Has Kashmir’s Appetite for Luxury Outpaced its Reality? By Rafiq Dar In Kashmir, there is an old saying that cuts to the bone of the valley’s current economic temper: “If one rides a horse, the other one climbs the wall.” It is a proverb about envy, about the desperate need to match a neighbor’s stride, […]
Back from the Brink
Kashmir’s Hangul Population Hits 323 as Conservation Efforts Turn a Corner By Irfan Bashir For the first time in decades, the mist-shrouded forests of Kashmir are witnessing a verifiable resurgence of their most iconic resident. The critically endangered Kashmiri Hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu), a species once teetering dangerously close to extinction, has recorded a population […]
Youth Scripting New Sports History: LG Sinha
Khelo India Beach Games will build confidence and leadership that will spur rise of Gen Z athletes in global tournaments By Sameer Rashid The turquoise waters of the Arabian Sea provided a shimmering backdrop to a revolution in Indian sports on Monday, as the pristine Ghoghla Beach in Diu transformed into a vibrant arena for […]
Predatory Premiums
Behind the glossy brochures lies a ‘profitable nexus’ of coercion. As banks in the region prioritize non-interest income to fuel their operational costs, vulnerable borrowers are finding that their loans come with strings—and premiums—attached. By Rafiq Dar For many in Jammu and Kashmir, a visit to a local bank branch is an act of trust. […]
31 Apps at age 13
With the launch of ‘Freevance’ and a portfolio of 31 apps, Srinagar’s Uzair Malik is doing exactly that. Using Flutter and NodeJS, he’s solving real-world problems for clients in the US and Canada—all while preparing for his Class 9 exams. By Sameer Ahmad At just 13 years old, Uzair Malik is redefining the tech landscape […]
The Canopy of Common Ground
When a towering newcomer threatens to uproot centuries of peace in the Kingdom of the Talking Trees, the inhabitants must choose between ego and empathy. This modern allegory explores how a community’s greatest strength lies not in its tallest members, but in the invisible roots that bind them together. By Aubaid Akhoon Deep in the […]
The Winter Vigil
Law, Legacy, and Livelihood in Jammu & Kashmir By Sameer Ahmad As the year 2025 draws to a close, the landscape of Jammu & Kashmir is witnessing a profound intersection of rigorous law enforcement and transformative social welfare. From the silent corridors of ancient history unearthed in Awantipora to the high-tech battlegrounds of cyber-forensics in […]
A Son’s Letter to His Mother
A son revisits the morning that changed his life forever, tracing grief, memory, and a mother’s love that refuses to fade. By Mool Raj Every time I left home for Jammu University to pursue my M.Sc. in Environmental Science, I wrote letters to my beloved mother, Smt. Nant Devi. Between 1997 and 1999, I entrusted […]
Beyond Women’s Rights
After decades of service to her family, Saabirah finds herself battling not poverty, but rejection. Her story raises uncomfortable questions about justice, dignity, and the limits of women’s rights discourse. By Syed Majid Gilani When a woman chooses silence, the world often mistakes it for weakness. Saabirah’s life tells a different story. Her silence was […]
In a World of Endless Copies, Original Thought Is Fading
We are living in what can best be called the age of the photocopy. Like a page copied again and again from an already fading original, our ideas, words and expressions are losing sharpness By Abid Hussain Rather We like to believe that we are living in the smartest age humanity has ever known. We […]