A Conversation with Kanta Wazir’ – by Rekha Wazir Kanta Wazir (née Zutshi) was born in Srinagar in March 1930. She married Man Mohan Wazir (1926-2018), an IPS officer of the Jammu & Kashmir cadre, in July 1949. They lived in Srinagar till early 1990, after which they moved to Delhi. On 25th May 2019, […]
Freda Bedi’s Tryst With Kashmir
By Andrew Whitehead Freda Bedi (1911-1977), mother of film actor Kabir Bedi, was an extraordinary British woman, who fought for India’s freedom. Born as Freda Houlston, to a shopkeeping family in the English Midlands, she fell in love with Baba Pyare Lal Bedi, an Indian fellow student at Oxford University. They soon married and made India […]
Kashmir’s 1947 Women Warriors
An In-Depth Investigative Account of the Women’s Self-Defence Corps (WSDC) By Ajaz Rashid In late October 1947, as tribal raiders breached the Jhelum Valley and Srinagar’s Dogra administration fled overnight, Kashmir faced imminent collapse. With the city plunged into darkness and panic spreading from the sacking of Baramulla, ordinary women refused the role of passive […]
The Forgotten Vanguard of 1947
Conventional histories of the 1947 Kashmir crisis inevitably dwell on high-table diplomacy, the frantic signing of the Instrument of Accession, troop airlifts from Delhi, and elite geopolitical machinations at the United Nations. Yet, in the terrifying interregnum between the abdication of Dogra rule and the arrival of regular soldiers, the survival of Srinagar rested in […]
LG Addresses Valedictory Session of J&K GCC Summit 2026
Jammu Kashmir is open and ready for Global Capability Centres. I am fully confident that in the next 10 years, Global Capability Centres can become a vital part of Jammu Kashmir’s industrial ecosystem: LG Sinha Jammu: The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today addressed the Valedictory Session of the J&K Global Capability Centre (GCC) Summit 2026. […]
Missing Minors
The official figures placed before the Lok Sabha lately by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding child kidnappings in Jammu and Kashmir reveal a deeply troubling paradox. Between 2020 and 2024, the Union Territory recorded 2,182 incidents involving 2,254 children. While law enforcement authorities deserve credit for a commendable recovery rate of 95 percent, bringing […]
Reclaiming the Silver Screen
For decades, Jammu and Kashmir was merely a picturesque backdrop for outside filmmakers. The debut of IFFJK marks the historic moment the valley claimed authorship of its own story. By Ajaz Rashid In an era dominated by algorithmic feeds and solitary living-room streaming, the communal ritual of cinema is staging a defiant comeback. Nowhere was […]
The Verdict on IFFJK
The maiden IFFJK proved Jammu and Kashmir can stage a sophisticated global event, but high production values masked deeper structural gaps. Moving from administrative triumph to genuine cultural empowerment requires balancing polished optics with long-term local investment. By Ajaz Rashid The inaugural International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) arrived on the shores of […]
80th I-Day: J&K Marks Historic Milestone with Grand Celebrations
From border outposts to district headquarters, thousands join spirited parades, departmental tableaux, and vibrant cultural presentations. The landmark occasion reflects widespread civic enthusiasm, democratic resilience, and deep national pride. By Arshid Dar The 80th Independence Day was celebrated across Jammu and Kashmir with deep patriotic fervour, ceremonial grandeur, and massive public participation. From the high-altitude […]
VP, PM, and LG Honor Resilience of Partition Survivors
Addressing events in New Delhi and Srinagar, top leaders emphasized that remembering past trauma is vital for national harmony. They urged the youth to reject divisive forces and work toward an inclusive future. By Ajaz Rashid As India prepared to celebrate its Independence Day, the country paused on August 14, 2026, to observe Partition Horrors […]