Author: Kashmir Newsline

It has now been more than four years since the last elected government in Jammu and Kashmir fell. The ruling alliance between PDP and BJP ended in June 2018 when Jammu and Kashmir was still a state with its own constitution and flag. The last four years have been as much politically tumultuous as they have been stagnant. A deep political vacuum has existed since Articles 370 and 35-A were abrogated on August 5, 2019. In 2019, the region’s political parties remained dormant as their top leadership was either incarcerated or rendered incommunicado. This has led to a deepened political…

Some of the finest film songs of yore have errors that went unnoticed. by Ajay Mankotia Sometimes mistakes stare us in the face, but we don’t notice — even obvious ones. Recently, during a weekly zoom music get-together, I was singing the popular Mohammed Rafi paean to beauty, pehle mile the sapnon mein (Zindagi, 1964), sung on screen by Rajendra Kumar to Vyjayanthimala. It has lilting music by Shankar-Jaikishan and romance-drenched lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri in which he uses his signature style of ending song lines — in this case hai qurbaan jaaoon. The first antara begins with ae Saanwali haseena, dil mera…

Here is why Surya Kumar Yadav draws comparisons with the South African great AB de Villiers. Bilal Ahsan Dar The ICC T20I World Cup 2022 is just round the corner. While all the participating nations are busy finalizing their teams and plans, while Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan continue to pile up runs in the home series against England and lead the ICC ranking charts, there is one man who stands out attracting all the limelight before the mega event – Surya Kumar Yadav aka SKY. Surya – sun in Hindi – is shining bright at the right time for…

by Shome Basu The military balance between India and Pakistan has always been a matter of great debate. With the presence of China, a global power bordering both the countries, the equation in the subcontinent becomes more serious. China now places itself as the powerful political and military player globally as was evident after the Anchorage talks in March 2021 in Alaska where the China-US negotiations broke down as China wanted to be seen as equal to the US which the US is unwilling to acknowledge. With China’s muscular power, wolf diplomacy and Asian hegemony – especially in Taiwan straits, Ladakh and Arunachal –…

There is a need to revisit the issue of women’s rights not only in Iran but also in several other countries.   Dr. Sadaf Munshi In her book ‘Iran Awakening: One Woman’s Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country’, Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian political activist, lawyer, former judge and founder of Defender of Human Rights Center in Iran, explains her politico-religious views on Islam, democracy and gender equality. She writes: “In the last 23 years, from the day I was stripped of my judgeship to the years of doing battle in the revolutionary courts of Tehran, I had repeated one…

The falling rupee translates into increased overseas education expenses as a dollar would cost more than earlier in terms of a rupee. Sajjad Bazaz Continuous fall of the rupee to a new record low against the US dollar every other day is emerging as a main concern among students who are studying abroad on the back of an education loan. The weakening of the rupee will continue to deeply impact students’ overseas education plans and add to their financial burden. The rupee has already crossed the 80 mark against the US dollar and if market experts are to be believed, its…

In this comprehensive interview with Kashmir Newsline, noted surgical oncologist Dr. Qazi Ashraf talks about cancer, its multiple manifestations, causes and preventive measures.    There has been an alarming rise in cancer cases in Kashmir. According to the data released by SKIMS, the first quarter of 2022 recorded 1110 cases, which is quite high compared to the year 2021. What do you think is the reason? Is this data alarming? Yes, it’s alarming. However, we need to look at this trend holistically. There are many factors that we have to take into consideration before we interpret this data. First of all,…

Authorities continue to be indifferent as stray dogs are unleashing horror across Srinagar and other districts of Kashmir.   Hafeez Ur Rehman Srinagar is facing an alarming growth of stray dogs who are feeding themselves on nutritious dumps of garbage. This has created a worrisome situation as dog bites are on a steep rise. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has reported that the canine menace has become grim across Kashmir with an average of nearly 50 cases of dog bite reported every day during the last four years. The facts on the ground are painting a scary canvas. In the last…

While the Ashes and Indo-Pak rivalries are raved about, Australia and New Zealand have a rivalry of their own that has resulted in some of the most thrilling duels between the two sides. By Bilal Ahsan Dar Australia and New Zealand are sports-loving nations participating in a range of sporting competitions. The sports relationship between the two countries dates back to 1901 of the colonial era. The two nations share an interest in sports law and the governing rules of different sports leagues. A poor cricketing incident in 1981 embittered the relationship between the two nations, thus giving birth to…