Dear Kashmir, It seems to be the season of open letters, so I too will hop on and instead of wasting my breath on writing open letters to people who do not deserve my attention and much less my words, I am writing you this long due (love) letter. I … Read more →
In Kashmir, ‘fearless mobs’ help militants escape
Parvaiz Bukhari. In a graveyard at his school in Indian Kashmir, principal Ghulam Ahmed Bhat stares sadly at a mound of freshly dug earth after another former pupil was killed in the region’s conflict. University student Shaista Hameed was caught in crossfire during a gun battle between soldiers and militants … Read more →
Intisaab- Kashmir kay shuhda kay naam
Mohammad Huzaifa Pandit Badan dareeda huun aaj ki ghata bain karti hui aayi hai Yeh sham ki kasini chaon, dehleez pay pukartay saaye Aur dareechon ki na-beena tatolti aankhain Khoonrez hawaao.n main, boo-e-gham ki muntazir Ki aaj qatalgahon say shayad phir teray kakulon ki mehak aayi hai. Haan wohi mehak … Read more →
Language without a Nation
Mir Hilal A year ago, when my son was 18 months old, he began to speak in chaste Kashmiri, and instantly became an oddity. He would draw a blank when people tried to charm him in Urdu spoken with a distinctly Kashmiri flavour. And when I would say he speaks … Read more →
Kar Sa Myoun Neyay Andhe [When will my troubles end] by Mahmud Gami
Mahmud Gami (1765–1855) is a famous poet from Dooru Shahabad in South Kashmir. His work “Yusuf Zulaikha” has been translated into German by Fredrich Burkhard. [Trans. Ather Zia] Kar sa myoun nai andey, maer mandeh madan waro When will my troubles end, my comely beloved Tchond-makh haneh haneh-ey – Wani-neh … Read more →
Tea with Chilai Kalaan
Dr. Shabir Mir For generations winter has been a season of indolence and gossip for us. As the mercury dips down not only does the water freeze but so does the time as well. There is no more work to be done in apple orchards or in paddy fields. The … Read more →
The Rebel’s Silhouette and Shahid’s treatment to translation
Dhaar Mehak | Faizaan Bhat Call me a poet Dear editor They call this my alien language I am a dealer in words That mix cultures And leave me rootless BACK-DROP Having a Kashmiri … Read more →
Concerned Faculty on the JNU crisis
In the wake of events around the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the crackdown on students, a group of female faculty in various disciplines who work in/on Kashmir remind us why the focus on the Kashmiri right to self-determination should not be negated. We are scholars of Kashmir from different … Read more →
The Leftist from Downtown
Khalid Mir In 2014 visiting home for Eid just before the floods ravaged much of Srinagar City and the vale, I found myself sipping coffee with a couple of acquaintances at the famed city restaurant ‘The Hideout’. Call me a cynic, even as the discussion hovered around how the society … Read more →
Lehra Aey Kashmir Key Jhandey Lehra
Engineer Rashid It was Saturday, 7th June 1952 when the Constituent Assembly met in the Assembly Chamber Rajgarh Palaces Srinagar at 11o clock. Mr. Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq, then President Assembly (Speaker used to be called as President Assembly) began proceedings of the day by calling Hon’ble Prime Minister Shiekh Mohammad … Read more →
Munnu A Boy from Kashmir: Story telling at its most graphic
Munnu A Boy from Kashmir By Malik Sajad Fourth Estate London Book Review by Freny Manecksha The frontispiece entitled Family Portrait has a sketch of five creatures that appear to have human characteristics but why do they sport antlers and elongated faces resembling deer? Art Spiegelman, American cartoonist and strong advocate … Read more →
The Walnut Orchard
Khalid Fayaz Javed slept after finishing the dawn prayers during the Ramadan of 2003. No sooner than an hour or so of that autumn morning sleep, his newly bought phone rang. He woke up just when the ringing was about to die. Half asleep, Javed said gruffly ‘Hello!’ The unknown … Read more →
To bury a martyr is not a thing to be forgotten
Irfan Meraj A beautiful winding stretch of road leads to Atta Mohammad’s home in Boniyar, Uri. The beautiful landscape is in sharp contrast to what it holds beneath. Atta Mohammad died a week ago at his home after a prolonged illness. The sole gravedigger of his village for several … Read more →
Tribute to Atiqa Bano: Preserving Kashmir’s Cultural Heritage
Majid Maqbool The curator of Kashmir’s sole private museum wanted the current generation to witness, experience and relate to their past through the rich history preserved in rare artifacts and objects. Atiqa Bano, a renowned educationist, heritage activist and curator of Kashmir’s first and only private museum, Meeras Mahal, passed away on October … Read more →
The Woman who is preserving the treasure of Kashmiri culture
Muzamil Bashir Located around 65 kilometers from Srinagar, Chinkipora village in North Kashmir’s Sopore town has a remarkable feature which has remained unnoticed by all that is the ‘Meeras Mahal’ Museum, which captures and preserves Kashmir’s heritage, artifacts and traditions in a beautiful way. The museum was established in 2001 … Read more →
An Open (Love) Letter to the People of Kashmir
By Amjad Majid This letter is for those of you who I have had the fortune of meeting here in Kashmir, during my visit this summer of 2015. This is not for all of you. Some of you will feel excluded, but know that inspite of that, I love you, … Read more →
Kashmir – Of Occupation and Casbah-ization
Umar Lateef Misgar Kashmir has been subject to a state of untold persecution for the last 500 years. Lately, India, Pakistan and China have all annexed and occupied some part of the historic Kashmiri nation. The country, as we live in it now, feels no better than Occupied Palestine or … Read more →
Witness from a funeral in Kashmir
Rouf Dar Every occupied nation undergoes different phases in a liberation movement. Kashmir, which became the hotbed of armed militancy in 1990s, is yet again amidst a refreshed phase of armed militancy which has gripped the entire valley. The rise of a teen commander Burhan Wani, from the ashes of … Read more →
Artwork by Chalukyan
Chalukyan, also known as Akram, is an artist and writer based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Two poems by Asiya Zahoor
Hawa Mahal Lal Chund shaped the Palace of Winds as Lord Krishna’s crown. He tamed the course of wind to swirl and keep cold the Queens of Kachwaha, snow shrouds on beds burning sand. “Follow me, Ma’am,” the guide said, “I‘ll show you nine-ninety-nine windows. Intricate lattice work, heavily colored … Read more →