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In 2019, New Delhi removed the region’s semiautonomy, drastically curbing any form of dissent, civil liberties and media freedoms.

In the Indian-controlled portion of disputed Kashmir, the Muslim festival has been subdued for the past three years because of an unprecedented military lockdown after India stripped the region’s semiautonomy in 2019, followed by the pandemic.

In August 2019, when India stripped the region’s semiautonomy, Indian authorities harshly clamped down on the group’s leaders, detaining scores of them and barring them from leading public protests.

New Delhi poured additional soldiers into Kashmir two years ago as it stripped the region of about eight million people of its semiautonomy.

Modi meets Kashmir leaders for 1st time since altering region: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a crucial meeting with pro-India politicians from disputed Kashmir for the first time since New Delhi stripped the region's semiautonomy in August 2019 and jailed many in a crackdown.