kashmir Citizen Matters

Emotions run high as markets in Srinagar reopen after 85-day lockdown

June 29, 2020 Abid Bashir Wani

Srinagar markets are open and business is gradually picking up. But customers are still few, and many traders are yet to get over the loss they have suffered.

Meet the man behind Srinagar’s determined COVID-19 fight: Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu

June 13, 2020 Abid Bashir Wani

“In the long run, we have to move beyond lockdowns and remain vigilant… we need to make certain changes in our lives,” said the flamboyant, active mayor of Srinagar in an exclusive interview.

Growing vegetables, storing rice: Lessons from Srinagar that has seen and survived many lockdowns

April 21, 2020 Abid Bashir Wani

The people of Kashmir have learnt some important survival lessons from coping with decades of conflict and resulting restrictions. So much so that Kashmiris living elsewhere are now calling home for advice on how to cope with life under lockdown.

How the people of Chandigarh are rallying behind Kashmiri migrants stuck in their city

April 17, 2020 Raj Machhan

A group of 21 Kashmiri traders who came to Chandigarh in winter, as they have been doing for decades, are now stuck there because of the lockdown, and have found unconditional support from the local population.

How Srinagar’s historic hub is losing its centuries-old glory

March 18, 2020 Abid Bashir Wani

Downtown Srinagar is still the place you should visit to sample the real essence of Kashmir — its artistic, social, cultural and spiritual heritage. But decades of official neglect and social unrest is slowly killing it all.

18000 crore rupees, nearly 5 lakh jobs lost as Kashmir reels under internet suspension

January 3, 2020 Abid Bashir Wani

Those are just the figures since August 5th, as quoted in a report from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Underlying these figures is the angst of thousands who did not get their salaries, students who struggled to prepare for crucial exams and many more.

Elections, Kashmir, environment and citizens: 12 stories from the 12 months gone by

December 31, 2019 Satarupa Sen Bhattacharya

As we come to the end of the year, a look at some of the most topical, important and appreciated stories of 2019.

Why many migrant waste-pickers stayed back in Srinagar despite fears and uncertainty

December 11, 2019 Abid Bashir Wani

Hospitable, caring and offering opportunities for a decent living — that is how most of them see the city. Thus, despite the tension and reports of attacks on non-Kashmiris in the days following the abrogation of Article 370, they decided to stay put. And they have not regretted it.

Why the Kashmir situation is bothering Amritsar’s textile industry

November 14, 2019 Raj Machhan

Countless manufacturing units in the once-thriving textile sector lie idle today, and 80% of the two lakh people directly and indirectly employed by the industry have returned home. The Kashmir clampdown may not be the only reason, but is making matters worse for sure.

Srinagar: Where abnormalcy is the new normal

November 12, 2019 Revathi Siva Kumar

A 11-member fact-finding team recently visited Srinagar among other places in Kashmir, and saw a ghost town in place of the picturesque, vibrant city that once was. The clampdown on essential services, mobility, communication and trade has made life in this ‘paradise’ an ordeal.

In conflict-ridden Srinagar, these are casualties that are rarely noticed

March 6, 2019 Nusrath Sidiq

Loss of daily wages, indefinite suspension of school sessions, unpaid salaries, delayed infrastructure projects — as Indo-Pak conflict and its spiralling effect in Kashmir dominate headlines, its impact on the common man is often ignored.

“The Dal is dying and so are we”

November 29, 2018 Nusrath Sidiq

Several studies on pollution in the Dal Lake have pointed to the impact of the waste discharged by houseboats operating on the lake; yet rehabilitation or realignment of these may not be the only solution for saving the lake.

Why Rs 759 crore over 16 years has failed to revive Srinagar’s iconic Dal Lake

November 28, 2018 Nusrath Sidiq

Almost synonymous with Kashmir, the Dal Lake is dying a slow death, marred by ineffective sewage disposal, rampant encroachments and inefficient administration. The J&K High Court, too, has observed that “crores have been spent so far, but nothing has happened on the ground.”

City buzz: Delhi’s new parking rules, traders’ strike and a floating market in pics

February 3, 2018 News Desk

Your weekly dose of some of the happenings and policy announcements in India’s urban sphere.