Zenaira Bakhsh is a journalist based in Srinagar, Kashmir. She is afeatures writerat The Kashmir Walla, writing on health, gender, culture, and the conflict in Kashmir.
India's mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic has had doubly disastrous consequences for those in Kashmir, with many feeling the consequences of its militarisation. With residents mental health deteriorating, many have turned to pets for comfort.
Mehram, a small Kashmiri NGO set up for women, by women, has become an invaluable refuge for Kashmiri women plagued by gender-based violence. After Modi's revocation of Kashmir's special status, the disputed state continues to fail females.
The heavily-marginalised transgender community in Kashmir faces further ostracization as the vaccine is slowly rolled out in the occupied province. Lacking formal recognition, there has been no attempt by Indian authorities to vaccinate the group.
