10% of J&K Population Struggling with Substance Abuse, Yet Long-Term Rehab Remains a Mirage By: Javid Amin | 26 October 2025 The Hidden Epidemic Jammu and Kashmir is facing one of India’s most severe drug addiction crises, with over 10% of its population—approximately 13.5 lakh individuals—struggling with substance abuse, according to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment. Behind the numbers lies a grim picture: a generation caught between trauma, unemployment, and easy access to narcotics. Despite government campaigns and public awareness drives, long-term rehabilitation remains a distant…
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Couriers Turned Carriers: The Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis in Kashmir
A New Face of Addiction in Kashmir By: Javid Amin | 21 October 2025 Prescription drug abuse, once considered a fringe issue, has now entered the mainstream of Kashmir’s public health crisis. Traditionally overshadowed by heroin and synthetic narcotics, pharmaceutical abuse is quietly reshaping patterns of addiction. Recent reports and investigations reveal that courier services—once a lifeline for online orders—are now being exploited as conduits for trafficking addictive medications. Drugs meant for legitimate therapeutic use are slipping into the hands of youth, creating a legal high with dangerous consequences. Couriers…
Read MoreThe Digital Danger Lurking in Kashmiri Homes: How Screen Addiction is Rewiring Childhood
A Silent Crisis in Kashmiri Households By: Javid Amin | 16 October 2025 The phrase “The Digital Danger Lurking in Kashmiri Homes” has rapidly emerged as a powerful lens through which journalists, educators, and psychologists are examining a growing—and deeply concerning—crisis: the unchecked rise of digital addiction among children and teenagers in the Kashmir Valley. What began as a tool of connection during lockdowns and political disruptions has quietly evolved into a force reshaping childhood, family dynamics, mental health, and even cultural continuity. As per features in Kashmir Observer and…
Read MoreThe Social Burden of Marriage on Kashmiri Women: Between Tradition and Trauma
The Social Burden of Marriage on Kashmiri Women | Dowry, Pressure & Cultural Change By: Javid Amin | 15 October 2025 Marriage in Kashmir: A Celebration with a Hidden Weight In the lush valleys of Jammu and Kashmir, marriage has long been seen as a sacred institution—a blending of spiritual belief, cultural tradition, and familial bonding. The solemnity of the nikah, the elegance of the bride’s attire, the aroma of wazwan, and the warmth of shared laughter reflect the community’s deep-rooted values of togetherness. But beneath this ceremonial grandeur, many…
Read MoreJammu Railway Division Enhances Passenger Services for Festive Season Travel Across Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu Railway Division Readies for Festive Rush with Enhanced Passenger Services By: Javid Amin | 14 October 2025 As the festive season dawns upon Jammu & Kashmir, the region’s railway network faces a yearly test of resilience, coordination, and service delivery. This year, in anticipation of a heavy surge in travelers — from pilgrims bound for Mata Vaishno Devi to families visiting the Valley — the Jammu Railway Division has rolled out a series of special measures and infrastructure upgrades to ensure smoother, safer, and more comfortable journeys across key…
Read MoreMMU Demands Ban on Meat Imports to J&K Over Halal Concerns: A Deep Dive
MMU Calls for Ban on Meat Imports to J&K Over Halal Integrity; Government Pledges Stricter Rules By: Javid Amin | 11 October 2025 Religious bodies press for local sourcing amid outrage over “rotten imported meat”; government promises stricter rules, not a ban. In an assertive move, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), a coalition of leading Islamic scholars and religious bodies in Jammu & Kashmir, has urged the J&K administration to ban the import of meat and poultry from outside the Union Territory. The MMU’s appeal hinges on concerns about halal compliance,…
Read MoreNo Respite for Passengers as 28 J&K Trains Remain Suspended | Kashmir’s Rail Lifeline in Crisis
28 Kashmir Trains Suspended: How Rail Disruption Is Hurting Passengers, Students & Traders in Jammu and Kashmir By: Javid Amin | 05 October 2025 When the Tracks Go Silent For most regions, a train suspension is a temporary inconvenience.In Jammu & Kashmir, it’s a crisis. Three weeks into the suspension of 28 crucial train services across the Union Territory, the silence along the tracks from Baramulla to Banihal and Jammu to Katra tells a larger story — one of disrupted lives, broken connectivity, and rising public frustration. What was initially…
Read MoreBeyond the Rotting Orchards: Kashmir’s Silent Crisis of a Generation Adrift
Kashmir’s Dual Crisis: Apple Orchards Rotting & A Generation’s Values Eroding | Expert Analysis By: Javid Amin | 17 September 2025 A Season of Ruin in the Valley of Plenty The scent of decay hangs heavy in the crisp autumn air of Kashmir. It’s a poignant, sweet-sour smell that speaks of loss. In orchards that stretch across the valley floor and climb the gentle Himalayan slopes, a bounty is turning to mush. Piles of once-prime apples—the iconic Trew, American, and Maharaji varieties—lie discarded, their vibrant reds and greens fading into a uniform, melancholic brown.…
Read MoreWhy We Add One Rupee to Gift Money: A Kashmiri Cultural Insight into Continuity, Blessing, and Identity
From Wartav to Gulmuteeh: The Symbolism Behind ₹501 and ₹1001 in Kashmiri Gifts By: Javid Amin | 16 September 2025 A Coin, A Culture, A Continuum In the valleys of Kashmir, where every ritual is steeped in poetry and every gesture carries generations of meaning, the tradition of adding one rupee to gift money is more than a custom—it’s a cultural philosophy. Whether tucked inside a shagun lifafa at a wedding, handed over during Eid, or offered at a nikkah ceremony, the extra rupee transforms a financial gift into a…
Read MoreThe Plant That Drowned: Overcare, Silent Suffocation, and the Emotional Cost of Good Intentions
The Weight of Water: When Care Becomes Control By: Javid Amin | 14 September 2025 The Plant That Drowned I once killed a plant—not because I ignored it, but because I cared too much.Every morning, I watered it, sometimes twice, thinking I was giving it the love it needed. I hovered over it, checked its leaves, adjusted its position under the sun, and worried over the slightest change in color. But instead of thriving, it began to droop. Its soil stayed wet, its roots gasped for air, and slowly it…
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