Twenty years after they took up arms to fight Indian rule in the Kashmir valley, hundreds of local insurgents are now returning to their homes after renouncing militancy. The reasons are diminishing support from the Pakistani government, a realisation that the "Kashmir jihad" is going nowhere and a promise of amnesty by the Indian government.
"It's no use staying on here," says former militant Mohammad Ahsan who lives in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
He is now preparing to leave for his home in Srinagar valley on the Indian side. "The jihad is over, and poverty is catching on to us; it's better to live on your own land and around your own people than in virtual exile where one day you'll be forced to beg for a living," says Mr Ashan.
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Militancy in Kashmir losing steam
Originally Posted by Sdetton
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