In the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack, authorities have demolished seven homes of suspected militants in South Kashmir, who are allegedly involved in the attack. The demolitions defied the Supreme Court ruling against such actions without due process. Additionally, Kashmiri students face harassment across India, while online threats of sexual violence against hijabi Kashmiri women have amplified fear and discrimination. This has sparked concerns of collective punishment and human rights violation against particular communities. 

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, authorities blew up at least 7 houses of suspected militants over the past two days, in various areas of South Kashmir. Authorities claimed that all the houses belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba members, some of whom are alleged to be involved in the Pahalgam attack; Pakistan has rejected these allegations. As of now, the residential houses of the seven families have been demolished in Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag districts of South Kashmir within 48 hours on Thursday (April 24) and Friday (April 25).

These demolitions were carried out despite the Supreme Court’s recent ruling denouncing the demolition of suspects' residential houses without issuing show-cause notices to their owners. The Supreme Court held that the right to shelter is a fundamental right as part of the Constitution's basic structure. While the authorities have not issued an official statement, the media received the information informally. 

Yasmeena, the sister of one of the suspected militants, told The Wire, “Even if my brother was involved in the Pahalgam attack, what has our family got to do with it? Why are our parents being punished for no fault of theirs?” Her remarks reflect the growing unease over the government’s approach, as the demolition of homes belonging to suspects’ families, without due process, raises serious concerns about collective punishment. This practice stands in stark contrast to constitutional principles and international human rights norms.

This general trend of collective punishment, where individuals or families are penalized not for their own actions but for their perceived association with suspects, has sparked widespread concern among legal experts and Human rights activists. The demolition has impacted several adjoining houses as well, which according to locals are unsafe for residing. Such actions violate not only domestic legal safeguards but also international humanitarian norms, which prohibit punishing individuals for crimes they did not commit.

This troubling trend is not limited to demolitions. In the aftermath of the attack, students from Kashmir have faced harassment, violence, and academic reprisals across various parts of India. In numerous cases, Kashmiri students have been evicted from hostels and assaulted both on and off campuses across India. These actions add to the larger climate of intimidation and guilt by association, where a communal identity becomes a basis for suspicion.

Meanwhile, in the last 48 hours, Hindutva handles have been seen openly calling for sexual violence and rape against Kashmiri Muslim women, intensifying the hate amid the surge of violence against Kashmiris. These threats began with a seemingly supportive message from an internet user, Ben Dover, offering shelter to distressed Kashmiri girls in Delhi. This abruptly took a dark turn when he tweeted, “But I can’t guarantee if she will be alive after spending a night with me” and while especially targeting Hijabi Kashmiri Muslim girls, he declared, “Hijabis are my priority”. What sends chills down one's spine is the fact that the post was liked by 4,400 users, highlighting how such violent rhetoric is being normalized.

All these circumstances, from home demolitions and student harassment to rape threats directed at hijabi Kashmiri women, point towards a growing fear among Kashmiris of being subjected to collective punishment, where entire communities are made to suffer for the alleged actions of a few, often without evidence or due process.

After Pahalgam terror attack: Demolitions Defying SC Ruling, Student Harassment and Rape Threats to Hijabi Kashmiri Muslims — All Raises Fear of Collective Punishment. 

As Anurag Kashyap makes his exit from Bollywood and movies like Nadaaniyan, starring mega star kids Ibrahim Khan and Khushi Kapoor, fracture one’s brain, one is bound to question the cancerous state of Bollywood. Kashyap says that he is “disgusted by his own industry,” and guess what? So is the audience.

The same industry that produced legends and experimented with diversity is now a hub of capitalism. The industry reeks of money, thinks of money, wants money, but unfortunately has to depend on re-releases to capture money rather than create it. With movies like 

 being re-released, one is forced to sympathise with the plight of the industry people. Are there no writers, no better directors, no better actors to save Bollywood? Even if there are, are they getting any creative freedom in the first place?

