Author: Kashmir Newsline

Drug addiction is a monster living within us and it is feeding on our complacency and ignorance. It was previously referred to as a menace. However, it is more than just a menace now as its severity is snuffing life out of our younger generations. The scourge is so deep-seated and severe that children as young as ten years are getting addicted to some of the worst drugs available. The doctors involved in the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts in Kashmir are painting a really grim picture. The introduction of heroin remains the most horrifying aspect as doctors…

With the new framework in place, fraudsters will be kept at bay. By Sajjad Bazaz The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is ready to bring its card-on-file tokenization norms into effect from October 1. Earlier, its implementation was deferred on a couple of occasions. The RBI had planned to get a digital token system for debit as well as credit card transactions in place from January 1, 2022. The merchants and other stakeholders were asked to reset their technology solutions in line with the new norms – tokenization. Earlier, a regulatory measure was announced by the Reserve Bank of…

Don’t take insults and abuses hands down.  By Zia Darakhshan The office was full of conversation and caffeine as I kept taking sips from my cup of coffee while planning weekly feature stories with my editor.  A knock on the door and a woman, probably in her thirties, walked in. Romana (name changed) was accompanied by a fellow journalist who introduced her to us. Her pale face was etched with deep purplish wrinkles that indicated something was wrong. Married eight months back, Romana’s life has become a nightmare. Initially, Romana decided to endure insults and physical abuse hoping that, with love,…

Naveed Bukhtiyar Nazir Ahmad Khan, the chairman of District Development Council (DDC) Budgam, has been twice voted out through a no-confidence motion. He, however, continues to stay put. In October 2020, the union government amended the J&K Panchayat Act 1989 and introduced the DDC. The DDCs were to be the third-tier governance body under the Panchayat Act after the Halqa Panchayat and the Block Development Council to monitor the overall development of a district. In December 2022, Prime Minister Modi, speaking at the launch of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) for J&K, also mentioned about the DDC election…

This essay is a follow-up to the last week’s cover story. Jaspreet Kaur While it is necessary to understand the traditional architecture of Kashmir, especially the construction techniques, for its structural innovations, suitable for the seismic zone V, it is equally necessary to understand the physical and urban geography (urban form), especially in view of Srinagar being developed under Smart City project. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, and the oldest city of the Valley, has retained its prominence through various eras. The nature and character of the place, the response to climate, overlapping religious practices helped…

Click on the text below to open the pdf of the weekly print edition. Weekly 19-25 September

Click on the text below to open the pdf of the weekly print edition. Weekly 12-18

He read the shahadah and was rechristened Umar. Ahmad Qadri A young Japanese spy, who spoke flawless Russian, was at the port of Bombay on his way to Makkah and Medinah when a commotion unfolded. The other travelers accompanying him came to know that he was not a Muslim. It was the winter of 1909, four years since Japan’s defeat of the Russians had ignited the imagination of Muslim revolutionaries of defeating mighty European empires. In the midst of the commotion, the spy read the verses of shahadah and converted to Islam. He was given a new name, Umar Mitsutaro…

The venue evokes a nostalgia among fans who followed cricket that it hosted in the 80’s and 90’s. by Bilal Ahsan dar During the just concluded Asia Cup, Sharjah Cricket Stadium made it to the Guinness Book of World Records. The legendary cricket ground has now hosted most number of international cricket matches, leaving behind Sydney Cricket Ground on the way.  The match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan on September 3, 2022 was the 281st international cricket match to be played at the venue. For those who grew up watching cricket in the 80s and 90s, Sharjah evokes a nostalgic…

It is a highly risky act that can leave you bankrupt. by Sajjad Bazaz A Kashmiri investor, after hearing overhyped stories of profits earned in the stock market, became a victim of his ambition. He invested in the stock market only to see his entire capital amount lost. However, he didn’t let the loss discourage him from investing further in the market. He analyzed his mistakes and re-strategized his investment pattern in line with his risk bearing capacity. Today he is counted among trustworthy market analysts in India. Some time back, I had an opportunity to talk to talk to…