WRITE-UPS

Sameer Ahmed Najar Kashmir, often described as the "Paradise on Earth," is known not only for its breathtaking landscapes but also for its rich cultural and linguistic heritage. At the heart of this cultural legacy lies the Kashmiri language (کٲشُر) — a language spoken by millions yet increasingly neglected, particularly by the younger generation. Kashmiri, despite its deep historical roots, seems to be slowly slipping into oblivion. The decline of Kashmiri, like many languages, hasn't happened overnight. It has eroded gradually, influenced by societal, political, and economic pressures. Perhaps one of the most significant factors in this decline has been the exclusion of Kashmiri from mainstream education. Until recently, Kashmiri was not a compulsory subject in schools, de...

Sheikh Nadeem On Saturday, the ancient stone fountains stood silent, their once vibrant streams reduced to empty basins. The lush Mughal-era gardens, usually nourished by the crystal-clear waters of Achabal Spring, lay parched under the February sun. In a scene that locals could hardly believe, the historic spring in Anantnag district of Kashmir has gone completely dry. The barren pools and cracked earth are visible everywhere. For the first time in living memory, not a single drop flows from its source that has sustained generations of locals. The residents told The Kashmiriyat on Saturday, (February 15, 2025), that while the spring has seen periods of low water before, it has never run completely dry. Ghulam Hassan, a 65-year-old local, expressing his disbelief said, “Growing up ...

On May 3, 2010, a Mumbai Sessions Court acquitted Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed, accused of providing maps to the 26/11 attackers. The judgment noted, "the prosecution had no credible evidence." When the verdict was announced, Fahim and Sabahuddin looked around—there were family members and supporters, but the lawyer was missing. Shahid Azmi, the lawyer who had fought for them, had been murdered three months earlier. A Life Shaped by Injustice Born in 1977 in Mumbai’s Govandi, Shahid Azmi’s life was shaped by his experiences. The 1992 riots that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid led to the isolation of many young Muslim men, and Shahid was among them. At just 15, he was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), accused of plottin...

Sabahat Fida  Language is not just a tool of communication; it is a weapon of control. Nowhere is this more evident than in the way Western media distorts the reality of Israel’s war on Palestine. Through selective framing, passive language, and outright dehumanization, mainstream coverage has turned genocide into "self-defense," occupation into "conflict," and Palestinian resistance into "terrorism." Words are being manipulated to justify war crimes, erase Palestinian suffering, and manufacture consent for Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow." This statement underscores the idea that language is deeply tied to human consciousness and identity, shaping not onl...

Nahida Mushtaq, Abu Bakr Maqbool Mohammad Maqbool, an elderly farmer from Salamkania, a remote village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, walks around the land where his apple and walnut orchards once stood. Now, little remains. “It takes a lifetime to nurture these orchards,” he says, his voice heavy with loss. “A farmer invests everything, hoping they will sustain future generations. We were never against development, but the compensation we were promised has turned into a nightmare.” Maqbool lost his land to a road construction project in 2017—one of many farmers caught between progress and broken assurances. The construction of a bypass road in Salamkani, Damhal-Hanjipora, Kulgam, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), has resulted in at least two dozen famili...

Meer Irfan For over a decade, healthcare workers recruited under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) have been serving in some of the most remote and challenging areas of Jammu Kashmir, including Uri, Kupwara, and Ladakh. Families of the workers told The Kashmiriyat that despite their unwavering dedication to serving marginalized communities, they continue to endure prolonged isolation, harsh climates, and separation from their families, taking a severe toll on their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. One of these workers, a resident of Hajin, Bandipora, has been posted at Sub-District Hospital Uri for nearly two decades. His son, Faisal Javaid Khan highlighted the distress his family has been facing due to his father’s prolonged absence. "My father, an employee o...

Sumit Garg For centuries, Kashmir has captivated poets, its landscapes immortalized in verse. However, the poetic portrayal of Kashmir has undergone a profound shift, reflecting the socio-political turmoil that has gripped the region. The partition of 1947, subsequent wars, and prolonged conflict have transformed the identity of Kashmiris, often forcing them to choose between multiple ideologies unwillingly.  This shift has also altered the thematic focus of Kashmiri poetry—from mysticism and nature to conflict and displacement. Agha Shahid Ali emerges as a crucial figure in this transformation, chronicling the heartbreak of exile and the erasure of cultural memory through his poetry. Born in Delhi and raised in Srinagar, Agha Shahid Ali later moved to the United States, where ...

It was a cold day in February. The people of Mehjoor Nagar, a quiet neighborhood in Srinagar, were busy with their daily chores. Children played in the streets, their laughter echoing through the lanes. The Sikh families, a small but resilient community in the valley, were preparing for the evening. Shopkeepers tended to their customers, and life moved at its usual pace—until gunfire shattered the calm. On February 3, 2001, three unidentified gunmen arrived in Mehjoor Nagar. Two of them, armed with automatic weapons, opened fire indiscriminately on Sikh men, while the third waited on a motorcycle. The attack was swift and brutal. Before anyone could react, six men lay dead on the ground—Satnam Singh, Charanjeet Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Suraj Singh, Sumeet Pal Singh, and Balwant Singh...