WRITE-UPS

Rayees Shah In the contemporary world, environmental issues such as pollution, global warming, deforestation, and the depletion of natural resources pose significant threats to the sustainability of life on Earth. However, the solutions to these problems are not new; our religious traditions, in particular, offer time-tested guidance on how to live harmoniously with nature. In Islam, for example, the relationship between humans and the environment is seen as one of care, responsibility, and stewardship. The Quran reminds us: “Verily, all things have We created by measure” (Quran, Surah 54:49), and “We have produced therein everything in balance” (Quran, Surah 55:7). These verses highlight the importance of maintaining equilibrium in nature. In Kashmir, this spiritual and ecolog...

Bhat Yasir Tragedy struck the twin villages of Bernate and Nowshera in Boniyar tehsil, as two local men were among the victims of a militant attack that claimed the lives of five people, including three army personnel. The attack took place on Thursday evening in the Botapathri area of Gulmarg, where militants targeted an army vehicle, killing two porters working with the Indian Army alongside the soldiers. Three army men were also killed in the attack. A senior police said that militants opened fire on a Rashtriya Rifles vehicle near Botapathri, Gulmarg, on Thursday evening. The vehicle was part of a convoy moving through the Nagin area, close to the Line of Control, about six kilometers from Gulmarg:s Botapathri. The attack in Gulmarg is the fourth such incident since Abdu...

Shivani Singh Recent data from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune has revealed that stubble burning by farmers contributes just 1.3% to Delhi's air pollution, contradicting a long-standing narrative that has placed much of the blame on agricultural practices in neighboring states. Despite the relatively small contribution of stubble burning to the capital's toxic air, farmers have faced years of scrutiny, criticism, and dehumanization—a campaign rooted more in classism than in environmental facts. The numbers paint a clear picture. On October 19, 2024, stubble burning accounted for only a fraction of the city's overall pollution. In contrast, vehicular emissions—largely from private cars, which are concentrated in more affluent sections of society—contr...

Muhammad Yousuf Gilkar In a notable incident during his tenure as head of the Awqaf-e-Islamia Jammu Kashmir / All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Waqf Trust, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah took a strong stand for financial accountability and transparency regarding Waqf properties. The incident took place at New Kashmir Press, a Waqf-owned establishment at Budshah Chowk, where most of the valley's Urdu dailies and weeklies were printed. During his surprise visit to the press in 1974, Sheikh Abdullah requested a list of debtors from the press manager, Sheikh Abdul Majeed. Upon reviewing the list, it was found that almost all outstanding payments had been recovered except for the daily newspaper Hamdard, owned and edited by Ghulam Rasool Arif. Despite multiple recovery notices, Arif had failed...

Shah Basit Mohammed Yusuf Gojri, 61, was having dinner with his family on Sunday night, when he heard a sudden "cracker-like sound." Neighbors rushed out of their homes in panic but eventually concluded it was from a nearby wedding. In Kashmir, the practice of bursting crackers during weddings has become common in recent years. Early the next morning, the villagers learned of the tragedy: Dr. Shahnawaz Ahmed Dar, a well-known doctor from Ganderbal, was among the seven killed in a militant attack. Militants had fired upon a canteen housing non-local laborers working on the Z-Morh tunnel project, a crucial infrastructure development in Kashmir Valley. “He was a role model for all of us,” said a local resident, devastated by the loss. In Shahnawaz's native village Naidgam, thr...

Bhat Yasir Days after it assumed power, the Omar Abdullah-led state government has started pushing for the enhancement of ration supplies in Kashmir and Jammu. Officials confirmed that the Jammu Kashmir government is considering an increase in ration supplies for its residents, with the issue likely to be taken up in the upcoming cabinet meeting. Jammu Kashmir has witnessed numerous protests, primarily in Kashmir, against the reduction of government ration supplies, causing immense hardships for the people. The ration allocation system in Kashmir has undergone significant changes over the past few years, impacting residents' access to essential supplies. Initially, the Mufti Mohammed Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme aimed to provide additional food grains to the population but wa...

Mir Muntazir Gull Last month, elections and speculations stirred activity across Jammu and Kashmir. With the polls now concluded, a significant event that will go down deep in history was the participation of banned Jamaat-e-Islami members. Welcomed by almost all regional and national parties, this event marks a pivotal moment in Kashmir’s history, potentially shaping future discussions on representation and politics in the region. Despite the anticipation, most Jamaat candidates and other independents failed to retain their deposits, with the exception of Sayar Ahmed Reshi from Kulgam. Exit polls and several journalists had predicted Reshi’s win, but veteran Marxist Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami retained his seat with a margin of nearly 8,000 votes. Jamaat-e-Islami’s engagement ...

As a new government prepares to take centre stage in Kashmir after nearly six years of central rule, expectations in Jammu Kashmir have reached unprecedented levels. This historical burden has often fallen on the National Conference, whether during the 1996 elections or when Sheikh Abdullah returned to power in 1975. The newly elected government comes in the wake of perhaps the most significant decision since the 1953 amendment affecting regional autonomy: the revocation of Jammu Kashmir's special status on August 5, 2019. On that day, the region was also bifurcated into two federally ruled Union Territories; Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. Following a hiatus of ten years, the elections were conducted in the region on the directions of India’s Supreme court. The elections saw an unpreceden...

Bhat Yasir/ Meer Irfan Ahsan Kak, 68, has just finished harvesting apples for the day. As the evening sun casts its last glow over his orchard, he sits down with his son, Arshid, 37, for a cup of nun chai. The warmth of the tea contrasts with the chill of anticipation in the air. “What is the news? Have they nominated the members yet?” he asks, his voice a mix of curiosity and anxiety as he refers to the selection of five MLAs by LG Manoj Sinha for the Jammu Kashmir assembly polls. The uncertainty surrounding the nominations reflects the region's heightened anticipation for the election results, scheduled to be declared on October 8, 2024. Jammu Kashmir, a region under direct central rule since 2018, has not seen such political fervor for over a decade. Elections, once a routine p...