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  • It's Friday on the streets of Kashmir's largest city.

  • It's the day Muslims normally gather to pray.

  • But in recent weeks, it's also become a day of protest.

  • Indian authorities are working hard to keep a lid on displays like this.

  • But they can't change how people feel.

  • As protests break out across Kashmir, Indian officials repeat what has become a well-worn soundbite.

  • There have been no major law and order situation reported from across the Valley.

  • Life is slowly returning to normal.

  • And the situation is returning back slowly to the normal.

  • But things here don't seem normal.

  • Kashmir has been a conflict zone for decades.

  • But when India moved to strip the region of its autonomy on August 5th, the situation came to this:

  • Thousands more troops and a curfew bringing daily life to a standstill.

  • Phone lines and internet access were shut down, cutting off around eight million Kashmiris from the outside world.

  • So we came to see what's actually happening here.

  • We visit a neighborhood known for frequent clashes between protesters and Indian security forces.

  • People, here, are in mourning.

  • Fahmida Shagoo was at home with her children and her in-laws on August 9th.

  • Police started firing tear gas at protesters outside.

  • Fahmida's husband, Rafiq, helped rush her to the hospital.

  • But doctors could not revive her.

  • A sudden death and no one to hold accountable.

  • We really demand justice. But, from who? I don't know if we'll get justice, my kids will get justice. I don't know.

  • In addition to tear gas, for years, Indian forces have used pellet guns to quell unrest in Kashmir.

  • These shotguns fire cartridges full of lead pellets that lodge themselves in the flesh.

  • They are supposedly non-lethal, but can cause life-changing disabilities.

  • Parvez Sofi says he was at home when he heard a commotion outside.

  • When he opened the door to see what was happening, he became a target.

  • In the name of maintaining law and order, Indian forces have license to shoot with near impunity in Kashmir.

  • There is no official number for the injured.

  • But in just one hospital here, sources told us over 60 people had been admitted with pellet wounds since the lockdown began.

  • Still, this doesn't stop some people.

  • And lives here have been upended in other ways too.

  • This woman's 22-year-old son, Mehraj Ud-Din, was arrested.

  • She doesn't know why he was taken.

  • Since then, authorities have been giving her conflicting information.

  • This is not an isolated case.

  • Since early August, thousands have been arrested without being charged.

  • And there's no indication when or if they'll be released.

  • It's, it's their media. They can say anything. They are not showing us what's happening around us. They call it 'normalcy'. Nothing is normal here.

  • My kids, they are asking me every night why Mama has died. It's really hard.

  • Although some landlines have been reconnected, Kashmir is still largely cut off from the rest of the world.

  • That helps authorities keep stories like these quiet.

  • But as the days pass, they're getting louder.

It's Friday on the streets of Kashmir's largest city.

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