Opinion

Opinion | Here's Why Jammu Is Seeing An Escalation In Terrorist Activities

In the past three years, militants have established safe havens in the mountains of Jammu. They are trained in jungle warfare, and equipped with US-made M4 carbines and steel-core bullets for targeting armored vehicles.

Blog | Understanding Jailed Leader Engineer Rashid's Win In Kashmir

Jailed leader Engineer Rashid registered a stunning victory here as an Independent, defeating former chief minister Omar Abdullah by over 2 lakh votes

Blog: Bulldozers, Now Most Feared In Jammu And Kashmir

The bulldozer has become the most feared tool in Jammu and Kashmir. More feared than guns and grenades.

Blog: 3 Years After Big Article 370 Move, How Kashmir Has Changed

Jammu and Kashmir is observing the three-year anniversary of abrogation of its special constitutional status via Article 370, and the bifurcation and downgrading of the state into two union territories.

Blog: The Kashmir Press Club Stands Erased. Another Strike At Democracy

Kashmiri American poet Aga Shahid Ali has written of a "country without a post office''. Kashmir Press Club was the post office of journalists - the last bastion of free space in the Valley is gone.

Blog: A Kashmiri's View Of One Year Of Article 370 Being Revoked

The imposition of the two-day curfew in Kashmir in the wake of the first anniversary explains the confidence of the government in how successful its 'historic' decision has been.

Blog: I Was Covid "Positive". 24 Hours Later, Negative

On Thursday last, my cameraperson broke the news to me that he has tested positive for COVID-19. He had been tested before a minor surgical procedure; doctors have made it a rule in the time of coronavirus.

Blog: Mosques (And A Show) Fill Vacuum In Kashmir

During a recent anti-militancy operation by security forces, 15 houses were destroyed at the Nowakadal neighbourhood in Srinagar. Nineteen families were rendered homeless amid a pandemic. The destruction of homes triggered both outrage and empathy. Locals appealed for rehabilitation of the affected families.

Blog: It Took Me Six Months To Send An Email From Kashmir

In Kashmir, even the Prime Minister's website, NAMO app or MyGovcould not make it to the 300 whitelisted sites. The Supreme Court's own website is among the countless blocked sites.

Blog: Reporting From Kashmir Without Phones, Internet, Travel Pass

When I am asked how the situation is in Kashmir, I feel like saying, let the pain stop before I can answer that. I still cannot find peace, to bring myself to talk or write about it. The situation is yet to sink in, speaking both as a Kashmiri and a reporter.

Blog: Attacks On Kashmiris After Pulwama Have Undone Years Of Hard Work

I'm sure militancy will never succeed in driving India out of Kashmir, but one thing is clear; those wearing the badge of nationalism are driving Kashmir out of India.

Blog: Are Kashmiris Not Indian Citizens?

During the 2010 civilian unrest in Kashmir, an all-party delegation led by then Home Minister P Chidambaram visited the Valley to reach out to people and find a way to resolve the crisis.

Blog: The ISIS-Style Executions In Kashmir Are Backfiring For Militants

Kashmir has been witnessing a new low in its abyss of brutalisation. The ISIS-style execution of two teenagers earlier this month was accompanied by videos of the savagery being circulated on social media.

Blog: BJP's Lotus To Bloom In Valley's Autumn

It is a ghost election with secret candidates and invisible voters. Even before tomorrow's first phase of polling for Urban Local Bodies, the BJP has already got seven municipal committees in the Kashmir Valley. The party says its 75 nominees have been elected unopposed. 60 percent of 600 municipal wards in 10 districts of the Valley have either a single candidate get...

Blog: India's Safety Valve In Danger In Kashmir

Minus mainstream politics, the military remains India's only identity in Kashmir. Both Delhi and Srinagar have to turn the fears and controversy over Article 35A into an opportunity to strengthen the idea of the mainstream. Any mishandling can have far-reaching consequences.

Blog: An 8-Year-Old In Jammu, Betrayed Over And Over

The 8-year-old's ghastly death - the worst possible end for a young child - highlights the growing communal tension in Jammu. The dangers of allowing it to surge for political benefit are immense.

Blog: ISIS' Growing Presence And Violence In Kashmir

The black flags of ISIS which shocked with their appearance in the Valley a few years ago are no longer a huge anomaly.

Blog: Crisis Over 35A: What Happens If Covenant Is Broken

Today, there was a complete shutdown in Kashmir against any attempt to strike down Article 35A of the Constitution which defines Permanent Residents of the state and prevents outsiders from buying and owning property in the state.

Blog: A Srinagar Reporter's Blog On Senseless Killing Of Mohammed Ayub

On late Thursday evening, thousands of faithfuls were inside Srinagar's historic Jamia Masjid offering prayers on a night which is the most auspicious in the Islamic calendar. According to the holy Quran, the prayers during this night are equal to those performed over a thousand months. On the night of Shab-e-Qadar, which falls in the last week of the fasting month of...

Blog: Image Of A Kashmiri Mother Offering Milk To Dead Teen Went Viral

Amir Nazir was barely 15. He was killed on Thursday and buried after his body was garlanded like a groom. The images of his mother offering milk to her dead son went viral and captured the imagination of people across Kashmir.