Despite Indian claims that all is well in the Kashmir valley, the communications blackout continues. Kashmiri YouTubers are the biggest example of how not much ‘normalcy’ has been restored to Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Although media access to the region as also limited, Kashmir Walla managed to speak to Kashmiri YouTuber Yawar Ahmad Wani. 19-year-old Yawar is the co-founder of Kashmir’s biggest YouTube channel, Kashmiri Kalkharabs (Crazy Kashmiri).
“We are the pioneer YouTubers [in Kashmir], … We made the scene without anyone’s help. We did it on our own.”
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The content creator revealed that the partial restoration of Internet services prevents streaming. Word of their situation still can’t get out.
“I have dreams where I’m using the internet, … That feeling is surreal—but as soon as I wake up, I realize we are still locked down.
As the communications blackout continues in Kashmir for 196 days, this marks the longest ongoing Internet blackout in any ‘democratically governed’ area ever.
Choking Out Creative Outlets in Kashmir
According to the outlet, the Internet ban is choking out the voices of content creators in Kashmir.
These YouTubers found creative and comedic ways to express tragedies that come with living in the conflict region.
India’s Jio network expanded the country’s Internet user base in 2016.
That’s when numerous home-grown popular channels spawned from Kashmir. They produce a wide variety of content from comedy acts to regional recipes, even independent music.
While Yawar and his brother now run the biggest two channels Kashmiri Kalkharabs and Ultimate Rounders, it is hard to believe now that they started off with just a smartphone in an attempt to save their culture through comedy.
“Socially-conscious humor in Kashmiri language— which is a deliberate attempt to save our culture”
Unfortunately, their career options were cut short by the Internet blackouts.
“If the internet is not restored soon, I need to look for an alternative job … YouTube had endless possibilities. It was like I could do anything. I was the most powerful man. I felt empowered. Now, I feel like a labourer without legs.”
While the Bhartiya Janata Party(BJP) is no stranger to acknowledging social media influencers, they deliberately chose to ignore influencers in Kashmir.
“The government doesn’t know we exist, … They don’t know people make a living from YouTube.”
Lost Culture and Art
Similarly, 26-year-old Tassiya Tariq is all about preserving her culture’s culinary art by sharing traditional Kashmiri recipes.
Her YouTube channel, Kashmir Food Fusion, aimed ‘to teach a younger generation—how to cook Kashmiri food ‘.
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Other losses to art include Kashmiri hip-hop artist Mir Gazzanfar, AKA EssXaar. who quit his career in music to flee to Delhi. He now works a regular job in a digital marketing company.
Kashmir’s underground hip-hop scene relied on artistic expression to highlight pressing social issues.
EssXaar’s music integrated modern hip-hop with Kashmiri folk music and his own verses. The Internet blackout cut the chord on many other artists like him.
“[The government] didn’t do right. Does anyone say it is right? From online businesses and students to artists, everyone is suffering because of them.”