torsdag 24. september 2020

Voices From the Himalayas Amid Tensions Along the China-India Border

On June 16, Amir Ahmad Hajjam, 31, was at his vegetable shop when he heard about the faceoff between Chinese and Indian troops at Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Galwan Valley. Hajjam hails from Indian-administered Kashmir and runs a shop at the main market of Leh, the capital of Ladakh, now a Union Territory after Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was revoked in August 2019.

Soon after Hajjam heard the news that around 20 Indian troops had been killed after a brawl between China and India, he started packing for home. He sensed the situation could worsen between the nuclear-armed rivals and feared that the area soon might witness violence. He headed toward the largest city of Indian-administered Kashmir — Srinagar, a journey of around 420 kilometers from Leh.