Mahesh Bhatt’s recent insight on Kashyap’s exit, where he mentions how 

“the industry prescribes conformity like a rule that punishes unpredictability,”

 uncovers the ugly picture of contemporary Bollywood. Bhatt highlights how the industry has stopped experimenting altogether and become 

. This portrays the declining state of Indian cinema, where the same old stories are repeated, old songs are horribly remixed, and even when it provides something new, the movie turns out to be a remake of some good Tollywood or Hollywood movie. It is safe to say that the state of Bollywood is pathetic and disastrous. The industry is facing a creative drought like no other.

Commercialisation has become the only end goal that directors, actors, and producers seek. Franchise filmmaking has seen a rampant increase to bring in more and more money. From the 

of the 90s, Bollywood has been bereft of its magnificent roots in recent times, owing to its own deeds. Movies by directors like Kashyap, Bhardwaj, and Omprakash, who are known for producing gritty drama, offbeat narratives, and social realism, are becoming fewer and fewer by each passing day. The prime focus of the industry is on marketable movies, which have a romantic plot, a sexy villain, some songs here and there, the ultimate hero vs. the villain fight scene, and finally, a happy ending. These movies are shallow, no-brainers, and lack any depth or character.

The production of ‘nepo’ kids and their debut has been another silly spectacle in the industry. With Karan Johar acting as the 

 (the God) of star kids, all star kids become internet sensations in every wrong way possible. Internet users troll them, and they, in turn, enjoy this attention to its fullest. An example of this is the recent 

 movie produced by none other than Karan Johar, starring Khushi Kapoor and Ibrahim Khan in the lead. The movie failed miserably everywhere, yet Ibrahim Khan went on to share the 4.5 IMDb rating on his Instagram story, trying to prove Lord knows what. While the parents, much to their disgrace, claim that their kids will improve, one can’t help but notice how these movies are increasingly becoming acting schools for star kids.

If not the star kids or the good-turned-worse romantic plot, then adding a bit of Hindu-Muslim controversy, showcasing the hero fighting some Kashmiri terrorist, the India-Pakistan nemesis, or adding Gen Z references that even the Gen Z doesn’t relate to, are the only ways popular and established Bollywood filmmakers think they can carry their films to good box office numbers. The result is a series of flops, making a joke out of themselves, and a frustrated audience. Satyajit Ray might have once said that India has a 

“backward and unsophisticated audience,”

 but seeing the utter idiocy produced by Bollywood nowadays, it is significantly visible that an average Indian is thwarted and utterly annoyed, wanting something new and culturally vibrant.

The rise of OTT platforms has also notably led to the demise of Indian cinema, causing it to rot to its core. Platforms like Netflix, Hotstar, and Amazon Prime might have, on one hand, provided space for creative minds to explore and produce better, if not excellent, content. However, on the other hand, they have contributed to the decline in films produced for the theatre. Theatres are being flooded with formulaic blockbusters designed to appeal to a wide audience, whereas OTT platforms are producing more niche, bold, and experimental content. The contrast between the two has left audiences feeling disconnected from the more traditional film experience, which often feels stale and predictable. Hence, who can really blame the dependence of theatres on re-releases? After all, one has to keep the money coming.

Bollywood seems to be stuck in a rut, making no progress and appeasing no one. However, the current state of the industry is not without hope. It critically needs a cultural shift to rebalance commerce and creativity. If things continue as they are, Bollywood will undoubtedly lose a plethora of creative minds and eventually all its charm. This also puts a certain level of responsibility on the viewer to willingly embrace films that provide more than just mere entertainment and brain rot. Only time will tell whether Bollywood will be able to reclaim its glory or if it will remain just a capitalist money machine.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Jamia Review or its members.

THE GREAT INDIAN CIRCUS OF BOLLYWOOD: The Freefall of the Once Beaming and Successful Filmmaking Industry of India

In the midst of war tragedies, children like Elaf from Gaza are forced to grow up too soon alongside death and destruction. Over the battlefields of Gaza, Sudan, Lebanon, and Kashmir, the devastating psychological effects on the minds of victims—especially in women and children—are reflected in the form of mental disorders like PTSD, anxiety, and depression. However, against all odds, there lies a story of resilience within. Like Areej Al-Qadi in Gaza – losing her three sons left her resorting to whatever little faith she had left. Others remind us that even in the darkest of nights, the human spirit does not quit.

