Based on the oral history by Kashmirโs ace chronicler, Zareef Ahmad Zareef, the author in this piece narrates the iconic street of Srinagarโs unique brands and characters that made it illustrious for generation to come. Fronting Prime Minister Bakshi Ghulam Mohammadโs MA Road mainstay, the iconic Poloview market literally had a blazing beginning in fiery…
Lately, the videos of โIsraeli soldiersโ chasing Palestinians on horsebacks have triggered an argument among Kashmiri youth circles. Refilling the fuel tank of his TVS gearless scooter, Yasir Mukhtar, 26, has been spending over three thousand rupees every week for the long travels he makes from his home in the uptown area of Srinagar. Gulmarg…
After redefining rhythm and routine, a waning second wave has now restored some old order, including the mosque camaraderie. In this piece, the author talks about one such comradeship curbed by the coronavirus. When I became a captive of the red zone, that old mosque mate of my grandfatherโs age felt like a castaway company.ย …
Living up to his word and wish to meet his sonโs fate, Mohammad Ashraf Khan Sehrai passed away in the seclusion of his captivity. His demise has only drawn curtains over the sixty-year-long eventful political career dented by detentions. Kashmirโs deserted streets amid another lockdown seem to have retreated a year back to the holy…
Life on Jhelum bund has been a cultural cradle in Kashmir capital. While one side has a distinction of being an artisan abode, the other side echoes with what resonates from across the river. As the muezzinโs prayer pitch pierces through the rafters of rundown residences, life on Jhelum riverbank at once turns meditatively calm.ย …
As spring became synonymous with tulips in the valley over the years, many refreshing signs heralding the new season took a backseat. Among them are Srinagarโs purple flowers reinforcing Kashmirโs Central Asian connection and the change of heart in an emergency enforcer. In the rumbling convoys of the early nineties, Ram Lal came as an…
Soaring street strays might seem part of life now, but the canine terror they create makes many believe that life has gone to dogs in the Valley.ย Back to Kashmirโs โDog Centerโ after nine months, Hajira is cooling her heels in a crowded corridor. She sheepishly watches mauled men, women and children being taken for…
The controversial Faxgate mightโve thwarted his chief ministership bid in the fall of 2018, but the son of Abdul Gani Lone is only following his fatherโs footsteps in order to recreate the northern front in Kashmir politics. A whisper first came amid the communication blockade of 2019 when a certain scribe detailed Centaurโs captive life…
The pristine glory of Srinagarโs iconic Bund has faded behind concrete structures hoisting commercial setups, barracks and political headquarter. With his hawkish bloodshot eyes, a sentry is seemingly playing the bygone British on Bund. The pledge to patrol pathway makes the two guards at the ghat as some strange bedfellows. But unlike the imperial nature-trail…
A routine bureaucratic shakeup on March 16 has once again rearranged the character-chamber complex of Kashmir. But beyond the โperception managementโ exercise, red-tapism-ridden masses are recalling considerate chairpersons of yore while seeking settlement of their drawn-out matters. Since the 2018 summer split of the โunholy allianceโ, Wasim Bhat is finding himself at the crossroads. Being…