A communications blackout and curfew has been placed on the region’s 7 million inhabitants for almost a month (Picture: Getty Images)

A British man says he is ‘falling apart’ after not hearing from his wife for over three weeks, after Kashmir was placed under curfew by the Indian government.

Wanting only to be identified by his first name, Adeel, 33, says he doesn’t know if his ‘wife is even alive’ after a communications blackout was imposed on the region’s 7 million residents on August 4 by the Indian government.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, he said: ‘I feel like no one cares.

‘I will have to fly out to find out more about how she is or where she is, my mum and dad don’t want me to go, because it’s quite dangerous out there, but I feel like I have to go.




‘I have no other option.’

Adeel was married to his wife who is from Srinagar, Kashmir, 18 months ago and has asked for her name not to be published over concerns for her safety.

He said the last he heard from his wife, she had to be driven for three hours by her brother, just so they were able to receive a phone signal to contact him.

An armed Indian paramilitary trooper stands guard on August 30, 2019 in Srinagar, the capital of Indian administered Kashmir, India (Picture: Getty Images)

Stones thrown by Kashmiri protesters at Indian forces lie in the road (Picture: Getty Images)

Adeel added she sounded ‘frightened’ and the situation had taken a toll on him both physically and mentally.

He appealed to the Foreign Office to help him and said ‘all I want to do is start a family.

‘I’m close to tears even speaking about it.’

Adeel said that he has been following the news about mass arrests and allegations of the Indian army torturing civilians, as well as social media reports of ‘mass graves’ which has made him worry even more.

Kashmir, India’s only Muslim majority region, has been placed under curfew for nearly a month, with internet and phone services cut.

Hundreds of people have been arrested, including opposition politicians and local activists.

Kashmiri protesters try to douse an erupting teargas shell during a protest against Indian rule and the revocation of Kashmir’s special status, on August 30, 2019 in Srinagar (Picture: Getty Images)

Human rights groups have expressed Kashmir over what’s happening in Kashmir (Picture: AFP)

Mohammad Siddiq, 70, who was wounded in protests in Kashmir shows his pellet ridden back as his wife stands beside him (Picture: AP)

Indian government forces stand guard amid curfew like restrictions in Kashmir (Picture: Getty Images)

A senior local government official, who spoke to the Washington Post, said that children were among the 3,000 people who had been detained.

The region was placed in lockdown after Indian PM Modi revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which granted autonomy to Kashmir, meaning the region got its own constitution, a separate flag and the freedom to make laws.

However, the Indian government has revoked Kashmir’s special status, deciding to split the region into two territories governed directly by Delhi.

Hunt for man who 'tried to lure two young girls into his van'

Human rights groups have expressed their concern over what is happening in Kashmir, one of the most militarised regions in the world.

Nearly 6,000 single or mass graves have been found in Kashmir since 2008.

In the latest round of violence, it is alleged that the Indian army has used teargas, chilli grenades and pellets to disperse protesters, according to a number of civilians.

The Foreign Office says it is aware of the situation in Kashmir and has been contacted for comment.

What are the roots of the Kashmir conflict? During the partition of India in 1947, the area was divided among mainly religious lines; Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India.

Some expected Jammu and Kashmir, like other Muslim-majority regions, to go to Pakistan.

Kashmir was free to decide whether it wanted to be part of India or Pakistan.

The ruler of the princely state, which had a Muslim majority, had initially wanted Jammu and Kashmir to become independent, but decided to join India in return for help against an invasion of tribesmen from Pakistan.

War broke out between India and Pakistan, and Kashmir effectively became partitioned along what is now known as the Line of Control.

The region, which remains one of the most militarised zones in the world, has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for more than six decades.

Got a story for Metro.co.uk? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.