Srinagar: While youngsters across the world are following the trend of getting tattoos on their bodies, it’s the opposite in Kashmir Valley. Basit Bashir, a tattoo removal artist in Srinagar, has removed over 100,000 tattoos of boys and girls. And interestingly, most of the tattoos removed by the artist were of AK-47 rifles.

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Valley Care Tattoo removal ‘clinic’—as Bashir likes to call his centre—in Srinagar has become a hit among youngsters these days. Hundreds of youngsters are flocking to Bashir every day to get their tattoos removed. And the tattoo removing artist says that most of these youngsters are either scared of having rifle tattoos or are not wanting to hurt religious sentiments.

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Some said that having tattoos of arms and ammunition brings them on the radar of security forces, and that is one reason for getting them removed.
The artist says that failed love relations as well as religion also play a major role in the increase of youths coming for tattoo removal.

“Kashmir had a trend of youngsters as well as the old getting tattoos, but now the trend is in the opposite direction with people coming in huge numbers to get the tattoos removed. I started this campaign to remove tattoos for free of cost as I knew these youngsters would not be able to pay for it. After I got a huge rush of people, I kept a minimal charge of 100 rupees. The youngsters who get these tattoos realise it much later that it’s not permitted in our religion. Since the time I started, I have removed tattoos of over one lakh people. You saw it yourself how many people have come even now for tattoo removal,” said Bashir. 

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“Tattoos are of various designs, some people get flowers or snakes or names or AK-47 rifles made. Some were cases of failed love affairs, or some after turning adults realised that it was a mistake. Some tattoos were vulgar also. I don’t have an exact number, but I must have removed maximum tattoos of AK-47. Most of these youngsters want to join the army,” he added.

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In Kashmir, getting tattoos is considered taboo, and that is one of the reasons that not one person coming to get tattoos removed wants to speak on camera. Mudasir got a tattoo last year, but later realised that it was against the religion.

“I got a tattoo a year ago and now I have decided to remove it. It’s not allowed in Islam and that’s why I have come here to get it removed,” said Mudasir.

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Islamic scholars and imams have categorically said that tattoos are prohibited in Islam. They keep giving sermons in the mosque against tattoos.
“Getting tattoos made is not only against the religion but also leads to so many health issues. People with tattoos cannot pray in mosques as well. All Muslims should stay away from these things,” said Altaf Hussain, an imam.