False and uneasy semblance of calm in Kashmir: Zaira Wasim

There's a "false and uneasy semblance" of calm in Kashmir, which is a place of escalating despair and sorrow, former actor Zaira Wasim said on Tuesday.

Urging people not to believe in the "unfair representation" of facts painted by the media, the National Award-winning Srinagar-based artiste said there was an atmosphere of "escalating despair" in the Valley.

On August 5, six months ago, the government revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 and downgraded it into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

"Kashmir continues to suffer and see-saw between hope and frustration. There's a false and uneasy semblance of calmness in place of escalating despair and sorrow. Kashmiris continue to exist and suffer in a world where it is so easy to place restrictions on our liberty," Wasim, 19, said in a lengthy Instagram post.

The post by the Kashmir-born actor, who shot to fame with the 2015 sports drama "Dangal", comes weeks after low-speed mobile internet was restored in Kashmir following a six-month suspension. Mobile internet was suspended in the wake of the Centre's decision on August 5.

"Do not believe the unfair representation of the facts and details or the rosy hue that the media has cast on the reality of the situation. Ask questions, re-examine the biased assumptions. Ask questions. For our voices have been silenced - and for how long... none of us really know!" the actor said.

"Why is it that life of a Kashmiri is just about experiencing a lifetime of crisis, blockade and disturbance so abundantly that it has taken away the recognition of normalcy and harmony from the hearts and minds?" she asked.

She went on pose a series of question -- "Why do we have to live in world where our lives and wills are controlled, dictated and bent?", "Why aren't we ever allowed to voice our opinions, let alone our disapprovals, to decisions that are made contrary to our wishes?"