Underground, but undeterred: Why Kashmir’s rappers sing in secret
by Safina Nabi
Apr 28, 2022
4 minutes
Under the shade of a chinar tree standing next to the famous Zero Bridge in Srinagar, India, Rumi* shares how his music was born out of the death of a stranger.
*The rappers in this story are in hiding due to threats from Kashmir authorities. Because of the danger they face, we have agreed to use pseudonyms in this story.
Nearly a decade ago, while he was walking to work, Rumi says he noticed a group of young boys throwing stones at an army bunker – not an abnormal scene in heavily militarized Kashmir. After a few minutes a soldier fired off a bullet, which hit a passerby. The man died on the spot, Rumi recalls.
“He was just
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