A recent funeral on the banks of the Kishanganga River in Kashmir’s Kupwara district has cast a harsh light on the human consequences of hardened borders. Siblings of a deceased resident, who have been living in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) since 1989, were unable to attend the last rites in person. Instead, they were forced to bid a final farewell from across the river, a poignant scene that underscores the plight of families divided by the Line of Control (LoC). The incident has prompted renewed calls for the reopening of LoC crossing points, which were shut by the Indian government in 2019 [1].
A Policy's Human Toll
The image of a family grieving across a river is a stark illustration of the practical impact of the 2019 decision to close the LoC crossings. For years, these points of transit, while heavily regulated, offered a vital lifeline for thousands of families split by the de facto border during decades of conflict. The ability to cross for marriages, funerals, and other significant life events provided a semblance of connection, mitigating the pain of separation. The deceased's siblings had been living in POK since 1989, a detail that speaks to a generation of division preceding the recent closures [1].
The closure of these crossings was part of a broader shift in New Delhi's policy towards Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. While the crossings were always subject to the state of bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, their complete shutdown for civilian family travel marked a significant hardening of the LoC. The recent event on the Kishanganga, which serves as the physical boundary in that sector, has brought the enduring personal costs of this policy back into public discourse [1].
Renewed Calls for a Humanitarian Reassessment
The funeral has acted as a catalyst, prompting calls to revisit the 2019 decision and reopen the crossing points [1]. While the source material does not specify which political actors or civil society groups are leading these calls, the event itself has created a moral impetus for a policy review. The argument implicitly being made is that security considerations, while paramount, must be balanced with humanitarian needs. For divided families, the closure represents a collective punishment that severs essential kinship ties.
The pre-2019 system of permits and managed crossings demonstrated that it was possible to facilitate family connections while maintaining strict security oversight. The current situation raises questions about whether the complete closure is a proportionate or necessary measure, particularly when it inflicts such visible emotional and social costs on the local population. The calls for reopening are, in essence, a plea to restore a degree of compassion to border management policy in one of the world's most sensitive regions [1].
Implications
The incident on the Kishanganga serves as a powerful data point on the non-military consequences of India's post-2019 Kashmir strategy. As New Delhi seeks to consolidate normalcy and economic development in the Union Territory, the unresolved issue of divided families remains a significant source of local grievance. The calls to reopen the LoC crossings present a test for the government's approach. Acceding to these demands could be framed as a confidence-building measure aimed at the local population, demonstrating a willingness to address their humanitarian concerns.
Conversely, maintaining the closure will likely be viewed through a security-first lens, prioritising the prevention of cross-border infiltration and militant movement over the facilitation of civilian travel. The key question is whether this single, poignant event can generate sufficient political momentum to compel a re-evaluation of the policy. The next observable indicator will be any official response, or lack thereof, from either the Union Territory administration or the central government to these renewed calls for a more humane approach to the Line of Control.
Originally published on Aegis Research Engine — an independent South Asia security & geopolitical intelligence platform.
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