“Fear is real”: Why young Kashmiris remove tattoos from weapons, “freedom” | India-Pakistan voltages

“Fear is real”: Why young Kashmiris remove tattoos from weapons, “freedom” | India-Pakistan voltages

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Srinagar, cashmere with India -In of a calm laser clinic in the largest city, Srinagar of Kashmir in India, seeder Wani is sitting with an outstretched arm, his eyes follow the fading ink on his skin.

The word “Azadi” (freedom in Urdu), once a bold symbol for the rebellion against the rule of India, slowly disappears under the laser’s stitch. What was once a sign of the defiant has become a burden that he no longer wants to wear.

When Sameer, 28, the ink has disappeared, and his spirit drifts until a day he is never forgotten. He drove with a friend with a motorcycle when the Indian security forces stopped at a control point.

During the frising one of the officers pointed to the tattoo on his arm and asked: “What is it?”

Sameer’s heart raced. “I was lucky that he couldn’t read Urdu,” he says Al Jazera, his voice dyed the memory. “It was a close call. I knew exactly that this tattoo could bring me into serious difficulties.”

When he was younger, he said, the tattoo was a “sign of strength to stand up for something”.

“But now I see that it was a mistake. It does not represent who I am more. It is not worth taking the risk, and it is not worth taking in something that could hurt my future.”

Sameer is one of many young Kashmiris who decide to extinguish tattoos who once reflected their political beliefs, emotional struggles or identity. Once worn with pride, the tattoos are now growing in the region – quietly and without fanfare.

While a trend of removing tattoos has already been underway, the urgency since India and Pakistan, which had been running three wars about Kashmir since 1947, has distributed itself, after killing 26 people in the picturesque city of Pahangam last month on the sidelines of 26 people in India pages.

Neu -Delhi accuses Islamabad of supporting an armed rebellion that broke out on the Indian side in 1989. Pakistan rejects the claim and said that it only provides moral diplomatic support for the separatist movement of Kashmir.

Two weeks after Pahalgam, India, on May 7th, he started in Pakistan and Pakistan-released cashmere, the “terrorist” in Pakistan and Pakistan-submitted cashmere. The most extensive cross -border rocket attack since her war in 1971. For the next three days. 10.

However, peace remains in Kashmir, in which the Indian cashmere administered is administered, where an approach by the Indian armed forces delighted the region of fear. Houses of alleged rebels have been destroyed, others attacked and more than 1,500 people have been arrested since Pahalgam’s attack, many under preventive detention laws.

Photo 1: A Kashmir youth shows a tattoo of an AK-47 on his forearm.
A Kashmir youth shows a tattoo of an AK-47 on its forearm [Numan Bhat/Al Jazeera]

“We feel it on our skin”

In such a tense atmosphere, many Kashmir young people say that they feel exposed – and more susceptible to control the most personal forms of expression.

“Every time something happens between India and Pakistan, we feel it on our skin – literally,” says Rayees Wani, 26, a resident of the Shopian District, to Al Jazera.

“I have a tattoo of the name of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelanis on my arm and after Pahangam’s attack I started to get strange views of checkpoints,” he said, referring to the separatist leader, who died at the age of 91 at the age of 91. Hurriyat is an alliance of Pro-Freeedom groups in the Freedoma Minister.

“Even my friends ask me uncomfortable questions. The media, the police and even the neighbors look at them differently,” added Rayees.

“I only wish people understood that a tattoo did not define the loyalty or character of someone. We just try to live and not explain each other every day. I would like to delete this as soon as possible.”

The 19 -year -old Arsalan from Pulwama recently booked a tattoo removal session. He did not share his last name about the fear of the reprisals of the authorities.

“People with visible tattoos – especially those who indicate past political affiliations – are suddenly worried that they could be profiled, interviewed – or worse,” he said.

Of course, the tattoo culture does not fade in Kashmir. Tattoo studios are still busy, especially with customers between the ages of 22 and 40, of whom are waiting for many hours to undertook themselves. But the trend has shifted; Instead of political or religious tattoos, people now prefer minimalist designs, nature inspired patterns, names or meaningful quotes in stylish fonts.

Some Kashmiris who try to get rid of tattoos say that this is part of their personal development and their growth.

“For me it was about being brave,” Irfan Yaqoob from the Baramulla district told Al Jazeera. Now 36, Yaqoob has tattooed a murdered rebel name that was tattooed as a teenager on his left arm.

