The unhappy land. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The sun is setting behind Hari Parbat. The ancient temple at the top of Shankaracharya Hill has disappeared from view. The boats on the Dal lake are reduced to their outlines. The Delhi Walla is on the heavily-guarded Boulevard in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. The lights coming from the houseboats have turned the water intro strips of green, red and white. As the night chill sets in, a group of Gujarati tourists leaves the lakeside. Most boatmen, too, are seen preparing to head home. But one boat seems to be stranded on the lake. It has no oar and no boatman. According to a belief in this part of the world, when a

The unhappy land. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] The graves are covered with grass, irises and roses. The Martyr’s Graveyard in Old Srinagar is crowded with men who, it is said, died in the struggle for an independent Kashmir. The Delhi Walla is in Kashmir’s capital. The sky is overcast. It is cold. Inscription on the gate: Lest You Forget We Have Given Our Today for Tomorrow of Yours A cobbled path snakes through the cemetery. One grave is draped with a sheet of blue silk. Another has a garland of plastic flowers. Some are surrounded by red roses. A few graves are left empty for tomorrow's martyrs. A lamb is grazing on the adjacent lawn. Far away, black clouds are coming down the pale