Aug. 15.
Security personnel stand guard on a deserted road during a lockdown in Srinagar, Kashmir, on Aug. 15. SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/Getty Images

The Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir is known for breathtaking mountain views and its decades-long political and military strife. The Muslim-majority area is administered by India but has a separatist movement that draws support from neighboring Pakistan. 

The Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir is known for breathtaking mountain views and its decades-long political and military strife. The Muslim-majority area is administered by India but has a separatist movement that draws support from neighboring Pakistan. 

On Aug. 5, the Indian government abruptly suspended Kashmir’s special autonomous status, a blow to the status quo there. Officials detained Kashmiri politicians and shut down phone service and the internet to prevent protests. India’s Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments about the legality of the move. 

Our guest on First Person this week is Barkha Dutt, an Indian broadcast journalist who has covered Kashmir for two decades.

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