WRITE-UPS

Danishwar Hameed On a cold January morning, Ghulam Mohammed Kumhar sits outside his small house in Redwani, watching the sky. A potter by trade, he once believed the land would be his salvation. In 2018, he sold his ancestral home and bought a patch of farmland. The first year was promising, but since then, nature has turned against him. "Every year brings new hope, but now it feels like even the land is not supporting us," Kumhar says, his voice laced with regret. "For the past two years, either it doesn’t snow at all, or when it does, it causes damage." Farmers across Kashmir share his anxiety. The once-predictable cycle of snowfall and rain has been disrupted. The absence of consistent snowfall during Chillai Kalan, the harshest 40-day winter period, has left them staring...

Bhat Yasir Kashmir is witnessing a troubling decline in its iconic Chinar trees, a species deeply tied to its cultural and natural heritage. From an estimated 42,000 trees in the 1970s, current figures reveal a stark drop, with ongoing estimates placing the number between 17,000 and 34,000. A recent census suggests approximately 32,500 Chinars remain as of 2025, highlighting the urgency of conservation efforts. Environmentalists and locals alike attribute this decline to rapid urbanization, infrastructure projects, and neglect. Large-scale road projects, including highways, rural road expansions, and the ambitious ring road construction, have seen thousands of trees axed in the name of development. The Chinar, a symbol of Kashmir’s identity, has not been spared despite ea...

Prerna Bhat As you visit Wandhama, a small village in Ganderbal, broken walls—once the proud homes of Kashmir’s minority Pandit community—now lie in ruins. These houses, once vibrant with life, now stand abandoned, their rooftops caved in, doors missing, and walls covered in cracks, bearing silent witness to a tragedy that forced an entire community to flee. The remnants of these homes, overtaken by wild vegetation and decay, serve as grim reminders of the night of January 25, 1998, when 23 Kashmiri Pandits were brutally killed. These houses bear the scars of a community that was forced to leave the village in the dead of night, leaving behind memories, belongings, and a way of life that would never return. The massacre, which took place on the eve of India’s Republic Day, was a t...

Suhail Dar Months after the Budgam incident, Kashmir’s media landscape and public discourse remain abuzz with issues of all kinds. Yet, brutal murders of women seem to slip through public discourse without sustained attention. It was March 2023, a gruesome crime shocked Kashmir when a young woman, 30-year-old Arifa Bano from Soibugh in Budgam, went missing on her way to computer classes. Arifa was brutally murdered by Shabir Ahmad Wani, who confessed to killing her, dismembering her body into several pieces, and burying the parts at different locations to hide the crime. The incident sparked outrage and deep sadness in the community. However, despite the horror of the crime, discussions around it faded quickly from public discourse, highlighting the societal apathy toward gender-b...

Dr. Shaikh Ghulam Rasool Kashmir—where rivers breathe life into the land and meadows whisper tales of harmony—a profound struggle for justice and dignity is quietly raging. This is not merely a battle over environmental stewardship but a fight for survival waged by indigenous communities—the true custodians of these natural treasures—against forces of greed and exploitation. The intertwined sagas of the Sukhnag River and Tosamaidan meadow highlight the devastating impacts of a new and insidious weapon of oppression: litigation, wielded by capitalist entities to dismantle grassroots livelihoods and consolidate control. The Sukhnag River, coursing through the lush terrains of Budgam district in the Pirpanchal range, is far more than a water source; it is the beating heart of local l...

Bhat Yasir The residents of Badhal village in Rajouri are gripped by shock and fear as a mysterious illness continues to claim lives. Each day, their dread deepens as family members, particularly children, fall ill and succumb to an unknown affliction. The suddenness of these deaths has left the community in disbelief, unsure of what is happening in their own homes and villages. The constant sense of fear is compounded by the government's inability to provide answers, heightening their despair. Despite ongoing investigations, health experts and authorities have yet to pinpoint the cause of the illness, and the situation remains dire. With 13 deaths recorded so far, including multiple children from the same family, the residents wonder whether they are next in line. The illness,...

Meer Irfan Feroz Ahmed Wani, a 51-year-old farmer, has not eaten for the last four days. He sits outside his orchard in Parigam, surrounded by the trees he has nurtured for decades. His fast is a desperate protest against the government’s decision to acquire 4,834 kanals (approximately 600 acres) of prime horticultural karewa land for a new National Institute of Technology (NIT) campus. “This land is my life. It is my family’s life,” he says, his voice breaking. “I only have 8 Kanal of land. If they take it away,  what will we eat? How will we survive?” Dar’s anguish reflects a broader crisis brewing in Kashmir, where agriculture remains the backbone of the economy and livelihoods. Recent surveys show that nearly 70 per cent of the region’s population depends on agriculture, ei...

Suhail Dar In a rare grassroots initiative, this small village in south Kashmir's Shangus area has taken a firm stand against tobacco, setting an example for the region. Sheikhgund, located 14.5 kilometers from the district headquarters of Anantnag and surrounded by lush apple orchards, has become a beacon of change by banning the sale and use of tobacco products. The streets of the village are now adorned with bright placards and banners that boldly declare: “No to Smoking,” “No to Tobacco,” and “Sheikhgund: A Tobacco-Free Zone.” These boards are a testament to the community’s determination to reclaim their health and protect future generations. The campaign began earlier this year when residents gathered at the local mosque to pledge a collective fight against tobacco. The meet...

Today marks 23 years since the Bijbehara tragedy of December 21, 2001, when five women were killed by unidentified gunmen in two villages of Bijbehara, Anantnag district. The attacks, which occurred late at night around 10:30 PM, targeted Sikh and Kashmiri Hindu families in Pushkreeri and Hugam, leaving the minority communities shattered and fearful. In Pushkreeri, the gunmen reportedly called the male residents out of their homes to assemble at a specific location. When the women intervened to question their intentions, the gunmen opened fire, killing three young girls—Sumeet Kaur, Rosy Kaur, and Julie Kaur—on the spot. Two others were injured in the attack. Recalling the night, a resident, Paramjit Singh, said, “The gunmen wanted the male members of the community to assemble at a ...

Mir Muntazir Gull In the present era, Islamic discourse is increasingly shaped by singular, dominating narratives, fueled by an influx of capital that amplifies certain voices over others. This trend, prevalent both online and offline, often sidelines the rich plurality of opinions that have historically defined Islamic scholarship. As a result, controversies erupt, spurred by extremist narratives that go unchallenged, leaving many unaware of the nuanced, often more robust, counterarguments rooted in tradition. In this environment, where social media and Google searches become the primary sources of Islamic knowledge—often for the sake of winning online arguments—misconceptions proliferate. For instance, debates over whether non-Muslims can enter mosques are frequently reduc...