“Back then it felt like a symbol of courage. But now when I look at it, I realize how much I have changed. Life has moved on and I have a family, a job and different priorities. I don’t want my past to define me or create anger in the present.

Photo 6: A man gets a tiger tattoo at hand.
Instead of weapons, religious messages or political slogans, the young Kashmiris who want tattoos with more harmless pictures like this man to be colored on his hand, who gets the image of a tiger on his hand [Numan Bhat/Al Jazeera]

Many reasons to remove tattoos

It is not just the security forces that drive this step forward among many Kashmiris to get rid of tattoos.

For some tattoos became painful memories of a turbulent past. For others, they became obstacles, especially when they tried to get ahead professionally or to align the inscription on their body with their personal beliefs.

Anas me, who also lives in Srinagar, had a sword with “Azadi” that was written about it. He removed it a few weeks ago.

“People don’t say why they remove tattoos. I only removed mine because of my family pressure,” said the 25-year-old.

“It is my choice what kind of tattoo I want. Nobody should judge me. If someone had an AK-47 or a political tattoo, it was their choice. The authorities or the government should not interfere.

One of the main reasons for people who remove tattoos is religion. In a region of the Muslim majority, tattoos, especially those who bear religious or political messages, were often able to conflict with the teachings of faith.

The 24 -year -old Faeem had a Koran verse who was tattooed on his back at the age of 17.

“At that time I thought it was an act of faith,” he said to Al Jazera, without revealing his last name for security fear. “But later I realized that tattoos – especially in the case of sacred verses – were not encouraged [in Islam]. It started to disturb me deeply. Every time I offered namaz, I felt guilty [prayers] Or went to the mosque. This regret remained with me. Removing it was my way of making peace with me and my faith. “

Many others said they had shared the feeling. Some visit religious scholars to ask whether tattoos influence their prayers or their faith. While most are advised not to deal with past actions, they are encouraged to take steps that bring them closer to their beliefs.

“It’s not about accusing someone,” said Ali Mohammad, a religious scholar in Srinagar. “It’s about growth and understanding. If someone realizes that something he has done in the past no longer matches his beliefs and takes steps to correct it is a sign of ripening, not shame.”

Another key factor that drives tattoo removal is occupational safety. In Kashmir, government jobs are considered stable and prestigious. A tattoo, especially one with political references, can cause problems during recruitment or in the background checks.

Talib, which only revealed his first name, had a tattoo of a Koranian verse that was shaped on his forearm like an AK 47 rifle. When he applied for a government position, a friend of the law enforcement indicated in law enforcement that this could be a problem.

“He didn’t say it directly, but I could say that he was worried,” said the 25-year-old. “Since then I have avoided semi -flawed shirts. I have many rejections and nobody ever gave a clear reason, but deep inside I knew that the tattoo was a problem. It felt like a wall between me and my future.”

If the demand for tattoo removal increases, clinics in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir in India, which were administered by cashmere, have a steady increase in customers. Laser sessions, as soon as rarely, are now booked weeks in advance.

Mubashir Bashir, a well-known tattoo artist in Srinagar, who also heads a tattoo removal service, said: “After the death of a popular singer in 2022, the trend of AK-47 tattoos exploded,” said Bashir. Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, whose music often glorified the weapons, was killed in May 2022. The police accused his death of a rivalry between bound.

“But now, especially after Pahangam’s attack, we see more people to extinguish these tattoos. Fear is real,” said Mubashir.

He estimated that in the past seven years in the region since 2019, when India raised Kashmir’s semi -autonomous status and started a great procedure, removed in the region in the region and started a great deal of procedure and thousands of civilians started. “Some say that the tattoo no longer represents them. Others mention problems at work or when traveling,” said Mubashir.

The removal of laser tattoo is not easy. It requires several sessions, costs thousands of rupees and can be painful. Even after a successful distance, weak scars or brands often remain. But the pain is worth it for many Kashmiris.

Sameer, whose “Azadi” tattoo has almost disappeared, remembers the emotional weight of the process. “I didn’t cried when I got the tattoo,” he says. “But I cried when I started to remove it. It felt like I was going to let go of a part.”

Nevertheless, Sameer believes that it was the right choice. “It’s not about shame,” he says. “I respect who I was. But I want to grow. I want to live without looking over my shoulder.”

When he finishes another laser session, a weak scar is all that is left of the word that Kashmir’s war cray is for freedom.

“I will never forget what this tattoo meant to me when I was 18,” says Sameer when he rolls over his sleeve. “But now I want to be someone new. I want a life in which I don’t wear old shadows.”

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