Trump Uncle to Anarkali, Humour as Hope in Indo-Pak War 2025: A Kashmir-Centric Perspective
Amidst the trauma and uncertainty caused by recent air strikes and cross-border shelling by Pakistan, humour was flowing in abundance on Kashmir’s robust social media. From Trump Uncle to Anarkali, Kashmiris used humour as a tool to help process fear and chaos.
The use of humour as hope and a sign of normalcy during times of war serves as a striking example of how societies cope with deep anxiety. During the tense days of military escalation, humour—especially in the form of comedy videos, memes, and satire—became a subtle but powerful mechanism for psychological survival, political commentary, and efforts to reestablish equilibrium.
The Prince Salim-Anarkali image seen above is often used and is one of the most used and viral memes of all times. As the shelling started and drones started hovering, the Anarkali meme went viral on Kashmir’s social media. ‘Anarkali thudd wathy, Jung hy gove (Anarkali get up please, war has broken out.)
On 7 May 2025, Operation Sindoor, a strategic Indian military offensive following the Pahalgam killings, targeted terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC), and escalated tensions between India and Pakistan. Pakistan’s retaliation triggered a state of near-war that deeply impacted India’s border regions, particularly Jammu and Kashmir.
While geopolitical analysts and military experts debated strategy and consequences, ordinary citizens, especially the youth, turned to social media to alleviate stress. In this volatile space, humour emerged as a surprisingly strong narrative force.
As the Indo-Pak tensions escalated during Operation Sindoor, the last two to three days of the conflict saw heightened military engagement, civilian anxiety, and widespread panic, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, which remains the most sensitive flashpoint. Yet amid sirens, blackouts, and media chaos, humour emerged as a surprising form of resistance and relief.
Across India, and particularly within Kashmir, funny videos, memes, altered photos, and voiceover jokes became tools for people to cope, connect, and continue, despite fear hanging heavy in the air.
Humour as a Coping Mechanism
In the midst of blackouts, the bright moonlight led to jokes and memes in Kashmir. “Light Ha Karae Bandh, Magar Yi Zoon Marnai” (We put off the lights to save ourselves, but this shining moon will get us killed.”)
In regions like Kashmir and along the India-Pakistan border, where the brunt of the conflict was felt, humour served the function of adaptive coping – a vital psychological outlet. Residents shared jokes and memes that highlighted the absurdities of war, providing a semblance of normalcy amidst chaos. This collective humour fostered community resilience and offered a means to critique the situation without direct confrontation.
Despite its divided politics, Kashmir’s humour was not always bitter or nationalistic. Many memes and clips made during those days mocked the futility of war rather than cheering for one side.
In the closing days of the Indo-Pak clashes, as the drums of war beat louder, it was not missiles but memes and mirth that sustained many in Kashmir. From bunkers to mobile phones, from satire to parody, humor allowed people to laugh through fear, reflect through irony, and—most importantly—keep hope alive. Through memes, jokes, and satirical content, they used humour as a tool to cope with the challenges of conflict, maintain a sense of community, and assert their perspectives in a turbulent time.
Despite Hardships, Kashmiri Humour Has Thrived
In Kashmir, where conflict is no stranger, humour has always walked hand-in-hand with hardship. Humour allowed individuals to express dissenting views and critique political narratives in a more palatable and less confrontational manner.
Socio-Psychological Impact
The proliferation of humour during the conflict had multifaceted effects. Laughter provided a temporary escape from the stress and fear associated with the conflict, especially for those in affected areas. Sharing and creating humorous content fostered a sense of unity and collective identity among Kashmiris. During blackouts, and even hiding in bunkers, families and communities huddled together and forwarded memes or narrated ‘war jokes, trying to stay anchored in normalcy and building collective resilience.
For young Kashmiris caught between multiple narratives, sarcasm has become a voice. Popular social media handles in Kashmir use humour to both critique state policies and express their helplessness—often walking the thin line between comedy and coded dissent.
WhatsApp Groups Become Laughter Hubs
During the days of war, many Kashmiri families stayed indoors, glued to their phones as air-raid sirens sounded in border towns like Kupwara, Handwara, Gurez, Uri, and Bandipora. WhatsApp groups were flooded with jokes about army bunkers, videos of people imitating media anchors shouting “breaking news,” and even photoshopped images of streetlights covered with dupattas, trousers, tin oil containers and thick blankets.
In recent years, the government has installed many streetlights across Kashmir. During blackout, people panicked and covered these lights with whatever materials and methods available including trousers, blankets, bedsheets and tin containers. Many videos on social media showed people beating and breaking these lights to maintain darkness in the area
WhatsApp groups became hubs for sharing jokes and memes that juxtaposed the gravity of the situation with everyday life. A viral local audio clip featured a man narrating his “war preparations” which hilariously included charging his phone, stocking up on namkeen, and checking if his crush viewed his last story—underscoring the absurdity people find in crisis.
