Srinagar, July 14 -- If Kashmir had a national industry, it wouldn't be tourism, handicrafts, or horticulture.

It would be grief.

Because for decades, Kashmiri politicians have made an art form out of commodifying tragedy. Mourning has been industrialized. Martyrdom monetized. Tombstones turned into podiums.

And the dead? Well, they vote. Loudly. Every election.

Let's be clear: Kashmir's mainstream political class has weaponized every death, every funeral, and every calendar commemoration into a billboard for relevance. It doesn't matter whether the deceased was a militant, a civilian, a protester, a soldier, or a bystander - if they can be converted into political capital, the milkers arrive.

With garlands, cameras, and just enough ...