Kashmir was once a society raised by a tribe, where wisdom flowed like a river from the old to the young. Today, that river is running dry. We explore the ‘strange loneliness’ of the modern Kashmiri home and the high price our children pay for the absence of their greatest guardians. By Khursheed Dar There […]
SOCIETY
The Legend of Raheem Kak
Journey back to a time when Sundays were for ghost stories, business was done with a handful of rice, and life moved at the gentle pace of Raheem Kak’s walking stick. A heartwarming ode to the simplicity we’ve lost. By Mudasir koul In the quiet shadows of the hills, where the morning mist often lingered […]
Srinagar’s Harissa Wans
Imagine the scent of slow-cooked mutton, the sizzle of hot mustard oil, and the warmth of a freshly baked Girda. Harissa isn’t just a dish; it’s a morning ritual that brings the community together in the pre-dawn frost. By Manzoor Akash When the frost of Chillaikalan—the harshest forty-day period of the Kashmiri winter—tightens its grip […]
Reviving Kashmir’s Reading Culture
From domestic libraries to the idea of a “Living Library,” Ishfaq Manzoor is pushing Kashmir to rediscover the joy of books. In an era when the swipe of a screen has become more familiar than the rustle of a turning page, one young professional in Kashmir is quietly attempting a cultural reset. Ishfaq Manzoor—writer, researcher, […]
Parents vs. Private Schools A Battle Over Transparency
Parents across Kashmir say private schooling is slipping into a marketplace maze — with fee shocks, vendor tie-ups, and shifting curricula pushing families to the edge By Javid Amin Every year, as Kashmir wraps up its examination season, families brace for the familiar scramble of admissions, supplies, and new routines. But in recent years, what […]
The Price of a Daughter
Even as society celebrates modernity, one ancient practice continues to ruin lives. Dowry demands are rising, not fading — and the human cost is becoming impossible to ignore. By Saba Saleem Modern life loves to advertise its progress, but if you scratch beneath the glossy surface, some of our oldest and ugliest social habits remain […]
Tashna’er: The Copper Heart of Kashmiri Hospitality
As plastic sheets and wet tissues dominate weddings, Kashmir risks losing more than just aesthetics; it risks losing identity. By Manzoor Akash In Kashmir, weddings are more than ceremonies; they’re the Valley’s most elaborate social performances, woven with ritual, memory, and a culinary culture that has survived centuries. Traditionally, the season winds down by late […]
Decoding the World Through Statistics
How we read, question, and interpret data could define the difference between being informed or being misled. By Syed Anaiyat Bukharie “Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.” – W. Edwards Deming Every morning, before we even step out of bed, numbers quietly guide our choices. The weather app predicts a 70% chance […]
A Civilization Built on Questions
Civilizations rise on curiosity and crumble in silence; the courage to question defines our humanity. By Abid Hussain Rather Fyodor Dostoevsky once warned that a time would come when intelligent people would be stopped from thinking and questioning—lest they offend fools. His prophecy feels alarmingly close. For what is foolishness if not the comfort of […]
Between Echoes and Shadows
Manzoor Akash’s poems breathe life into memory, culture, and conscience—reminding us that poetry still matters in an era of noise. By Ahsan Ul Haq In a world dominated by glowing screens and shrinking attention spans, poetry often feels like a vanishing art—an endangered form of reflection and emotional truth. Yet, every now and then, a […]