Mothers are blessed with angelic qualities; unconditional love and the ability to sacrifice is what make her the epitome of strength. All mothers ace this trait and Kashmiri mothers are no exception. However, a Kashmiri mother's pain is beyond measure. How cruel is it that a mother in Kashmir has no option but to respond to this new normal where deaths are celebrated and not mourned. This abnormality is what a Kashmiri mother is silently living with. When early this year photos of Hailama offering milk to her dead son Amir did the rounds, it sent cold shivers down many spines. How tragic are such sights. The recent video of Majid Arshid Khan's mother helplessly urging him to return home once again echoed a Kashmiri mother’s pain that is fighting a lone battle. She is the biggest victim. My stay in Kashmir reminds me of the warm sight of Kashmiri Moujis smothering kids, planting series of kisses on their forehead and cheeks, sweetly kissing the backside of the hands of their jigars. Seeing the same jigars absconding someday only to return home in coffins, she must be dying a million times, left all alone to understand the language of tears. The Kashmiri youths needs to understand that this cruelty that they are subjecting their mothers' to is silently killing their beloved Ammi's. Humungous cases of mental disorder are rocking Kashmir, affecting mostly women who are voiceless in the patriarchal Kashmiri society. The visits to the graveyards need to stop; Kashmiri mothers cannot be tortured this way, no more. These young boys must realize that it is easy to call them Mujahid. But think over it; are you a Mujahid, or just a proxy for Pakistan? What are you achieving causing so much grief to your loved ones? Surrendering and coming back to the mainstream would be a sensible way to facilitate return of peace to our paradise. Our mothers need not suffer this torturous way. Embrace your mothers and show them the language of love which they have long forgotten.

10 Nov 17/Friday

History has been made last week in Kashmir when Mainz Raat, the first Kashmiri feature film released in 1964, started rolling on the screen in Tagore Hall in Srinagar. And pleasantly, the Kashmiri youth applauded  it with whistles and clapping. For the first time in their lives, students from various universities in Valley were watching a film in a cinema theatre since 1989. And the same trend was seen at Kashmir World Film Festival, which screened Hindi, Hollywood, Italian, Polish, Japanese and Persian films, organised by Mustaaque Ali, curator of the Kashmir World Film Festival. Bollywood writers and filmmakers like Saeed Mirza, Anwar Jamal, Rahat Kazmi, Anuraj Patil, Gowhar Raza and Govind Nihalani and actor Rajat Kapoor attended the film festival.

In another incident, J&K Police hosted 100 Kashmiri students for acknowledging the J&K police work and to get a first-hand experience of Policing. This initiative received a huge positive response from the communities in the Valley.

Not only this, but youth in the Valley also has shown seriousness in education as Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) Class 12th annual regular examination in Kashmir Division began peacefully on 1st November. Local daily, Daily Excelsior says that more than 55000 students turned up for the exam which is held at 496 centres across J&K. 

Viewpoint

What youth in the valley want is peaceful education system, good jobs and even the small initiatives like a film festival or student recognition by J&K Police department. What they certainly do not want is unrest in the Valley, stone pelting and the militancy.