Art has long been one of the most powerful and universally accessible tools for political protest and self-expression. Political art as a form of social activism stirs civic consciousness and often produces and dispels knowledge and solidarity across borders, drawing in attention and opening up a dialogue about the current state of affairs in regions under repressive regimes, or those curbed by censorship laws and a lack in freedom of speech. It’s not surprising then that in Kashmir, the youth have often taken to art to make critical political and social statements. Be it absurdist performance pieces of walking a cabbage on a leash or telling graphic novels, dissent and angst has found an outlet in numerous forms of art. While we all hear media-sensationalised news about the conflict zone, life in a region of political struggles, disputed borders and constant violent protests where civilians more often than not end up being mere collateral damage, needs room for voices that are actually living in their reality on a day to day basis. Art has served as an outlet and contributor to the young freedom movement, allowing a sort of defiance to the popular state-dictated narrative.

Chinar trees always come to mind when you think about the Kashmiri landscape. Kashmir University itself houses a garden of spectacular Chinars. Recently, a group of students turned a dried up and fallen tree, which had been lying on the campus for close to six years, into a canvas of artistic expression. The Chinar, considered by many an integral part of Kashmiri culture, now features sketches, doodles as well as text.

The artwork was done over ten days, as Catch News reports, by students of the University’s Music and Fine Arts department. “The tree has been turned into a frame for a collection of images depicting Kashmir’s culture and the suffering of its people--of barbed wires, tortured souls, shattered houses, women smoking hookah and bidi,” the report reads. 

In a University where students unions have been banned since 2009, this open installation is being viewed by many as a ‘radical act,’ though those involved disagree stating that the work is open to individuals’ interpretations. “All art is political. If you know about our geo-politics, you can interpret the installation based on that. Then you will know the significance of the barbed wires. But if you are from some other place, you might interpret it another way,” says Saqib Butt, one of the students behind the Chinar’s refashioning, to Hindustan Times. “The installation has given these students an idea of so-called contemporariness of things, which is perhaps very normal in other colleges, But things like this are seen as radical in Kashmir, given the context of state surveillance and suppression,” added Showkat Katjoo, a faculty member associated with the project.

Feature image courtesy of Waseem Andrab via Hindustan Times