Analysis: "In total darkness Kashmir has not been before"

Sayed himself was able to communicate via a temporary internet, which he did not want to reveal how he got hold of. But otherwise, it is difficult to know what is happening, because the media has had to leave the area.

When I visited Kashmir in 2016, there were few international journalists there. At the airport, I was taken straight to the side and asked by the military why I came. Daily, then various security people called and asked what I was doing, who I was talking to and what I had filmed.

Now the Indian military has tightened its control further with tens of thousands of soldiers. Kashmir has long been one of the world's most militarized zones. When I visited the capital Srinagar there were soldiers on every street. They seemed constantly prepared with their automatic weapons. To my surprise, however, young men threw stones in protest. Some of the population want an independent Kashmir, and since 1989 militant groups have been attacking what they see as an Indian occupation.

Ever since Kashmir was divided between India and Pakistan, both countries claim the whole area, which has resulted in two full-scale wars and amounts of deaths. Last spring, the risk of war increased again as India made air raids over Pakistan following a terror attack in the Indian part.

Each time the situation escalates, the world holds its breath, as both countries have nuclear weapons. The Indian government's suspension of Kashmir's autonomy is like pouring gasoline on fire. Kashmir is the only Muslim state in India. The change of law allows Hindus from the rest of India to buy land and settle there. Something that could lead to this region also being dominated by Hindus. Thus, the change in the law is also about the position of minorities in India.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP, violence and discrimination against minorities has increased. On my travels around India, I increasingly encounter both Muslims and Christians who are worried about their safety. Several have been killed by angry mobs in recent years.

The UN now warns that human rights are being jeopardized in Kashmir. Even when I was there, interviewees testified about violence and disappearance, others about how difficult it is to make everyday life work. One of Asia's most beautiful places could boast of trade and tourism. But now again, hotels, shops and schools are closed.

The Indian government believes that the change in law will provide an economic injection for Kashmir. But the local resistance is great and to avoid protests, political leaders have been arrested, people locked in their homes and all communications strangled.

Even when I visited Kashmir, the internet and mobile networks were turned off, but this state of affairs has not been dark before. The UN also warns that freedom of expression is threatened and the last thing I hear from Sayed is that the frustration is extraordinarily high in connection with the holiday.

“We want to visit the mosque and pray, contact us for relatives and friends. None of that we can do now, ”says Sayed.