Kashmir Archives | Page 3 of 229

Mosque Profiling Drive in Kashmir Triggers Political and Religious Outcry

January 14, 2026 Editor

Mosque Profiling Drive in Kashmir Sparks Political, Religious Backlash Why a Police Data Exercise Has Reignited Fears of Surveillance, Stigmatization, and Erosion of Religious Freedom in the Valley By: Javid Amin | 13 January 2026 A Data Exercise That Set Off Alarm Bells What began as a police “data-gathering exercise” has rapidly escalated into one of the most sensitive governance controversies in Jammu and Kashmir in recent months. The Jammu and Kashmir Police’s mosque profiling drive, carried out across multiple villages in the Valley, has triggered sharp political criticism and…

Cold Wave Grips Kashmir as Shopian Records –8.2°C, Snow and Rain Likely Later This Month

January 12, 2026 Editor

Cold Wave Grips Kashmir, Shopian Shivers at –8.2°C as Winter Deepens By: Javid Amin | 11 January 2026 Kashmir Slips Deeper Into Winter’s Grip Kashmir is firmly in the grip of deep winter, with a severe cold wave tightening across the Valley during Chillai Kalan, the harshest 40-day phase of winter. Night temperatures have plunged well below freezing in most districts, skies remain largely cloudy, and meteorologists say snow and rain are likely to build up later this month. South Kashmir’s Shopian district recorded the lowest temperature at –8.2°C, making…

Winter Writes in Sub-Zero Ink as Chillai Kalan Enters Peak Phase in Kashmir

January 11, 2026 Editor

Winter Writes in Sub-Zero Ink as Chillai Kalan Peaks, Shopian Coldest at –8.2°C By: Javid Amin | 10 January 2026 Winter Tightens Its Grip as Chillai Kalan Peaks Winter continues to write its story in sub-zero ink across Kashmir. As Chillai Kalan, the coldest 40-day stretch of winter, entered its peak phase, a biting cold wave gripped the Valley on Saturday, with night temperatures remaining well below freezing across most regions, despite marginal overnight relief in a few areas. Clear skies and dry conditions have intensified radiational cooling, keeping Kashmir…

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Barred From Friday Prayers for Third Consecutive Week at Srinagar Jama Masjid

January 10, 2026 Editor

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Says He Was Barred From Friday Prayers for Third Week at Srinagar’s Jama Masjid By: Javid Amin | 09 January 2026 Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief cleric, on Friday said he was prevented for the third consecutive week from leading Friday prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jama Masjid, alleging that he was placed under house detention by authorities. According to the Mirwaiz, police vehicles and personnel were stationed outside his residence, restricting his movement and preventing him from reaching the mosque. What the Mirwaiz Has Claimed In a…

Chillai Kalan 2026: Dry Spell Deepens in Kashmir as Snow Eludes Plains

January 9, 2026 Editor

Chillai Kalan 2026: Dry Spell Raises Concerns as Kashmir Sees No Major Snowfall With 21 Days Left By: Javid Amin | 08 January 2026 Chillai Kalan Tightens Grip, but Snow Remains Elusive Kashmir is deep into Chillai Kalan, the harshest 40-day winter stretch, yet an unusual feature defines this year’s cold spell — intense freezing without widespread snowfall in the plains. With 21 days still remaining before Chillai Kalan ends on January 30, 2026, the Valley has crossed the halfway mark under a persistent dry spell. While higher reaches have…

Beliefs Unchanged: Why Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Removed ‘Hurriyat Chairman’ from His X Bio — And What It Means for Kashmir’s Politics

January 3, 2026January 3, 2026 Editor

Beliefs Unchanged: Mirwaiz’s Silent Edit on X and the Shifting Ground Beneath Kashmir’s Separatist Politics By: Javid Amin | 02 January 2026 A Quiet Edit That Loudly Echoed Across Kashmir In the evolving political landscape of Kashmir, symbolism often carries as much weight as policy. This truth resurfaced recently when Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, one of the Valley’s most influential religious-political leaders, quietly removed the designation “Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference” from his X (formerly Twitter) profile. No statement was issued at first. No dramatic declaration followed. But the silence was…

Cold Wave Intensifies in Kashmir Valley After Snowfall | Kashmir Chillai Kalan Winter Report

January 3, 2026 Editor

Cold Wave Intensifies in Kashmir Valley After Snowfall: Comprehensive Ground-Verified Report By: Javid Amin | 02 January 2026 Srinagar, Kashmir Valley — A powerful cold wave has tightened its grip across the Kashmir Valley following recent snowfall in the higher reaches, plunging night temperatures deep below freezing and creating stark contrasts between sunny winter days and bone-chilling nights across the region. The situation is unfolding amid the annual winter phase locally known as Chillai Kalan, the harshest 40-day cold spell that began in late December and runs through January. This…

Kashmir Braces for Fresh Snow as Nights Stay Unseasonably Warm; Chenab Valley Cut Off Again and Srinagar-Leh NH Closed | Winter Weather Impact

December 30, 2025December 30, 2025 Editor

Kashmir Braces for Fresh Snowfall as Winter Weather Persists By: Javid Amin | 29 December 2025 Kashmir is once again in the grip of winter weather, with authorities and communities preparing for fresh snowfall across higher reaches of the region. The Meteorological Department’s outlook indicates an approaching weather system capable of delivering snow, especially in upper valleys and mountain zones, even as night-time temperatures remain warmer than typical for deep winter. Officials in Srinagar and other parts of the Union Territory have urged the public to remain cautious and comply…

Kashmir and Ladakh Winter Weather Alert: Intense Cold, Sub-Zero Temperatures, Year-End Snowfall Forecast | Kashmir Weather 2025–26

December 27, 2025 Editor

Winter’s Grip Tightens Across Kashmir and Ladakh By: Javid Amin | 26 December 2025 As the winter season reaches its most severe phase, the mountainous regions of Kashmir and Ladakh are grappling with deepening cold and prospects of new snowfall as the year draws to a close. Persistent sub-zero temperatures, weather advisories from the Meteorological Department, and early snowfall patterns are shaping travel, infrastructure, and daily life in these Himalayan landscapes. Locals, authorities, and visitors are all adjusting to a pattern of intensified winter chills that are expected to continue…

Mehbooba Mufti Urges Rethink on Agricultural Land Transfer to BSF: Land, Livelihood, and Security at the Heart of Kashmir Debate

December 19, 2025 Editor

Mehbooba Mufti Asks Omar Abdullah to Reconsider Fertile Land Transfer to BSF in Pulwama By: Javid Amin | 18 December 2025 When Security Meets Soil in Kashmir Land in Kashmir is not merely a physical asset; it is livelihood, heritage, and survival. In a region where agriculture remains a primary source of income for thousands of families, decisions involving land acquisition inevitably carry deep social and political consequences. Against this backdrop, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has urged Chief Minister Omar…