Srinagar, Oct. 22 -- It was a mild spring morning when I found myself driving from Sopore to Kupwara. The hillsides glowed with apple trees in full bloom. Petals swirled in the breeze, sunlight caught the delicate whites and pinks, and for a fleeting moment, it felt as if Kashmir had paused in perfection.

The road curved beside the Pohru river, where only thin lines of green and brown water moved over the stones. A patch of wild bushes hugged the bank, and at first glance, they seemed covered in spring flowers: red, yellow, blue, white.

Then something green flickered in the sunlight, a colour no flower should carry.

I asked the driver to stop and stepped out. Closer inspection shattered the illusion. The "flowers" were plastic bags, ...