“I am scared of the night. The night is long. The sounds of the bomb...”,

 says 9-year-old Elaf in Deir Al Balah, Gaza, hours before her next-door house is bombed. You hear such words echoing from the lips of every child of war out there who has seen more battlefields than playgrounds, more days of fear than days of safety, more dead bodies than the olives of their gardens, while bearing the brunt of human immorality and brutality, the strings of which are in hands beyond their comprehension. You find these children in corners, under rubble, in hospitals, or everywhere else in bushed conditions instead of schools, because there are none left. Such is the absurd reality of the world where religious and ethnic divides being weaponised can deprive and demonize a certain group as 

considered suitable for the verdict of torture and death, while others are referred to as the

The reality is that the human race has atrociously deemed it fair to murder ruthlessly and render generations hapless.

Bisan Owda, a Palestinian journalist and activist, on her Instagram account on October 7, marking a year of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, posted, 

“I survived a year of genocide, I have changed, and old Bisan is gone forever, I left her in the garden in the north of Gaza Strip.”

 Bisan has been among the most active journalists providing on-ground reports about the conditions of Palestinian refugees. In the moments of her reporting, she has come across a staggering amount of deaths, including the unfortunate deaths of her dear colleagues and acquaintances. Nahed, another journalist reporting from Deir Al Balah, said, 

“I would never wish what I feel in my heart and the hearts of everyone in Gaza onto any human in the world.”

 These statements are the truth of countless Palestinians trapped in a visibly dystopian 

in Gaza, making a questionable history in real time. The 

 of the impact of the war released earlier this year by the 

Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP)

 gives a detailed account of the mental pain, loss, anger, and fear experienced by 2.2 million Gazans. It reports high levels of feelings of helplessness, despair, and complex trauma symptoms, including social isolation, among adults who are disconnected from their feelings and have lost their ability to express themselves.

This psychological misery is a common affliction of the population of countless conflict zones across the globe. In Sudan, multiple humanitarian and economic crises, including a 22-year civil war andthe

 in 2003, have resulted in over two million casualties, food shortages, starvation, and internal displacement. More than 10 million children have been in the active warzones over the past year of war. As a result, a series of distressing psychological symptoms have been seen in the children affected by the war, including bed-wetting, nightmares, constant shaking, and an increased attachment with the primary caregiver. These symptoms reflect the deep-seated trauma that children endure, which hinders their development and results in various behavioral and psycho-emotional distresses. In addition to children, women appear as the second most vulnerable group, facing severe mental health challenges. According to a recent report by

, Sudanese women are being sexually exploited by 

 back home, and those in refugee camps are forced into sex in exchange for aid, work and jobs, even by aid workers. Hence, a rampant increase in the number of psychosexual trauma victims of the war is witnessed, for whom even a sigh of relief is getting rare to find.

Similarly, in Lebanon, a region historically torn by armed conflict, thousands of children, adults, and families are killed, injured, or displaced because of the recent attack by Israel. Like Gaza, the region has been a constant target of bombardments, condemning generations all together to utter misfortune and agony. According to the UN, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon has reached levels that exceed severity and is even worse than during 

 The current situation in Lebanon has caused high rates of mental health illnesses, with 

 people suffering from at least one mental disorder. The mental health professionals in Lebanon have highlighted the sharp rise in demand for support. 

 for suicide prevention and emotional support, highlighted that since the pager attack on 17 September, the hotline receives no less than 35–40 calls daily, with the nature of calls also changing and being more related to war and displacement.

