I Can’t Reach My Parents in Kashmir, but I Hope This Poem Does

Video Editor: Kunal Mehra
Video Producer: Aastha Gulati

My name is Abdul Manan Bhat. I’m a PhD scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. My parents live in Kashmir. While Kashmir has gone through some tough times in history, with the abrogation of Article 370 it feels like Kashmir has been exiled from itself. Recent events, like the communication blackout, have confined Kashmiris to their homes.

I haven’t been able to speak to my parents for a few days now, and I know many such Kashmiris are facing the same fate.

Since there’s been no news from Kashmir, I thought a poetic response from a Kashmiri who can’t reach his parents is befitting. My poem is titled ‘Yaqeen’ or belief, because there is belief that this is not the end.

I dedicate this poem to Kashmiris, who have been rendered prisoners in their own houses, and to Kashmir, which has been exiled from itself.

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