Category: Community

Saving Handicrafts: Beyond Slogans and Selective Concern

Umar Khan Amiri
Saving Handicrafts: Beyond Slogans and Selective Concern

Challenges: Exploitation, Decline, and Market Saturation The renewed concern expressed by the Copper Handmade Utensils Union, echoed by sections of the administration, about saving handmade copperware has reopened a larger and more uncomfortable debate about the future of traditional crafts in Kashmir. While the intention to protect any indigenous craft is welcome, the selective urgency surrounding copperware raises critical questions about policy consistency, cultural priorities, and economic realism. Kashmir has historically been a global centre of handicrafts. From carpet and shawl weaving to handmade paper, kitabat (calligraphy), wood carving, papier-mâché,…

Read More

Mohra Hydroelectric Project: How Asia’s First Powerhouse in Kashmir Became a Forgotten Ruin

Editor
Mohra Hydroelectric Project: How Asia’s First Powerhouse in Kashmir Became a Forgotten Ruin

Mohra Hydroelectric Power Project: How Asia’s Earliest Power Station in Kashmir Slipped Into Silence By: Javid Amin | 25 January 2026 More than a century ago, when large parts of Asia still relied on oil lamps and fireplaces, electric bulbs glowed in Srinagar—powered not by coal or diesel, but by the flowing waters of the Jhelum River. At the heart of this quiet revolution stood the Mohra Hydroelectric Power Project, commissioned in 1905 during the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh. It was not merely a power station; it was a…

Read More

Kashmiri Students Return from Iran, Slam Media for ‘Distorted’ Portrayal of Ground Reality

Editor
Kashmiri Students Return from Iran, Slam Media for ‘Distorted’ Portrayal of Ground Reality

Kashmiri Students Back from Iran Reject Panic, Criticise Media Coverage By: Javid Amin | 17 January 2025 Returned students say panic was manufactured by exaggerated coverage, insist life and studies continued normally in Iranian cities Relief at Home, Anger Over Narratives When more than three dozen Kashmiri students arrived home from Iran this week, their return was met with relief, tears, and tight embraces from anxious families. But alongside gratitude for safety, another emotion dominated their voices: anger. Anger not at Iran.Anger not at their universities.But at mainstream television channels…

Read More

Kashmir at the Crossroads: New Year Revelry or Cultural Ruin?

Editor
Kashmir at the Crossroads: New Year Revelry or Cultural Ruin?

Kashmir New Year 2026: Celebration or Cultural Erosion? | Tourism vs. Tradition By: Javid Amin | 01 January 2025 A Valley Illuminated, A Question Unanswered As the final seconds of 2025 bled into the dawn of 2026, the Himalayan skies above Kashmir did not just witness the gentle fall of winter snow. They were set ablaze—streaked with the incandescent trails of fireworks launched from the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar, reflected in the pristine snowy bowls of Gulmarg, and shimmering over the icy silence of Dal Lake. The air, crisp…

Read More

Seizure of Outside-Registered Vehicles in J&K: A Crisis That Demands Compassionate Governance

Editor
Seizure of Outside-Registered Vehicles in J&K: A Crisis That Demands Compassionate Governance

Seizure of Outside-Registered Vehicles in J&K: When Enforcement Overrides Empathy By: Javid Amin | 27 December 2025 A Crisis That Demands Compassionate Governance Across the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), enforcement drives targeting vehicles with outside registration numbers have escalated from routine checks to mass seizures — leaving thousands of vehicle owners bewildered, out of pocket, and stuck in administrative labyrinths with little clarity or support. What started as a legitimate regulatory intent—ensuring that all motor vehicles comply with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and related rules—has in…

Read More

Survival Under Strain: How Kashmir’s Families Navigate Unemployment, Drug Crisis, and Rising Costs in 2025

Editor
Survival Under Strain: How Kashmir's Families Navigate Unemployment, Drug Crisis, and Rising Costs in 2025

A comprehensive look at the layered challenges facing Kashmir Valley residents—from record joblessness among educated youth to a massive anti-drug campaign, reservation policy protests, and the daily struggle with inflation and unreliable services By: Javid Amin | 26 December 2025 When Multiple Crises Converge The morning air in Srinagar carries more than the winter chill this December. It carries the weight of uncertainty that has settled over Kashmir Valley like an unwelcome fog. Across districts from Anantnag to Baramulla, families wake each day to navigate an intricate web of challenges…

Read More

25 Winter Blazes Reported Across Kashmir in 4 Days: Causes, Risks, and Safety Lessons for Households

Editor
25 Winter Blazes Reported Across Kashmir in 4 Days: Causes, Risks, and Safety Lessons for Households

25 Winter Blazes Reported Across Kashmir in 4 Days — A Stark Warning on Heating Safety and Fragile Housing By: Javid Amin | December 25, 2025 Residential houses, livestock sheds, and temporary structures damaged across multiple districts as winter heating practices and aging infrastructure combine to create a silent seasonal hazard. Winter in Kashmir is not just about snow-covered rooftops, frost-lined roads, and breathtaking alpine views. It is also the season when households rely heavily on heating systems — some modern, many traditional, and many more dangerously improvised. In just…

Read More

School Mafia in Jammu & Kashmir: Parents Skinned Alive While Authorities Sleep

Editor
School Mafia in Jammu & Kashmir: Parents Skinned Alive While Authorities Sleep

School Mafia in Jammu & Kashmir: How Private Schools Exploit Parents Despite Government Orders By: Javid Amin | 25 December 2025 When Education Turns Into Exploitation Education or Extortion? In Jammu & Kashmir today, sending a child to school has become one of the most emotionally and financially draining decisions for parents. Education — once considered a public good and a social equaliser — has increasingly turned into a commercial enterprise run by unregulated private interests, where profit outweighs pedagogy and compliance is optional. Parents are not merely paying fees;…

Read More

No Eggoz Eggs Found in Kashmir, DFA Clarifies: Testing Underway to Calm Adulteration Fears

Editor
No Eggoz Eggs Found in Kashmir, DFA Clarifies: Testing Underway to Calm Adulteration Fears

No Eggoz Eggs in Kashmir, Confirms DFA | Adulterated Egg Panic, Testing Ongoing By: Javid Amin | 14 December 2025 Clearing the Air Amid a Climate of Food Safety Anxiety In a region already shaken by repeated food adulteration scandals—from rotten meat and stale fish to counterfeit packaged foods—reports of toxic residues in eggs triggered widespread anxiety across Kashmir. Eggs, a staple in most households and a key source of affordable nutrition, suddenly became the center of public suspicion. Amid growing concern and social media speculation, the Drug and Food…

Read More

Kashmir’s Everyday Struggles: Reflections of Our Collective Aamal in Society

Editor
Kashmir’s Everyday Struggles: Reflections of Our Collective Aamal in Society

Aamal and Leadership – Kashmir’s Daily Contradictions And thus We make the wrongdoers allies of one another because of what they earn.” (Surah Al-An‘am 6:129) This verse reflects the timeless truth: leaders and systems mirror the deeds (a‘amal) of their people. When society normalizes greed, shortcuts, and silence in the face of injustice, leadership and policies reflect those same flaws. By: Javid Amin | 14 December 2025 Kashmir, often called paradise on earth for its breathtaking landscapes and resilient people, faces deep-rooted everyday contradictions today. These issues—from healthcare and education…

Read More