A Kashmir diary

Shiraz, the last single screen hall in Srinagar which today is a dilapidated shell, shut down a quarter century ago soon after the troubles began

As our flight comes in to land in Srinagar, we are told to close the window shades rather than open them, as is usual. Closing them while landing is, of course, a safety hazard because neither crew nor passengers can assess the external situation if there is an accident.

The instruction to close the shades came after a fairly stern announcement from the cabin crew on how Srinagar is a defence base and photography is not permitted. But this is India and the passengers are not trusted so the shades are closed. When we relate this to colleagues who came