Abrogation of Article 370 and Islamabad: lessons not learnt
After Islamabad’s contention that since J&K is “disputed territory,” New Delhi’s decision to abrogate Article 370 of its constitution that provided ‘special status’ to citizens of J&K was “Illegal” didn’t find favour with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), one had thought that Pakistanwould reorient it’s diplomatic approach on the ‘K’ issue. However, the Foreign […]
Responsibilities during Covid-19 lockdown
Given that there’s no vaccination against Covid-19, the only way of stopping this human-borne dangerous pandemic from spreading is to insulate the people from coming in contact with those infected by this virus. Thus, the government decision to extend the lockdown upto May 03 was more or less expected. The lack of opposition to this […]
Covid 19: Violating social distancing is asking for trouble!
With Covid19 having claimed more than one lakh lives across the globe and infected more ten times this number, it’s time that we take this pandemic, which is spreading across the world like a wildfire, very seriously. In Kashmir itself, we have at least 207 Covid19 positive cases and four people have already succumbed to […]
Coronavirus and Quarantine
Returning after a trip, everyone wants to reach home the earliest so that they can meet family members, relatives and friends. However, due to the requirement of staying in quarantine to prevent coronavirus from spreading, a traveler today has wait for at least two weeks before he/she can go home. This delay in meeting near […]
When Rumours Rule the Roost, it’s the People Who Suffer!
Uncertainty irks the human mind and the voracious urge to reinforce our premonitions gives rise to rumours. And when rumours assuage our curiosity, we start believing them even if they are illogical or lack any substance. Thus, to those who point out that Kashmiris are particularly vulnerable when it comes to believing rumours, I would […]
Kashmir: Tough Times Ahead!
For the last three decades, living in Kashmir hasn’t been easy because ‘azadi’ (independence),which we were told is “just around the corner” would be achieved soon through what was called ‘armed struggle’. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen and this struggle is going on even today. And just when the people had learnt how to live in […]
Respecting the “Blood of our Martyrs”
One fine September morning in 2017, residents of Shopian woke up to find the streets lined with posters denouncing former Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Zakir Musa who had quit and become chief of an Al Qaeda affiliate called Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) by calling him an “Indian agent.” Accusing him of “helping Indian forces kill Kashmiris,” […]
Contributing towards Amarnath yatra’s success
The traditional warmth and affection that Kashmiris shower on visitors becomes more than evident during the 46 days long Amarnath yatra which is held every year and pilgrims returning from this pilgrimage are full of praise for the way locals had looked after them. And even though some unfortunate incidents do occur now and then […]
Criminal Silence on Persecution of Uighur Muslims and Lessons for Kashmir
Pakistan has always been at the forefront when it comes to raising its voice against the oppression of Muslims across the world. However, this isn’t the case when it comes to the institutionalized persecution of Uighur Muslims of Xinjiang Autonomous Region by Chinese authorities. And while this conspicuous anomaly is obviously due to Islamabad’s near-complete […]
The Looming Threat of Fundamentalism in Kashmir!
Last week, people in Sopore observed a two day shutdown to mourn the death of a local militant named Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi who was killed during a brief encounter with the security forces in Shopian district on Friday. While shutdowns marking death of militants are a common practice in Kashmir, yet there’s something about this […]
