Kashmir: De-addiction in Kashmir:

De-addiction in Kashmir is a project that documents the rising rate of drug addiction and trafficking in Kashmir. Until recently, Kashmir was the last remaining state to have been plagued by these issues in India. The religious demographic of Kashmir is made up of a strong Muslim majority. Religious and social standards are intertwined into everyday life and there is a very large social stigma attached to any drug use in Kashmir. This project documents addiction and the issues surrounding addicts, such as military occupation, conflict, violence and unemployment.

Before the recent conflict broke out between India and Pakistan in 1989 and the Line of Control was established, Kashmir was considered by many as heaven on earth, an absolute paradise. It was a main tourist destination for both Indian and foreign tourists. Now, Kashmir exists as a disputed territory in the middle of two nuclear equipped countries, India and Pakistan. During the last 15 years the Kashmiri Valley has endured a military occupation in which military personnel outnumbers civilians 5 to 1. These times have borne political assassinations, militant strongholds, catastrophic natural disasters, economic turmoil, and thousands of civilian causalities due to ongoing violence. Statistically throughout the history of this conflict, the population that is most impressionable and affected are the youth and young adults of Kashmir.

The lives of these addicts are clearly affected by an 80 percent unemployment rate, a military occupation, unpredictable violence, and social alienation. The individuals photographed talked about the increasing unemployment rate and violence on the streets of Srinagar. The all felt that these issues influenced the path they have chosen as addicts. The drugs made them forget about Kashmir's present situation.