Recently I went to Kupwara, one of Kashmir's districts. As a frontier area, the region has frequently made headlines. The moment I set foot in the district's territory, I sensed a strangeness in the air; the temperature was too low to bear, and it had been pouring rain all day. Pine trees, mountains, and vast lowlands welcomed me. My eardrums began to be assaulted by various-aged women's cries as I was driving. I was unable to make out who they were yelling at or why they were so upset. I slowed down, but the screaming just grew louder. When I turned to gaze outside, everything appeared normal, even though my ears were about to blow out. Everyone was working hard. Who are they yelling at in my ears? I heard the screams of a woman in her nineties, a girl as young as thirteen, a new-born being thrown to the ground, and a pregnant woman pleading with someone to leave her while she was carrying a child. I overheard her urging the...