Bhat Yasir In the heart of Kashmir echoes a notorious phrase passed down through generations: “If you find a snake and a Gujjar/Bakerwal man in the forest, let the snake be, kill the Bakerwal man, the snake is not as dangerous.” Having spent several years in Srinagar, I personally have not faced such taunts or […]
Bhat Yasir Every morning, Abdul Ahad Khan, a 59-year-old farmer from Batengoo in Khanabal, makes a pilgrimage to the banks of the Jhelum, a mere 400 meters from his home. “I come here every morning to check the water levels of Jhelum. This water level in Jhelum is our lifeline. Our food produce, agriculture, water, […]
Bint e Haider Sabir Afāqī’s book was published in 2010, and he passed away in 2011. Regrettably, he is no longer among us, having faced the challenges of the vast unknown. Before writing this review, there were ongoing discussions about his other books. I had the honor of sharing a meal with Dr. Saab, and […]
“I know shifting to oilseed cultivation from saffron sounds a bit unusual, but the losses in saffron cultivation forced this change,” laments Gulzar Ahmad, a Saffron farmer with vast tracts of land in Lalpora, just 3 km from Pampore town in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Each year, Gulzar eagerly awaited saffron harvest from his sprawling […]
Bint e Haider Rasool Hamza eloquently speaks of the vast expanse within the hearts of the Dagestani mountains, where a perpetual melody resonates. He vividly describes a house in this village, seemingly indistinguishable from its neighbors. Yet, within this humble abode, two poets have soared with their poetic names spreading across the world. Muzaffarabad, my […]
The book ‘Warriors and falcons: Life sketches of 100 outstanding Kashmiri doctors’ is a collaborative effort of Dr. Faroque A. Khan (New York) and Rumana Makhdoomi (Srinagar) showcases the profound impact of individual doctors but also highlights their ability to influence entire healthcare systems through a sense of purpose and commitment to community service. The […]
Under the solemn backdrop of her modest, one-story pucca house in Topi Peer in Bafliaz of Poonch district in Jammu Kashmir, a man cradled a young girl adorned in pink. Bearing the weight of profound sorrow on her countenance, she proclaimed with resolute conviction, “The perpetrators took the life of my brother; those responsible must […]
Bint e Haider My connection with Mukhlis Wajdani unfolded entirely by chance, as I initially had no knowledge of who he was. This connection evolved accidentally through the dynamics of a teacher-student relationship. When it became apparent that I harbored a mild interest in reading, he generously shared some books with me, without disclosing that […]
In the serene recesses of Topi Peer village, sorrow has enveloped this community in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, as an unforeseen intrusion unfolded with the dawn of Friday. Government forces entered the village and detained several youths for questioning. Tragically, three of these young individuals were discovered dead later in the day […]
On Friday, the local news in Kashmir was abuzz with a doctor from the valley had bought a piece of land on the moon. The quest for human expansion into space has triggered widespread fascination, sparking conversations about the possibility of owning land on celestial bodies like the Moon. This surge in interest coincides with […]