In April last year Suhail Naqshbandi quit as creator of the popular Inside Out editorial cartoon daily feature for Greater Kashmir, citing pressure on the newspaper. Months later India’s government revoked the special autonomous status of the Jammu & Kashmir region and in the ensuing crackdown on civil liberties all telecommunication and internet service was disrupted. It has been extremely difficult to verify the whereabouts and welfare of colleagues in Kashmir and elsewhere across the country as internet blackouts have continued.
Now, to mark the first anniversary of the repeal of Article 370 we present an exclusive cartoon strip by Suhail entitled LOCKED.
In an evocative and semi-autobiographical story, Suhail portrays a family caught out by the sudden changes in Kashmir as the Indian government suspended the special status of the state and began reorganisation into the two new union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
I ask those reading this, do not forget about me: though I may go silent that is not by choice.
Suhail Naqshbandi
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