Satire Against Media Narratives
Kashmiri netizens took subtle digs at national news channels and also those across the border, with memes showing studio anchors wearing bulletproof vests indoors or riding toy tanks during prime time. These jokes served both as comic relief and political critique, reflecting skepticism toward the hype built by over-zealous news anchors.
Kashmiri youth produced short “parody videos” mimicking news anchors and global political figures, highlighting the absurdities in media coverage and political rhetoric. Satirical memes circulated that mocked the sensationalism of news channels, depicting anchors in exaggerated scenarios.
Psychological Role of Humor in Kashmir’s Conflict Zones
The image shows an explosive lying amidst haak (‘collard’, called saag in Punjabi and Hindi). Haak is cooked in Kashmir so often that people get fed up at times and say ‘gola wuth yath haakas’, meaning ‘May a shell fall and destroy this collard’. This time the wish came true, leading to hoots of laughter
Humour in conflict zones is not just escapism. It is trauma resistance, an effective coping mechanism and solidarity. In talks among social and family groups, I discovered that humour is also a fear management tactic. When shells could fall at any moment, a good joke diffused the anxiety. For people, especially youth and children, it acted as a valve for stress relief.
Sharing memes about power cuts, ration queues, or school closures added a sense of everyday routine to an otherwise alarming atmosphere. Parents would show children funny edited videos or animal memes with patriotic music to keep them calm, while elders exchanged light jokes about “our fifth war and counting.”
Ceasefire Announcement And Trending Trump
As the cease fire was announced, Trump started trending in Kashmir and many viral memes and videos started surfacing on social media. ‘Koi Jung Na Hove’ (No war should happen now, stop fighting). The Anarkali meme now featured ‘Anarkali Wath Vony Sulah hy gov’ (Anarakli get up now, war is over, peace has prevailed). This meme became a reason of laughter amid tensions, as if Anarkali had become unconscious due to war and stress
On 10 May, a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan was reached, marking a significant de-escalation in tensions along the Line of Control (LoC). The efforts made by US President Donald Trump to restore peace in the region earned him the title of “Trump Uncle” among kids. The video of Abid Iqbal from the border village of Uri was viral on social media saying, “Aaj jo jung ka faisla hua na, to aaj humain Trump Uncle kay bareh main sun kay both khushi hui…uss ne both acha faisla kiya…agar Trump dekh raha hai ider se to hum uss ko salam bejna chate hai”. (Today the decision regarding the war was taken, and we felt very happy to hear about Trump Uncle. He has made a good decision…If Trump is watching, we want to send him our salute.)
The announcement of the ceasefire spread a wave of hope and joy among the people of Kashmir and other border regions, who had been under the constant threat of violence and displacement. Families expressed relief at the prospect of a more secure and stable environment, with children able to attend school and farmers returning to their fields without fear. Communities that had been divided by conflict began to envision a future of renewed ties and normalcy. The truce brought a sense of optimism that peace could prevail, even in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
As the ceasefire was announced by Trump on a social media platform, Kashmiris were relieved and joyful. But this joy didn’t last long as Pakistan attacked with heavy shelling and drones late in the evening. People panicked and questioned the validity of Trump’s ceasefire announcement. In these hours of stress, memes and jokes flooded Kashmir’s social media. One meme showed Trump asking, Ye Kapaer gasan tass, Mya masle karov hal (Where is this shelling happening, I had just a while ago resolved the matter). In another meme, Trump was shown hurt and disappointed and saying, Tohi Thovu Nae Meh Izzat…Myun Pak Parwardigar Karino Tohi Khaar Tae Zaleel (You people – Pakistan – didn’t uphold my honour and dignity by violating the ceasefire, May God Curse you and have His wrath on you, disgrace you.)
Pakistan attacked multiple locations at night with drones and missiles. These developments again brought Trump to limelight and people flooded Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp with jokes, memes and satirical messages.
After seeing the Pakistan violating ceasefire, Trump has been shown in an apologetic mood for negotiating ceasefire. Aasalamualaikum, be chus awaamas mangan maafi, Be osus temi wiz nashas manz yeli meh su tweet kareo ceasefiruk (Greetings, I seek my apology to public, I was like drunk or out of senses that time when I tweeted about the ceasefire agreement).
The use of humour during the Indo-Pak conflict and Operation Sindoor underscores its significance as a tool for psychological resilience, community cohesion, and political expression. Operation Sindoor was a military event, but its cultural and psychological footprint extended far beyond the LoC. Humour—whether as resistance, ridicule, or relief—played an essential role in helping people process the chaos.
In the face of missiles and misinformation, it was often a joke, a meme, or a skit that reminded people of their shared humanity. War brings life to a standstill but it cannot mute humour—and in that lies its real power.
Zahoor Ahmad is Deputy Director, Centre for Kashmir Analysis and Research (C-KAR)
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