
‘A Living Death’: Life Inside Kashmir’s Isolated Colony
This colony is often termed as the end-of-the-road area – isolated and exiled from rest of the world.
This colony is often termed as the end-of-the-road area – isolated and exiled from rest of the world.
“Even my father told me, Cze chukh mye gonhan hund saza (You’re a punishment of my sins). He never beat me, but his words pierced my little heart like an arrow.”
The long-standing stereotypes, societal pressure and expectations have made women vulnerable to mental health issues in Kashmir. As fertility dips, emotional abuse continues to ascend.
The professor receives accolades for her academic spark that lit up some dark times of Kashmir’s recent history.
From exposing an erring J&K High Court Chief Justice to fighting pitched battles for employee and student welfare, a downtowner became privy to many tumultuous events in Kashmir during the ‘half-century’ activism career filled with his 600-odd petitions.
At a time when people are decrying the sad state of archives and other signposts of past, Burzahom awaits the state and societal intervention to uphold its sanctity as Kashmir’s historical site.
His demise was widely mourned in Kashmir and outside. Grieving people attended his funeral amidst cold weather, ongoing Indo-Pak war and dogfights in Srinagar’s skies.
After losing his family members to a deadly disease, a young Kashmiri singer is now living the same fate. In absence of family backing, the yesteryear’s sensation is once again seeking public support, this time to save his life.
Mindful of how the triple lockdown has left many vulnerable, isolated and in danger of participating in the ever dubious drug addiction activities, three young Kashmiri women, including author of this piece, have created a virtual space for the distressed youth of the valley where they freely express themselves and pass through a therapeutic experience.
As pellets once again returned to haunt Kashmir near a Shopian gunfight site, the victims of the duck-hunting guns continue to grapple with the enforced darkness. But one pellet-affected boy is showing the way by fighting his victimhood with the light of education.
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