WRITE-UPS

Insha Mushtaq Today the decade-long struggle of the Baba Family in Rainawara has paid dividends, with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, an old mother looks at her son, who returned home after more than 11 years. Bashir Ahmed Baba, from Rainawari who was arrested in Gujarat for allegedly being a member of Hizbul Mujahideen, was acquitted today after more than 11 years. Bashir like any youthful man after completing his had completed his  Masters in Urdu from Indira Gandhi National Open University in 2009 and then qualified for a 15-day training program in Gujrat Ahmedabad in March 2010 by Maya Foundation- a German NGO running a project for surgical treatment of cleft lip in children in rural areas. On 14th March 2010, Bashir Ahmed Baba was arrested by the 'Anti-Terrorist...

Kounsar Bashir The Bhat family in Harparigam had just finished eating their dinner and were going to bed when there was a sudden knock at the door, they opened the door and saw some masked gunmen. Before the family could respond to this and make sense of what was happening, the masked gunmen opened indiscriminate firing and injured three family members. The house was that of a 50-year-old special Police officer of Jammu Kashmir Police named, Fayaz Ahmed Bhat aged 50, whose son is posted with the 55 Rashtriya Rifles of Indian Army. Fayaz, a resident of Harparigam in the Awantipora area of Pulwama died on the spot, his wife Raja Begum and daughter Rafiya Jan, succumbed to their injuries while being treated at the hospital. The masked gunmen forced their way into their home around 11...

Imran Boniyari While Jammu and Kashmir is known for the gorgeous valleys, pristine landscaped surrounding, beautiful lakes, and lush meadows, there's a whole unexplored religious side to it as well. There are various shrines in Jammu and Kashmir that hold huge importance not only in terms of religious sentiments but also in historical and social perspective. For example, Baramulla and its nearby locality itself is worth exploring inch by inch just spending a bit of time and effort. One of the most interesting attractions here is the religious excursion of the Muslim community, known as ‘Serthani’ or ‘Sherthani’.   Just 32 km away from Baramulla town, it is located in the hills of village Bernate of Boniyar Tehsil, which is just a few miles away from Baramulla. ...

Vikram Raj/ Mubashir Naik As incidents of mob lynching continue to grow throughout India, the threat among the minority communities is increasing with every passing day. On Tuesday morning, around 4 a.m., a 20 years boy was cornered by a violent communal mob in Rajouri and lynched. The Kashmiriyat spoke to the relative of Aijaz Ahmed Dar, who said that 20-year-old Aijaz along with his friend was returning to his house at four, Tuesday morning after buying a buffalo to sell her milk in order to earn a livelihood. "As soon as their car reached Moradpur village in Rajouri, some two-wheeler-borne men started pelting stones at their vehicle. The youth driving the vehicle tried to speed up but the vehicle slowed down amidst the barricading of Rajouri BSF Camps," the family member said, ...

Irshad Hussain/ Firdous Qadri Scores of shopkeepers along with children staged a protest at press enclave Srinagar against the handover of their shops to ex-servicemen of the Indian Army. The shopkeepers evicted by the Indian Army expressed strong resentment against this move and sought immediate intervention from the higher authorities. Holding pro-justice banners and placards they said that after the abrogation of Article 370, they received eviction notices from the army, and they were told that new laws were enacted and they have to vacate the shops. Speaking to The Kashmiriyat Shopkeepers Association President Ghulam Mohiuddin told The Kashmiriyat that before eviction notice they were allowed to renovate their shops. He said there are around 27 shops inside the cantonment a...

Aijaz Ahmed Reshi Around 6:30 AM, wails and cries reverberated in the town of Islamabad. Women shouting their throats out. Men running and sloganeering. The tragic news, Dr. Qazi Nisar had fallen to the bullets of unknown gunmen near Dialgam in the outskirts of Islamabad town in South Kashmir had reached the town. The wails came from the rooftops, women mourned inside their houses, men ran back in tears from bakery shops, The news struck us like a hurricane or a tornado. Every street burst with wails and slogans. “Our leader is no more!” people wailed everywhere, in the streets and from the Mosques. Men came running to each other’s houses in utter disbelief and gathered in clusters, The Hero is no more. People could not come in terms that an orator whose loud shot would scare ...

Bhat Yasir Wanigam Payeen is a village in North Kashmir, also known as "Dachi Wanigam," situated 6 kilometers away from Sub-district Headquarter Pattan and 20KM away from District Headquarter, Baramulla. According to Census 2011, the total geographical area of the village is 308.4 hectares. Wanigam Payeen has a total population of approx. 3000 people. There are about 250 houses in the village, which is known for its scenic beauty. Lush green meadows, paddy fields, and gardens surround the village. Two water bodies also pass through the village. These water bodies, besides adding to the sheen look of the village, also are the source of irrigation to the fields. The main source of occupation for the people here is farming. People earn their livelihood by sweating in the fields. Dro...

Aniqa/ Mubsahir Naik There's barely a house in Kashmir, not familiar with the killing of Tufail Mattoo. The incident was one of the many killings that triggered violent protests in Kashmir in the first decade of the 21st century. What marked this first decade was the anger of the young, which was born out of a decade-long frustration. The May of 2010 was not very steady, to begin with. News emerged that the Government forces had killed three villagers in cold blood near the LoC. Although they were branded as terrorists from the other side, the investigations revealed that they were the local villagers. On June 11, 2010, the youth of a locality in Srinagar decided to demonstrate a protest in memory of the 28 innocent civilians killed in the 'Chotta Bazar Massacre', which marked its...

Along with Tufail Mattoo's murder, on every June 11, Kashmir also shudders remembering the bloodshed caused by the security forces in the Chotta Bazar Massacre of 1991, which marks three decades today. The limited sources available around this massacre say that around six CRPF men came to Chotta Bazar in the Downtown area of Srinagar from their camp at the Government Medical College, Karan Nagar, and started firing indiscriminately at the civilians. It is believed that these CRPF men were furious about the militant attack the same day at around 2:30 pm noon, almost half a kilometer away, on a CRPF bunker at Gada Kocha Zainakadal. The attack left a few CRPF personnel injured. And in the fury, the CRPF opened fire at the innocent civilians after a few hours of the militant attack. T...

Kounsar Bashir/ Imran Bonyari The pandemic has taken quite a toll over the Kashmir Valley, especially since the second wave arose. The second wave of Covid-19 attacked right when the masses and the government had almost normalized social gatherings and the healthcare infrastructure crumbled down in front of the rise of Covid-19. People realized it soon that they are on their own and hence, they took it upon themselves to help each other. Various NGOs and other volunteer organizations have been helping those in need in every possible way, be it availing food for those who are alone, or gathering money for those who cannot afford the expenditure of the treatment. Here's a brief account of the Covid-19 volunteer organizations and NGOs that The Kashmiriyat got in touch with. These or...