KASHMIR : THE WAR ON THE WORLD ROOFING | M6 | Enquête Exclusive

War has battened upon paradise. It’s perhaps one of the most beautiful spots on the planet: Kashmir. However, the geographical position of this Eden is its sorrow. Kashmir lies on the crossroads of India and Pakistan. The two nuclear powers are claiming this land¾the size of England¾by force. These tensions have turned the region into the most militarized zone in the world. India accuses Pakistan of allowing terrorist camps to flourish in the Kashmir mountains. To prevent these jihadists from committing terrorist atrocities in Indian territory, India has built a barrier several meters high between the two countries. All along the border, heavily-armed soldiers eyeball each other. What with fighting, terrorist acts and repression, the death toll is in now in the thousands. Pakistanis and Indians regularly fire at each other across the border. In 2017, the UN recorded 1881 violations of the cease-fire between India and Pakistan. Our report begins in Srinagar, the capital of Indian Kashmir. On Fridays, the day of prayers, Indian soliders confront determined independentists. At the heart of the riots are children and teenagers. Every week, since 2016, armed with nothing but rocks, they confront the soldiers… who don’t hesitate to use their rifles fitted with funnels to spray the demonstrators with hundreds of buckshot pellets. Bodies mangled or left with one eye can be counted in hundreds. The Indian government does not look kindly upon our presence. We come under increasing surveillance. After several days’ filming, the head of the Srinagar police summons us to the station. We are placed in custody. Three weeks later, India expels us back to France. Now persona non grata in India, we turn to Pakistan and, as the saying goes: the enemies of my enemies are my friends. Usually extremely hostile to reporters, the country agrees to accept us. We are permitted to  accompany a Pakistani patrol along the border. Shots ring out regularly. The Poonch Valley beats all records for bombardments and civilians killed and wounded. A school has just been hit by mortar fire. Despite the gaping holes in the walls, classes go on. We filmed this never-ending war that has set Pakistan and India against each other for nearly 60 years.