On Kindness

Kindness is an attribute of human nature, to state the obvious. But, often times, given the competitive nature of society and the ruthlessness it begets, this aspect of human nature gets occluded. , However, in the recesses of every human soul lies the spark of kindness, except perhaps in psychopaths. Kindness flows and accrues from […]

Grounded Selves

Pride and arrogance, by humans, are one of the grotesque aspects of the human nature. Yes, there are attributes of humans and part of their nature but both belong only to the Almighty, in all proportions. But, all too often, humans fall victim to the snares and viles of pride and arrogance without realize that […]

On Goodness

The dictionary defines goodness as the state or quality of being good(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goodness). While the intensity and copiousness of what it means to be good might vary across time, space and cultures, but it’s defining features and attributes essentially remains the same. Goodness and being good call for and warrant higher standards than the prosaic and […]

Now, Control Damage

Normal life remained disrupted for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as authorities failed to clear roads and interior lanes, especially in Srinagar. Despite the Met office’s timely forecast of heavy snowfall across Kashmir, the administration woke up only too late, and that too to clear merely some main roads. People in several areas were […]

Govt’s Daily Bread

Since the police and other wings of the administration, possibly even municipal functionaries, have long found a goldmine in roadside and pavement vendors, there is little possibility of Srinagar ever getting uncluttered kerbsides and walkways constructed in most markets and thoroughfares at great cost to the public exchequer. It is also unlikely for Srinagar and […]

Pick-and-Choose

Neglected for over three decades, the problem of proliferating stray dogs has surpassed crisis proportions many times over, and continues to exist partly out of the public’s long-engendered lack of expectation from authorities. It is remarkable that, when the government and municipal machinery began to put its act together ten years ago, the first targets […]

Housing Policy Needed

On Monday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah finally laid the foundation stone of Srinagar city’s much-talked about first vertical housing project. Undertaken by the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA), the project is supposed to bring in apartment blocks to deal with the housing needs of the burgeoning summer capital.  But 600 flats in a city of 1.35 […]

Notional Interest

Since the Army and other forces had been covering themselves with glory in Kashmir after 1990, it was necessary for you-know-who to cook up the Kunan Poshpora rape story to malign the high martial traditions of the Indian military.  The case has been made again and again, and with due patriotic fervour and passionate eloquence, […]

Justice and Kunan-Poshpora

Twenty-three years on, Kunan Poshpora survivors continue to strive for justice. Even as redress seems to be a distant dream, the survivors are determined to take their struggle to its logical end. Authorities have been concealing the truth right from the beginning, sometimes by intimidating the victims and sometimes by offering compensation. Truth is bitter, […]

Apprise the Masses

A Home Ministry statement issued last week said that New Delhi had been in touch with Kashmir leaders, and went on to add that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had met a former intelligence officer in November last year. Fortunately, the disclosure has not served the intended purpose.  Vested interests have always tried to erode the credibility […]