WRITE-UPS

Murtaza Bilal/ Rufat Reshie The morning light falls softly over Konibal village in Pampore, the heart of Kashmir’s “saffron bowl.” In the vast stretch of cracked, ochre earth, Ghulam Muhammad Sheikh, a 62-year-old farmer, bends low, parting the brittle clumps of soil with trembling fingers. For a long moment, he searches in silence. Then he sighs, holding up a single purple crocus flower, the only one he can find. “Earlier, one kanal gave 40 tolas of saffron,” he says, shaking his head. “Now even 20 kanals barely give 50 tolas.” https://twitter.com/TheKashmiriyat/status/1985708851384213965 “It’s finished,” he adds quietly. “The land that once smelled of saffron now smells of dust.” Once, this entire plateau between Pampore, Chandhara, and Konibal was known for its deep, loamy k...

Every morning, eight-year-old Aamir leaves his home in a remote village of Kishtwar long before sunrise. His small frame is often lost in the mist that rolls down the mountains as he makes his way to a government school several kilometres away. He crosses muddy paths, a wooden bridge over a stream, and climbs a rocky trail before reaching his classroom, a crumbling building with half-broken windows, no toilets, and barely any heating in winter. In the same valley, another child, perhaps of the same age, waits comfortably at the gate of his house in Srinagar’s suburbs. A private school bus stops right at his doorstep, its seats cushioned, its windows fog-free, and his attendance recorded on a tablet. His classroom is warm, brightly lit, and equipped with smart boards. His lunchbox holds ho...

Prerna Bhat During the early morning hours (fajar time), a man encountered a figure resembling a Pasikdar, a benevolent spirit or guardian in Kashmiri folklore, and his wife, who was wearing a Dejhoor. The Pasikdar was described as having a long beard and attire similar to that of the narrator’s father. This brief but striking encounter left a lasting impression, underscoring the Dejhoor’s significance within the Kashmiri Pandit community’s traditions. In Kashmiri folklore, the Pasikdar is considered a guardian spirit, believed to protect households from evil forces. In some interpretations, the Pasikdar is associated with the eldest male of the household and is regarded as a benevolent entity that watches over the family. While this anecdote originates from a personal account, it reflec...

Syed Zahid Hussain A short viral video from a Physics Wala event in Anantnag , showing a minor girl whose gesture was seized upon, widely circulated and lambasted online,  reopened an old fault line in Kashmiri public life: who has the right to judge, name and shame, and in whose name? In contemporary Kashmir, some clerics have turned mosque pulpits into stages for moral performance, publicly shaming women or minors under the guise of defending religion. Their sermons often aim less at genuine guidance than at attracting social media attention, gaining approval among male audiences, or boosting personal prestige. Viral videos of such moral policing circulate widely, and the applause of online followers becomes the real reward, overshadowing the ethical responsibility that Islam imposes ...

Anzer Ayoob Beneath the relentless hum of Israeli drones and the shudder of airstrikes, Gaza’s journalists have transformed their craft into an act of defiance. Since the war’s escalation in October 2023, these reporters have become what I call “Journoists”—hybrids of journalists and activists who not only document a conflict that has claimed over 67,000 lives, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, but also advocate fiercely for accountability, aid, and survival. With foreign correspondents barred from independent access by Israeli authorities, Gaza’s Journoists have shouldered the world’s gaze, operating under a blockade that isolates them from resources, safety, and often hope. The cost has been staggering. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports at least 239 journalis...

Shah Shahid As Chief Minister Omar Abdullah completes one year in office, the government marked the day with a grand press conference in Jammu, a celebration of continuity, perhaps of control. Cameras flashed, microphones crowded the table, and journalists stood ready with their rehearsed curiosity. It was a busy day for the media, a “good day,” as some would call it, where newsrooms came alive, and timelines filled with cheerful selfies from the venue. The event had all the spectacle one expects from modern-day politics, where performance too often replaces accountability. But in that crowded room, amid the hum of recorders and polite laughter, something essential was missing, questions that matter to most people in Jammu Kashmir. Our journalists are not elite, but they are...

Syed Zeeshan Jaipuri I was in seventh grade when I first saw it, the poison that corrupts everything. Two best friends, the kind who shared lunchboxes, secrets, and jokes that no one else understood, suddenly stopped talking. It wasn’t betrayal. It wasn’t heartbreak. It was first place. One of them scored a few marks more, and the other couldn’t stand it. Their friendship, built over years, was torn apart by a title printed on cheap certificate paper. That day, something cracked in me. I began to hate the very idea of reward, the seductive lie that says we become better when we are ranked, graded, or crowned. Because I had just watched reward turn love into rivalry, sincerity into insecurity, and childhood into a race. And the more I grew up, the more I saw that nothing changes: the ...

Shabir Ali A short viral video showing groups of vehicles tearing across green meadows in central Kashmir has blown up into a wider backlash, not just against the people in the footage but against an industry of “overlanding” and off-road content that many locals say treats fragile landscapes as a playground. Social media has been full of angry takes, from journalists and local activists to ordinary residents calling the practice “ecological vandalism” and demanding immediate legal action. The Kashmiriyat has consistently reported on the growing environmental stress across Kashmir’s fragile landscape and how unchecked human activity is affecting everyday life in the region. A viral video showed social media 'engagement farmers' driving vehicles across fragile pastures near the Breinwa...

Political circles in central Kashmir’s Budgam district have begun to stir again as the stage sets for a high-stakes by-election, one that could redefine local loyalties and re-establish the National Conference’s traditional hold over one of its strongest bastions. ALSO READ: Rare enthusiasm grips Kashmir ahead of elections The seat fell vacant after Omar Abdullah, who had won from both Ganderbal and Budgam in the 2024 Assembly elections, opted to retain his ancestral constituency, leaving Budgam open for a by-poll. In the 2024 contest, Abdullah polled 36,010 votes (54.52 %), defeating PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, who secured 17,525 votes (26.53 %). The voter turnout stood at 52.27 %, one of the highest in central Kashmir. The notification for the by-polls will be issued on October 13,...

Shabnum Khatoon Muzaffarabad in Pakistan is grappling with the aftermath of violent protests that have claimed the lives of at least nine individuals, including six civilians and three police officers. The unrest, which began on September 29, 2025, has intensified over the past days, with demonstrators clashing with security forces while demanding economic relief and political reforms. Among the deceased are Constables Khurshid and Jameel from Bagh, and Constable Tahir Rafi from Muzaffarabad. Their families are now left to mourn their untimely deaths. "He was the sole breadwinner for our family," said Khurshid's widow, tears streaming down her face. "Now, I don't know how we'll survive." Jameel's mother, sitting silently outside their modest home, clutched his uniform cap. "He was on...