Category: Community

The Digital Danger Lurking in Kashmiri Homes: How Screen Addiction is Rewiring Childhood

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The 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…

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The Social Burden of Marriage on Kashmiri Women: Between Tradition and Trauma

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The 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…

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Jammu Railway Division Enhances Passenger Services for Festive Season Travel Across Jammu & Kashmir

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Jammu 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…

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MMU Demands Ban on Meat Imports to J&K Over Halal Concerns: A Deep Dive

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MMU 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,…

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No Respite for Passengers as 28 J&K Trains Remain Suspended | Kashmir’s Rail Lifeline in Crisis

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No 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…

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Beyond the Rotting Orchards: Kashmir’s Silent Crisis of a Generation Adrift

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Beyond 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.…

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Why We Add One Rupee to Gift Money: A Kashmiri Cultural Insight into Continuity, Blessing, and Identity

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Why 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…

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The Plant That Drowned: Overcare, Silent Suffocation, and the Emotional Cost of Good Intentions

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The 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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340 Kg of Unlabeled Meat Seized at Srinagar Airport: Inside Kashmir’s Risky Food Trade

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340 Kg of Unlabeled Meat Seized at Srinagar Airport: Inside Kashmir’s Risky Food Trade

A Risky Trade in Kashmir By: Javid Amin | 07 September 2025 On September 7, 2025, enforcement officials at Srinagar Airport made a startling discovery—340 kilograms of unlabeled meat stashed in the cargo section, ready for distribution in the Valley. The consignment had no labels, no manufacturer details, no billing, and no traceability. It wasn’t rotten. It wasn’t smuggled across borders. Yet it was illegal, unsafe, and unaccounted for. The seizure wasn’t just about meat—it exposed a shadow food supply chain in Kashmir, where traders gamble with law and public…

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Panic, Not Rain: How Sensational Journalism Nearly Sank Srinagar

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Panic, Not Rain: How Sensational Journalism Nearly Sank Srinagar

When Natural Disasters Meet Media Disasters By: Javid Amin | 04 Sep 2025 In Kashmir, floods, landslides, and earthquakes are grimly familiar. But the latest close call in Srinagar exposed another threat: the flood of misinformation and theatrics disguised as journalism. Instead of verified alerts, people were drowned in sensational hashtags, shouting reporters, and influencers livestreaming chaos without accountability. The result? Confusion, distrust, and unnecessary panic in a city that needed calm, not chaos. When Journalism Becomes Theatre Traditionally, journalists act as guides in the storm—helping communities navigate danger with…

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