In the town of Shopian in Kashmir, a group of men in their early 20s are killing time at an apple orchard. Until recently, the valley was cut off from the outside world by a months-long communication blockade imposed by the Indian government. The men are eager to share their predicament. “This government wants us to perish. They have taken everything away from us. They have taken away our identity,” says one of them. “We will not sit quiet.”

Mutiny is in the air in Kashmir. It has been five months since the region’s semi-autonomous status was unilaterally revoked by the Indian government. So far, the presence of over 700,000 Indian soldiers has prevented the eruption of a large-scale insurgency, but Kashmir’s youths are increasingly determined to fight back against what they describe as an assault on their political voice.

India has also stepped up its rhetoric. Last week, the country’s most senior military commander provoked outrage for suggesting that sending young Kashmiris to “deradicalisation camps” might be the answer to fighting militancy.

There is growing anger over the actions of the security forces, who inhabitants say have tortured Kashmiris. In September, it was reported that a 26-year-old man from Shopian was taken to an army camp, stripped naked, waterboarded and administered electric shocks. Others allege that late-night raids and illegal detentions have become the norm. “They come and torch our houses. They beat us. It’s not paradise, it’s hell,” is a common refrain across picturesque south Kashmir.

Palpable anger against India

In Kashmir’s largest city, Srinagar, everyday life is suspended at the slightest provocation. Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent statement in Parliament claiming that everything is normal in Kashmir was met with a self-imposed curfew by Kashmiris. Menacingly worded posters in Urdu calling for a strike have mysteriously appeared on lamp posts and fences. Traders and businessmen who have refused to participate have been harassed and attacked.

A handful of restless men assemble outside the medical store. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) majoritarian agenda, the deteriorating law and order situation, the possibility of a war with Pakistan, the hope for international mediation form the crux of their animated discussion. The anger against India is palpable.

“We won’t let Kashmir function. They [the government of India] can’t get away with it,” declares a twenty-something man. “Till this day, we have been warm and cordial to Indians coming to Kashmir. We held on to our pluralist traditions... Not any longer. No Indian will be allowed here from now on,” he adds. Others try to assuage him, reiterating their belief in peace and concord. “Hospitality is inbred in us,” someone in the crowd counters.