Kashmir’s Silent Crisis: Unmasking the Devastating Toll of Online Gambling on Youth and Society

Kashmir's Silent Crisis: Unmasking the Devastating Toll of Online Gambling on Youth and Society

Kashmir, often celebrated for its breathtaking natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, is grappling with a silent yet rapidly escalating crisis – the insidious rise of online gambling. What began as a seemingly innocuous form of digital entertainment has morphed into a pervasive menace, silently eroding the socio-economic fabric of countless families and casting a long, dark shadow over the future of its youth. The allure of quick riches, amplified by aggressive online marketing and easy accessibility, is drawing thousands into a perilous cycle of addiction, debt, and despair. Across…

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Combatting Youth Drug Addiction: A Multi-Front Battle in Kashmir, from Mosques to Classrooms

Combatting Youth Drug Addiction: A Multi-Front Battle in Kashmir, from Mosques to Classrooms

Religious centres and educational institutions are assuming a new role in Kashmir by doubling up as counselling and testing centres to curb the fast-spreading menace of drugs. These rare interventions come as the Valley is battling a drug addiction crisis; over 10 lakh people were officially designated drug addicts by the Jammu and Kashmir administration this year. Otherwise restricted for the clergy, the pulpit at Magam Imambara in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, where Shia Muslims organise large religious congregations, recently saw Muzaffar Khan, a clinical psychologist who heads the Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation…

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Kashmir’s Drug Crisis: A Growing Threat to Young People

Kashmir's Drug Crisis: A Growing Threat to Young People

Kashmir’s Drug Crisis: A Call to Action By: Javid Amin The Himalayan region of Kashmir is facing a growing drug addiction crisis. A recent survey found that nearly a million people in Jammu and Kashmir – around 8% of the region’s population – use drugs of some kind. This is a significant increase from previous years, and experts say it is a major cause for concern. There are a number of factors that have contributed to the rise in drug addiction in Kashmir. One is the long-running conflict between India…

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