By Ajaz Rashid In August 2025, when torrential rains lashed Jammu and Kashmir, turning streets into rivers and mountain slopes into sliding walls of mud, one force stood between chaos and catastrophe—the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). With inflatable boats, life jackets, ropes, and sheer grit, these men and women became the lifeline of thousands […]
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Khelo India Rides the Waves
By Ajaz Rashid Srinagar: The calm, glistening waters of Dal Lake witnessed a rare transformation this week. For three days, from August 21 to 23, the lake—long celebrated for its shikaras, floating gardens and poetic reflection of the Zabarwan hills—turned into a sporting arena where adrenaline and elegance met rippling waves. The Khelo India Water […]
Fury in the Himalayas
By Ajaz Rashid Jammu and Kashmir, cradled in the lap of the Himalayas, has always been a land of beauty and fragility. But in August 2025, nature’s fury struck twice in quick succession—a pair of devastating cloudbursts unleashed tragedy on Kishtwar and Kathua districts, leaving a trail of death, destruction, and haunting questions about the […]
Waves of Saffron, White and Green
By Ajaz Rashid The first light of morning touched the rippling surface of Dal Lake like a painter’s brush, turning its calm waters into molten gold. Houseboats bobbed gently in place, their wooden hulls whispering against the moorings as the breeze carried faint notes of drums, bugles, and patriotic songs from the boulevard. In the […]
‘Sindoor Ki Laali, Shaurya Ki Kahaani’
By Ajaz Rashid In a powerful and emotive address to the Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh defended India’s retaliatory strike—Operation Sindoor—as a calibrated and historic response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Kicking off a 16-hour special debate, Singh laid out a gripping narrative of precision, restraint and resolve, framing the 22-minute cross-border […]
The Engineer of Change
By Ajaz Rashid In an exclusive interview marking nearly five years in office, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reflects on Kashmir’s remarkable journey from conflict to development Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s tenure in Jammu and Kashmir represents one of the most transformative periods in the region’s modern history. Since taking charge on August 7, 2020, in […]
Voices of the Silenced
By Ajaz Rashid In an unprecedented move that shattered decades of silence, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on June 29, 2025, met with families of Kashmiri civilians who have been the forgotten casualties of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism since the 1990s. This groundbreaking initiative, supported by the Save Youth Save Future Foundation, marked a historic turning point in […]
Agricultural Renaissance in Jammu Kashmir
By Ajaz Rashid In a significant address that underscored the evolving political dynamics in Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha described the boundaries of administrative responsibility while unveiling ambitious agricultural targets for the Union Territory. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan in Kulgam, Sinha emphasized that while security remains […]
Voices of Appreciation
By Ajaz Rashid For ordinary Kashmiris, the railway is a lifeline that transcends transportation. Jibran, a Srinagar resident, shared how the train offers safer, more affordable travel for families who once relied on costly flights or feared the unpredictability of highway closures during harsh winters. “This train has brought safety, affordability, and convenience. It feels […]
Tracks of Destiny
By Ajaz Rashid On June 6, 2025, history thundered across the Himalayas as a Vande Bharat Express crossed the towering Chenab Bridge—marking the fulfillment of a century-old dream. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a marvel of modern engineering that now stitches Kashmir to the rest of India by rail. More […]