In a land where every sunrise brings a new headline, where the mountains are witnesses to both breathtaking beauty and heartbreaking tragedy, growing up here means learning to dream differently. While the rest of the nation and the world often sees news of violence, curfews, and shutdowns, we learn to navigate these everyday realities, yet dare to hope for change.
As children, many of us from Jammu and Kashmir grew up hearing about curfews, attacks, witnessing internet shutdowns, and adjusting our lives around these things. It shaped us differently, building early maturity, inner strength, and silently carrying unspoken trauma.
But despite everything, there is a quiet determination among the people of my generation — a desire not just to survive, but to tell our own stories. Having grown up amidst headlines, many dream of becoming storytellers, journalists, writers, and change-makers, wanting to show the world that our identity is more than conflict or to unravel its many intersecting layers.
This region has seen countless ups and downs. Things keep changing, and no one knows what tomorrow holds.
Yet, at the heart of it, what we all long for is simple peace. Who hates peace? Who wants to live in an endless conflict? Everyone dreams of a life where they can work freely, earn with dignity, and live happily with their families.
Sadly, the ground reality often falls short. Lack of jobs, lack of opportunities, and the constant struggle to live a normal life is a reality. This reality can’t be ignored as it often drives many down the wrong path. It's a pain that generations have carried.
Good intentions and honest efforts could change everything, but who truly listens? Politics always seems to come first.
Listening to the people and solving their problems isn’t rocket science. The demands are simple — basic necessities, dignity, and opportunity. Even today, many in the far-flung areas fight daily battles just to survive, for things most people take for granted.
Terrorism Has No Religion
Some people don’t like it when we say terrorism has no religion. But the truth doesn’t change based on who likes it or not. Terrorism has never belonged to any religion. In today’s polarised world, acts of terror are often unfairly linked to faith, making entire communities suffer.
And if you are a Kashmiri, the weight is even heavier. Within the state (now sadly a Union Territory), life still finds a way to move forward. But outside, we have seen hate, mistrust, and blame.
The recent horrific massacre by terrorists has once again put Kashmir in the global headlines.
But what many miss is the way ordinary Kashmiris have responded. While the brutal attack shook the region, locals—often left out of mainstream narratives—stepped up with humanity. In the immediate aftermath, many residents rushed to help. Members of the local pony-handlers’ association rescued over a dozen injured tourists using ponies and makeshift stretchers. Kashmiri shopkeepers and fruit sellers offered food and water.
One image that stayed with me was of Hashim Ali, a shikara fruit-seller on Dal Lake, handing out free fruit chaat to tourists as a gesture of kindness and solidarity. Gurudwaras in Kashmir opened their doors to shelter tourists fleeing the valley, many of whom were desperate to find safe passage out. These acts may not have made national headlines, but they reflect the resilience and compassion of a community often seen only through the lens of conflict.
The victims and their families have suffered immensely. But so does the entire Kashmiri community, grappling with the scars of this tragedy. The fear of collective blame is real. The very next day, reports surfaced of threats to Kashmiri students in other parts of India. A viral video of shawl sellers in Uttarakhand being harassed underscored the stigma that often follows such incidents.
Within the Valley too, people fear increased surveillance, detentions, and crackdowns—anxieties that resurface each time violence strikes. This is why I say the entire community bears the burden—psychologically, socially, and politically.
Kashmiris stand with peace. Using the actions of a few to spread hate against Muslims or Kashmiris is simply wrong.
The story of Adil and Nazakat must be told — because that too is Kashmir. Imagine the courage of Adil, who stood against terrorists in an attempt to save others, and lost his life. He was a Muslim.
For people like him, it was never about religion. It was about humanity. Similarly those who commit crimes of terrorism religion is just a shield which they use. Those who understand religion know what a religion truly is.
Those who spread hatred in the name of any religion — be it against Hindus, Muslims or anyone else — are driven by brainwashed ideologies, not by faith.
A Longing for Peace
Despite everything, despite the years of pain, broken promises, and struggles, peace remains the ultimate dream that lives quietly in every heart in Jammu and Kashmir. No matter how many times history has tested us, no matter how many headlines have painted us only through the lens of conflict, the truth remains — we are people who have always longed for peace, for dignity, and for a life beyond survival.
Unity among people — beyond religion, beyond background, beyond politics — is not just important, it’s essential. We have seen what divisions bring. And so we know, perhaps better than anyone, that true strength lies in standing together — Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian — shoulder to shoulder, as one community, as one people, with one shared dream: a peaceful, thriving Jammu and Kashmir.
Kashmir is not just about its land, its mountains, or its stunning natural beauty that the world often romanticises.
The real beauty of Kashmir is in its people — in their warmth, their strength, their ability to dream even when the world seems to crumble around them.
It is in the spirit of Kashmiriyat — the feeling that transcends all divides, the unspoken bond that ties neighbours together, that helps strangers in times of need, that teaches us to treat humanity above everything else.
Kashmiriyat is what breathes life into these valleys, into these rivers, into these homes. Without it, Kashmir is just another piece of land. With it, Kashmir is magic.
This culture extends seamlessly to other regions of Jammu and Kashmir. One cannot talk about this land without honouring those who have built their lives here with silent courage, who have suffered but never surrendered their spirit, who continue to dream of a day when peace won’t be a headline, but an everyday reality.
The younger generation — we — have a big responsibility on our shoulders. Not just to heal the wounds of the past, but to tell the real story of this land to the world - a story that isn't just about conflict, a story that speaks of hope, of courage, of people who want what every human being wants — a life filled with dignity, opportunity, and freedom.
We don’t want to be painted as victims or villains, but as dreamers and builders of a better tomorrow.
We are the storytellers now. We are the change-makers.
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