A popular Hindu pilgrimage to a cave where Lord Shiva is believed to have dwelled has been a display of Hindu-Muslim unity. That is changing this year, as the Indian government allows pilgrims to travel to the Muslim-majority region despite a COVID-19 lockdown that ensures mosques stay shut.
Read MoreThe charity United Sikhs has organized volunteers to regularly clean and sanitize some of India’s most prominent religious sites of every faith to allow religious leaders and devotees to worship with minimized risk of infection from coronavirus. Many religious sites in India begin reopening Monday, June 8.
Read MoreDays after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a 21-day countrywide lockdown to combat the spread of COVID-19, the Hindu nationalist-led government ushered in a new residency law for Kashmir, opening up India’s only majority-Muslim region for settlement by outsiders.
Read MoreOn. March 13, in a surprise move, the Indian government released former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and current Member of Parliament, Farooq Abdullah. He had been detained more than seven months inside his home in Kashmir, since Aug. 5, 2019 when the Indian government revoked Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status.
Read MoreThe Indian government has restored Muslim-majority Kashmir’s Internet access. Kashmiris wonder: for how long?
Read MoreAn Internet ban in Kashmir is causing job losses and hardships for students, journalists and everyday people living isolated from the rest of the country and the world. Government-provided computer terminals can only be accessed after traveling and hours of waiting in line, and all activities online are monitored.
Read More
