Jammu & Kashmir

July 13, 1931 — Srinagar shootings (Martyrs’ Day)
In mid-1931 a large crowd assembled in Srinagar to protest repressive measures of the Dogra administration. Police opened fire on the demonstrators; dozens were killed or seriously wounded. The event became a central symbol in Kashmir’s modern political narrative — commemorated annually as Martyrs’ Day — and intensified organized resistance against monarchical rule and colonial-era administrative structures.

1947 — Partition violence and the Kashmir dispute (Aug–Dec 1947)
At Partition the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir became the focus of communal violence, mass displacement, and political uncertainty. A tribal incursion from the west and contested accession to India led to the first Indo-Pak war (1947–48) and subsequent division of the region. The upheaval created long-lasting refugee flows, heavy militarisation, and the enduring geopolitical conflict that shaped all later violence and governance in the region.

1990 — AFSPA extended / conflict escalation
By 1990 insurgency and counter-insurgency had escalated sharply; the Armed Forces (Jammu & Kashmir) Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was invoked in large parts of the region. AFSPA granted security forces broad powers of arrest, search, and, in practice, immunity from ordinary prosecution — a measure defended by authorities as necessary for security but widely criticised by rights groups for enabling abuses and complicating civilian trust in institutions.

Feb 23, 1991 — Allegations at Kunan-Poshpora
During counter-insurgency operations in two villages near Kupwara, residents later accused security personnel of mass sexual violence. Human-rights investigators recorded consistent survivor testimony and physical evidence, but accountability, prosecution, and official inquiries were delayed or stalled for years. The episode strengthened local grievances and distrust toward security forces and the legal system.

1990s–2000s — Enforced disappearances, alleged fake encounters, curfews
Across the 1990s and 2000s families and human-rights groups reported large numbers of disappearances, detention without charge, and cases labelled by critics as “fake encounters” (alleged staged killings presented as anti-militancy operations). Frequent curfews and checkpoints restricted movement, disrupted education and livelihoods, and left long-term psychological and social scars in communities.

May–Aug 2008 — Amarnath land-transfer protests and polarisation
A government decision on temporary land allocations for an Amarnath pilgrimage corridor prompted mass protests and counter-mobilisations in both the Kashmir Valley and Jammu region. The weeks of unrest included strikes, violent clashes in some locations, and political polarisation along communal and regional lines — highlighting how administrative decisions around land and religion could rapidly escalate into larger communal tensions.

April–Sept 2010 — Summer protests, Machil fallout
A controversy over a reported “fake encounter” in Machil and subsequent local demonstrations ignited months of protests across Kashmir. Security forces’ responses, which included firing and curfews, led to dozens of civilian deaths and hundreds of injuries, many among young people — reinforcing cycles of protest and repression and stimulating renewed calls for justice and oversight.

July 8, 2016 — Killing of Burhan Wani; mass protests & pellet injuries
The killing of a prominent young militant, Burhan Wani, triggered large spontaneous protests across the Valley; clashes with security forces lasted months. Reports documented hundreds of protest-related deaths and thousands of injuries, with a significant number of severe eye injuries due to use of pellet-firing shotguns — a development that drew national and international condemnation and raised urgent health and human-rights concerns.

Aug 5, 2019 — Revocation of Article 370; detentions & communications blackout
The central government revoked Jammu & Kashmir’s special constitutional status (Article 370), bifurcated the state into two union territories, and moved quickly to restrict movement, detain political leaders, and impose an extended communications blackout. The order fundamentally altered governance, land and domicile rules, and daily life: prolonged internet and phone shutdowns disrupted education, commerce and legal access, while preventive detentions affected political space and civil society.

May 2022 — Delimitation and political restructuring (post-2019 dynamics)
Following reorganisation, the Delimitation Commission redrew assembly boundaries (effective May 2022), changing the distribution of assembly seats between Jammu and Kashmir. Critics argued the redistricting diluted the political influence of the Valley; supporters framed it as correcting historical imbalances. The delimitation, along with new domicile and land rules, influenced debates about representation, demographics, and future electoral politics.