Author: Kashmir Newsline

Unless a composite dialogue between the two countries begins, there will be no headway in trade ties. By Shome Basu In 1953, some businessmen complained to the Indian government about how trading products with Pakistan caused suspicion among the security establishment and how they often faced interrogation about business and transactions. It was becoming difficult for the  Indian businessmen to do trade with the newly formed country, Pakistan, though many families and business houses, especially those from Bombay which had connections in Pakistan, saw the scope for trade and economic benefit. Coal from India and jute from Pakistan were traded…

Canadian film director Dylan Mohan Gray was right on the money when he alluded to The Kashmir Files as ‘hatemongering revisionist garbage of no artistic merit’.  by Zia Darakhshan Bollywood’s love affair with the picturesque Kashmir dates back to the 60s and the 70’s. Back then, scores of films were set in the backdrop of the beautiful locales of the valley. In the late 70s and the early 80s, who can forget Yash Chopra’s love affair with the enchanting  beauty of Kashmir in superhits like Kabhi Kabhi (1976) and Silsila (1981). Yash Chopra shot a major part of Kabhi Kabhi…

Writing for children is no easy task. One has to look at the world through the eyes of a child, smile at the world through a child’s lips, and clap at things with juvenile glee, which Ramendra Kumar very well knows how to do. by Santosh Bakaya I remember, we, as kids had been brought up reading the staple literary fodder provided by translated Western classics. I still recall the classic story, The Lion and the Mouse, from Aesop’s Fables where the lion magnanimously spares a mouse it is about to kill.  Then there were those bewitching fairy tales by…

 Mansha Beigh is a 2012 batch officer of Jammu and Kashmir Police Service (JKPS). In this interview with Mariya Younis, she talks about her life, work related challenges and what it is being a woman in a male dominated society and workplace. What inspired you to become a police officer? I had opted for the administrative service, which was my first preference. Police was my second choice and accounts the last. Your service selection is decided by your preference and also by your merit. The combination of preference and merit put me where I am now. Did it ever strike…

It has become an annual ritual for the conservation and management authority of Dal Lake to de-weed and clean up large expanses in an attempt to preserve the decaying water body. The same procedure is repeated every year, despite which the problem exists every following year. The only change that has been witnessed – in a long timeframe – is the name change of this authority from Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) to Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA). Dal Lake is located at an average altitude of 1583 meters and is spread over an area of 24.60 sq…

Traditional building methods are not only a continuation of the architectural heritage but are sustainable,   weather-resistant and, most importantly, suitable for the Kashmir valley because it lies in seismic zone.  Jaspreet Kaur The past is everywhere and it’s nowhere. ~ Mark Crinson My first visit to Kashmir was in January, the month of Chillai Kalan, a few years ago. In the grey wintery skies of the valley, Srinagar was an architectural marvel. My subsequent visits to Srinagar have been a journey of fascinating architectural discovery and learning. On my first trip, I was fortunate to be accompanied by a…

Contrary to the customary jingoism, in the ongoing T20I Asia Cup, we got to see a measured build up and composed pre-match shows on the India-Pakistan duel. by Bilal Ahsan Dar Nothing in the world unites people from different backgrounds of religion, creed, colour, caste or language the way sports do. Sport is a connective tissue that binds people together both across and within societies. Nelson Mandela succinctly summed it up: “Sport has the power to change the world; it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It…

What is it that makes a city smart? This should have been the question first asked by the administration to itself when it embarked on the ambitious mission of transforming Srinagar, an ancient city that is rooted in history but has increasingly become an urban mess, into a smart city. The stated mission of the Smart City project is to renew and retrofit with the objective to provide core infrastructure, give a decent quality of life and apply smart solutions to improve services and infrastructure. Srinagar Smart City project was approved in Round 3 challenge held in April 2017 and the…

Retired government employees can get financial assistance for their start-ups in greenfield enterprise. by Sajjad Bazaz Three decades of turmoil and frequent shutdowns have taught Kashmiri businessman survival lessons. Not only did the local businesses survive the turmoil, but they also flourished in many cases. We have scores of small entrepreneurial success stories which have emerged here in these chaotic decades amid regular curfews and shutdowns. In other words, most of the business ventures, particularly small businesses, have adopted the conflict as way of life. Keeping general rules aside, these small businesses have time and again been working as partners and…