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It was about three in the morning when Ali heard the rooster crowing. He was already awake. He had not slept well through the night contemplating the journey he would make today. As he looked around, he found the others still asleep. Hussain was coughing irregularly. For the past few days, Ali's best friend, Hussain, had not felt well. Ali had lived with Hussain and his family for twelve years now. They took him in as one of the family after he accidentally crossed the border and was stranded. That was the year 1971. India and Pakistan were engaged in a war over the dispute of the State of Jammu & Kashmir, which killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions as refugees. The war affected the people of Baltistan and Ladakh, and crippled local economy. Thousands of people, separated from their loved ones as a result of the war, were now waiting for the border to open. Ali was among the refugees of Ladakh who had wandered across the border into the Kharmang Valley of Baltistan.
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Human Rights
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