Aqeedat, driven from Arabic, means faith, veneration and alliance, and this work is an exploration of the intertwined fates of Palestine and Kashmir, two lands that somehow share a similar fate of shared struggle and religious belief.
Most of these photos were taken during the protests on Youm e Qudus, the pro-Palestine rallies that are held annually in Kashmir. These are the only times a controlled solidarity with Palestine is allowed in Kashmir. The work is comprised of two parts – one where I have documented Pro-Palestine protests, and the other where I have staged photos as my own gestures of solidarity.
Smoke rises from a residential house during an encounter in Khanyar, Srinagar, Kashmir, on November 2, 2024.
As a documentary photographer, I intend to take photos that record our histories and stories, which are getting lost because of censorship. Especially today, where there are no platforms that show our side of the struggle, I believe documentation is crucial. It is our only method of dissent. My method is very organic, over the years I have stopped forcing myself to hunt down the ‘good image’.
I let the process flow and when I see a moment I try my best to make it a good composition and control the light. Above all, I try to make sure my presence with gear in my hand is not bothering anyone. Over the last 7 years, the most important thing I have learned is that it is equally important to know when to put your camera down as it is when to keep it ready. I tend to document the women most because I believe that their expressions of solidarity and resistance often get lost in dominant narratives.
I wish more people paid attention to the mechanism of occupation and how it works strategically, and in everyday life, not just when it becomes very obvious. The same tactics that are being used by Israel in Palestine are being implemented by India in Kashmir. I wish people were more conscious about it. I wish people would understand that peace is a facade, and there is no peace and freedom until everyone is free. I also wish people understand how both occupation use Islamophobia as a tool to dehumanise the people of Palestine and Kashmir.
