In a quiet laser clinic in the biggest city of Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, Sameer Wani sits with his arm stretched out, his eyes following the fading ink on his skin.
The word “Azadi” (freedom in Urdu), once a bold symbol of rebellion against India’s rule, slowly disappears under the sting of the laser. What was once a mark of defiance has become a burden he no longer wants to carry.
As Sameer, 28, watches the ink vanish, his mind drifts to a day he will never forget. He was riding his motorbike with a friend when Indian security forces stopped them at a checkpoint.
During the frisking, one of the officers pointed to the tattoo on his arm and asked, “What is this?”
Sameer’s heart raced. “I was lucky he couldn’t read Urdu,” he tells Al Jazeera, his voice tinged with the memory. “It was a close call. I knew right then that this tattoo could get me into serious trouble.”
When he was younger, he said, the tattoo was a “sign of strength, of standing up for something”.
“But now I see it was a mistake. It doesn’t represent who I am any more. It’s not worth carrying the risk, and it’s not worth holding on to something that could hurt my future.”
Sameer is one of many young Kashmiris choosing to erase tattoos that once reflected their political beliefs, emotional struggles or identity. Once worn with pride, the tattoos are now being removed in growing numbers across the region – quietly and without fanfare.
While a trend to remove tattoos was already under way, the urgency has deepened since India and Pakistan – who have fought three wars over Kashmir since emerging as independent nations in 1947 – came to the brink of yet another war following the killing of 26 people in the scenic resort town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir last month.
New Delhi accuses Islamabad of backing an armed rebellion that erupted on the Indian side in 1989. Pakistan rejects the allegation, saying it only provides moral diplomatic support to Kashmir’s separatist movement.
Two weeks after Pahalgam, India, on May 7, launched predawn drone and missile attacks on what it called “terror camps” inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir – the most extensive cross-border missile strikes since their war in 1971. For the next three days, the world held its breath as the South Asian nuclear powers exchanged fire until United States President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between them on May 10.
However, peace remains fragile in Indian-administered Kashmir, where a crackdown by Indian forces has left the region gripped by fear. Homes of suspected rebels have been destroyed, others have been raided, and more than 1,500 people have been arrested since the Pahalgam attack, many under preventive detention laws.
A Kashmiri youth shows a tattoo of an AK-47 on his forearm [Numan Bhat/Al Jazeera]
‘We feel it on our skin’
In such a tense atmosphere, many Kashmiri youth say they feel exposed – and more vulnerable to scrutiny over even the most personal forms of expression.
“Every time something happens between India and Pakistan, we feel it on our skin – literally,” Rayees Wani, 26, a resident of Shopian district, tells Al Jazeera.
“I have a tattoo of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s name on my arm, and after the Pahalgam attack, I started getting strange looks at checkpoints,” he said, referring to the separatist leader who passed away at the age of 91 in 2021. The Hurriyat is an alliance of pro-freedom groups in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“Even my friends ask me uncomfortable questions. The media, police, and even the neighbours start looking at you differently,” Rayees added.
“I just wish people understood that a tattoo doesn’t define someone’s loyalty or character. We are just trying to live, not explain ourselves every day. I want to erase this as soon as possible.”
Arsalan, 19, from Pulwama recently booked a tattoo removal session. He did not share his last name over fears of reprisal from the authorities.
“People with visible tattoos – especially those hinting at past political affiliations – are suddenly worried they could be profiled, questioned – or worse,” he said.
To be sure, tattoo culture itself isn’t fading in Kashmir. Tattoo studios are still busy, especially with clients aged between 22 and 40, many of whom wait for hours to get inked. But the trend has shifted; instead of political or religious tattoos, people now prefer minimalistic designs, nature-inspired patterns, names or meaningful quotes in stylish fonts.
Some Kashmiris trying to get rid of tattoos say that’s part of their personal evolution and growth.
“For me, it was about being brave,” Irfan Yaqoob from Baramulla district told Al Jazeera. Now 36, Yaqoob got a slain rebel’s name tattooed on his left arm when he was a teenager.
“Back then, it felt like a symbol of courage. But now, when I look at it, I realise how much I have changed. Life has moved on, and so have I. I have a family, a job, and different priorities. I don’t want my past to define me or create trouble in the present. That’s why I decided to get it removed. It’s not about shame. It’s about growth,” he said.
Instead of guns, religious messages or political slogans, young Kashmiris who want tattoos are getting inked with more innocuous visuals, like this man, who is getting the image of a tiger tattooed onto his hand [Numan Bhat/Al Jazeera]
Many reasons to remove tattoos
It isn’t just the security forces that are driving this move among many Kashmiris to get rid of tattoos.
For some, tattoos became painful reminders of a turbulent past. For others, they turned into obstacles, especially when they tried to move ahead professionally or wanted to align the inscription on their bodies with their personal beliefs.
Anas Mir, who also lives in Srinagar, had a tattoo of a sword with “Azadi” written over it. He got it removed a few weeks ago.
“People don’t clearly say why they are removing tattoos. I removed mine only because of pressure from my family,” the 25-year-old said.
“It’s my choice what kind of tattoo I want.” Tidak ada orang yang seharusnya menghakimi saya karena itu. Jika seseorang memiliki AK-47 atau tato politik, itu adalah pilihan mereka. Otoritas atau pemerintah tidak seharusnya ikut campur. Dan ya, tren tato juga berubah seiring waktu,” tambahnya, merujuk pada senjata serbu Avtomat Kalashnikova buatan Rusia, yang merupakan senjata api paling populer di dunia.
Salah satu alasan utama di balik orang-orang menghapus tato adalah agama. Di wilayah mayoritas Muslim, tato, terutama yang membawa pesan agama atau politik, seringkali bisa bertentangan dengan ajaran agama.
Faheem, 24 tahun, memiliki ayat Quran di tato di bagian belakangnya ketika dia berusia 17 tahun.
“Pada saat itu, saya pikir itu adalah tindakan iman,” kata Faheem kepada Al Jazeera, tanpa mengungkapkan nama belakangnya karena alasan keamanan. “Tapi kemudian, saya menyadari bahwa tato – terutama dengan ayat suci – tidak dianjurkan [dalam Islam]. Itu mulai mengganggu saya secara mendalam. Saya merasa bersalah setiap kali saya menawarkan salat atau pergi ke masjid. Penyesalan itu tetap bersama saya. Menghapusnya adalah cara saya untuk berdamai dengan diri sendiri dan dengan iman saya.”
Banyak orang lain mengatakan bahwa mereka merasakan hal yang sama. Beberapa mengunjungi ulama untuk bertanya apakah memiliki tato memengaruhi doa atau iman mereka. Meskipun sebagian besar disarankan untuk tidak terlalu memikirkan tindakan masa lalu, mereka didorong untuk mengambil langkah-langkah yang membawa mereka lebih dekat pada keyakinan mereka.
“Ini bukan tentang menyalahkan siapa pun,” kata Ali Mohammad, seorang ulama di Srinagar. “Ini tentang pertumbuhan dan pemahaman. Ketika seseorang menyadari bahwa sesuatu yang pernah mereka lakukan di masa lalu tidak sejalan dengan keyakinan mereka lagi, dan mereka mengambil langkah-langkah untuk memperbaikinya, itu tanda kedewasaan, bukan rasa malu.”