The Himalayas were scattered with tragedy this summer. Eleven climbers died on Mount Everest, many of them forced to wait for hours in the “death zone,” the region beyond 8,000 metres (26,246 feet) above sea level. Surreal pictures of a “traffic jam” on Everest flooded the media—a long queue of climbers clinging to a rope, waiting for their turn at the top.
In the run up to the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi sought a debate on Article 370, the constitutional provision meant to protect the autonomy of Jammu & Kashmir. For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had made the abrogation of Article 370 part of its core agenda, this was a softening of sorts. A new conciliatory mood seemed to be coupled with promises of development for the conflict-torn state. But when Modi made his first prime ministerial visit to Kashmir, he was met with shutdowns organised by separatist leaders.
