The trail of death and destruction left behind by nearly four weeks of unrest in the Kashmir Valley has dealt a serious blow to the political base of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The worst-affected south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam – the political bastion of the PDP – have turned into the party’s Waterloo.
The cycle of violence has left 71 people dead and over 11,000 injured. And most of the casualties in the deadliest unrest the Valley has seen in six years, have been from the south. In fact, the unrest started from there after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in Bamdoora village of Anantnag on 8 July in a gunfight with the security forces. Wani belonged to Tral town – also in the south.