Kashmiris line up to remove ‘resistance tattoos’ after Pahalgam attack

Tattoos of AK-47s, crescent moons, and slogans like "Azaadi" are now being erased by thousands in Kashmir.

Transcript

00:00These tattoos you see being removed are resistance tattoos.

00:13They include AK-47 motives, crescent moons and slogans which were once worn as symbols

00:18of defiance by some youths in Kashmir.

00:21But many were getting them removed following the deadly Pahalgam attack on April 22, 2025,

00:26fearing the tattoos might catch the attention of the local police.

00:29But the tradition of sporting such tattoos dates back decades.

00:32In the 1950s, many Kashmiris inked crescents and stars.

00:36In the 1990s, slogans like Aazadi became popular.

00:40Bashir, a laser technician in Srinagar, said many had gotten these tattoos after the abrogation

00:45of Article 370.

00:46You will see that after the article, AK-47, the crescent star, it was more than a threat to

00:54us.

00:55You will not be able to remove the tattoos.

00:57Bashir says he treats up to 150 people, removing their tattoos using high-intensity lasers.

01:02He's erased over thousands so far from arms and necks using high-intensity light pulses, he

01:07says.

01:08Bashir says he began his clinic as many sought to remove religious tattoos they saw as un-Islamic,

01:14wanting to be buried pure.

01:15With tensions high, more than 20 clinics now offer removals across Srinagar with prices ranging

01:27from Rs. 300 to Rs. 3,000.