Like the people in Gaza, Sudan, and Lebanon, Indian-administered Kashmir faces similar horrors. After the abrogation of

 Kashmir has witnessed a debilitating economy owing to unfavourable developmental policies. Despite trying to keep their normal sufficiency and the outer-valley belief of movement towards harmony and headway, people live under the strain of unemployment, constant fear of being arrested or being beaten up by the police, or more recently, being injured or succumbing to death in a random blast or terrorist attack. The years of unending struggle have caused serious harm to the psychological well-being of the people of Kashmir and resulted in a mental distress epidemic. According to a 

of India, published in December 2023, Kashmir has witnessed the highest number of reported cases of attempted suicide in 2022. Almost 1.8 million people, making up 45% of the population of Kashmir Valley, exhibit signs of severe mental health problems, with 41% of the population suffering from depression and 26% showing signs of probable anxiety. 

 a non-government organization, affirms that one out of five adults in Kashmir is living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, Kashmir has also witnessed a surge in drug addiction since 2018. Dr. Yasir, psychiatrist at the 

Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience

“In Kashmir, drowning and drug overdose are the usual methods of attempted suicide. Both lead to a situation where intervention is almost impossible.”

In all of the above-mentioned cases, one finds a common trend of mental disorders such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorders, which shows that the influence of armed conflict is unavoidable. With women, children, and elders being the most vulnerable groups, wars have a disastrous impact, resulting in inevitable social problems, physical deterioration, mass psychological depression, feelings of powerlessness, and decreased self-confidence.

So, how do these people find hope amidst turmoil? The answer is not simple. In regions categorized under conflict zones, there exist two kinds of people. One, with undying hope, relentless faith, and the power to find comfort in their sorrow, which acts as their beacon of hope. A beautiful example of such resilience is of 

, who on World Children’s Day lost her three sons in central Gaza after an Israeli bombardment. Her eyes swollen with grief; the only thing she kept repeating was, 

“Oh God, praise be to you until you are pleased. Praise be to God for this affliction. Praise be to God! Praise be to God!”

 Even in places like Kashmir, the presence of locals in various places of worship and shrines is a commonplace occurrence. Such places are not mere buildings but refuges where their sorrows find corners of solace and healing. 

“do turn to their faith as a source of comfort and support in their most stressful moments. In fact, some groups, such as the elderly and minority groups, may be more likely to look to their faith for help than to family, friends, and the health care system.”

However, at the other extremity lie the people who have lost all hope and are left waiting for a miracle. The common notion that they hold is that the 

“People are now losing faith and hope. Everyone is just hysterical,”

 said Kheir from Sudan’s second biggest city, Wad Madani, which hosts the largest number of displaced people in Sudan. Malek and Mouz Abu, like innumerable children of war, suffering from several diseases and severe malnutrition, question the world, saying,

 “What’s our fault? At any moment our condition could worsen, and my brother and I could die or fall into a coma. What did we do wrong that we can’t live like other kids play, grow up, and live a normal life?” 

In areas like Kashmir, people have even stopped talking about their worries and grief. In a recent 

 by Samdish Bhatia, after being asked to comment on the future of Kashmir, Sohail, a local, says, 

“The future of Kashmir is dull. There is nothing here. How many guys have you seen on the street since morning? 10 to 15? They are sitting...jobless. You can understand yourself. It is common sense. We can’t even talk that much. Then we’ll have problems.”


This is the ugly picture of the world, difficult and uncomfortable for people to witness or read about. Yet, if people are not kept on the edge, not made to feel the discomfort through the virtue of truth, who will tell the Gazans or the Sudanese or the Lebanese or the Syrians or Kashmiris that the world sees their plight, their pain, and the affliction they are going through? Who will ensure them that the unimaginable hardships they endure are 

Articles by Sharmeen Shah

After Pahalgam terror attack: Demolitions Defying SC Ruling, Student Harassment and Rape Threats to Hijabi Kashmiri Muslims — All Raises Fear of Collective Punishment.

THE GREAT INDIAN CIRCUS OF BOLLYWOOD: The Freefall of the Once Beaming and Successful Filmmaking Industry of India

Turmoil and Hope: The Psychology of War Victims

After Pahalgam terror attack: Demolitions Defying SC Ruling, Student Harassment and Rape Threats to Hijabi Kashmiri Muslims — All Raises Fear of Collective Punishment.

THE GREAT INDIAN CIRCUS OF BOLLYWOOD: The Freefall of the Once Beaming and Successful Filmmaking Industry of India

Turmoil and Hope: The Psychology of War Victims