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…
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Kashmiri Shawl Seller Assaulted in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur: A Human Story of Fear, Livelihood, and the Fragile Reality of Migrant Traders
Kashmiri Shawl Seller Assaulted in Himachal’s Bilaspur | FIR Filed as Migrant Traders Seek Safety & Dignity By: Javid Amin | 30 December 2025 A Quiet Business Trip Turns Into a Nightmare For thousands of Kashmiri artisans, the winter months are not a break from work.They are a lifeline. As snow covers the Valley and tourism slows, many shawl sellers travel across India — to Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and beyond — carrying with them hand-woven woolens, traditional Pashmina, and Kashmiri handicrafts passed down through generations. It is part…
Read MoreKishtwar Cloudburst Tragedy: 32 Still Missing, Families Wait for Closure in the Shadow of the Himalayas
A Himalayan Tragedy That Refuses to Fade Away By: Javid Amin | 14 October 2025 The narrow valley of Chosoti in Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir, once echoed with the devotional chants of yatris making their way to Machail Mata Temple. Today, it echoes with silence. On August 24, 2025, a sudden cloudburst triggered catastrophic flash floods and landslides, washing away homes, pilgrimage shelters, bridges, and hundreds of lives in a matter of minutes. At least 66 people were confirmed dead, but 32 remain missing, swallowed by the unforgiving terrain of…
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