News Kashmir Magazine

Drug Prices Hit Common Masses

 Rameez Makhdoomi 

Medicine or drug is the basic need of every human to tackle the various diseases and ailments. They give us often immediate relief from suffering caused by the disease . Medicines are chemicals or compounds used to cure, halt, or prevent disease; ease symptoms; or help in the diagnosis of illnesses. Advances in medicines have enabled doctors to cure many diseases and save lives.As a matter of fact , The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority of India had earlier announced a 10.7 per cent hike in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for the calendar year 2021 over the corresponding period in 2020.With this hike, the cost of about 800 scheduled medicines on the National List of Essential Medicines will increase by 10.7 per cent since the beginning of this  financial year.The common man on ground zero is worst hit by this steep rise in the price of medicine .Nazir Ahmad, a commoner stated ” The recent steep hike in about 800 essential  medicine is bound to break the back of common  man. In a place like Kashmir  majority of humans are dependent on different medicines on daily basis .Many depend on costly medicines to treat their ailments.  Further increase in these prices means terrible things for many households . We are hopeful that soon the prices of these medicines would be reduced .”per NPPA’s order, the price of medicines that are used to treat fever, heart diseases, infections, skin diseases, high blood pressure and anaemia will be increased from April 1. These include medicines like Paracetamol, Phenobarbitone, Phenytoin Sodium, Azithromycin, Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride and Metronidazole.The demand of the majority of the population is that the prices of medicines should be within their reach and especially in the times when the pandemic has broken back of many people both economically as well as mentally.Recently in Lok Sabha Congress member Dean Kuriakose raised the issue of prices of lifesaving drugs.“Prices of essential medicines including painkillers, antibiotics, anti-infectives are set to go up from April with the government allowing an increase of over 10 per cent for the scheduled drugs,” Kuriakose said. He said that India’s drug pricing authority on Friday allowed a price hike of 10.7 per cent for scheduled drugs, which are under price control.“This is the highest price hike allowed. Over 800 drugs under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) will see a price rise from April,” he said.One hopes we will enter an era in our country wherein the prices of essential medicines or drugs are within the reach of pocket of common man.

Global warming knocks Jammu and  Kashmir

News Kashmir Exclusive 
In the year 2022 Kashmir is witnessing an abnormal higher temperature in the Spring season causing worry amongst one and all . It seems that the phenomenon of Global Warming has knocked our doors in a big way in the Kashmir valley  .As a matter of fact,  climate system observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere.Many have not seen such higher temperatures in the month of March in Kashmir.  The switching on of Fans and other cooling systems used to happen in month of Kashmir but this year in the month of March Fans are on in Kashmir. It is worth mentioning here that India Meteorological Department (IMD) somedays back said for month of  April, similar above normal maximum temperatures are likely to be recorded in most parts of northwest and central India and some parts of northeast India.It is matter of worry that Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing the hottest March after seven decades. The mercury broke all records in March with Jammu and Kashmir recording an all-time high of 37.3 degrees Celsius on Sunday (March 27).The other parts of the country too are witnessing abnormal high temperatures. The expert pulse is that the Northern Hemisphere including India, winds in anti-cyclonic circulation rotate in clockwise direction. In layman’s terms, the building up of a high-pressure area during the month of March resulted in dry weather across the north and central India from the last 20 days. As winds were blowing from the Thar desert of Rajasthan, it was supposed to be moisture-free and hot. Humidity levels went way below 20 percent in peak afternoon hours along with exceptional rise in maximum temperature across India.Since last few years the experts have made it clear that Erratic snowfall and snowfall pattern and unusual warm winters are some of the characteristics of the climate change in Jammu and Kashmir. 
Climate change hits the life hard and adds to woes of common masses.  Already it has been made clear that different  types of ecosystems and communities, especially the poor rural people, living in the mountains across the Jammu and Kashmir  are among the most affected by the climate change.We need to respect the environment  in order to survive on this planet. 

Expensive Deaths 
Mir Sabeen GulrezSrinagar : “Death can come at any age, but the pride of life fools a person into thinking that day is far away.” – John ButtrickDeath is inevitable which is always near but these days death has become so costly as a lower middle class or a labor isn’t of fear that what if  I die , but  he fears that if his death occurs  who will pay for the customs which are becoming so costly day by day. “As long as greed is stronger than compassion, there will always be suffering”,Rusty Eric had stated long back and it holds true even today. 
No Government, no Organization, no NGO’s has set some limit on post death expenses especially  burial of body and its washing. This is the burning issue for lower middle class, labor class or a person who doesn’t afford the unsettled amount of grave digging, ablution.
 In muslims whenever anyone dies they(family members) , or relatives ,or neighbours have to follow some rules according to the shairah.Ablution( Ghusul) or  Wuḍūʾ (Arabic: الوضوء al-wuḍūʼ [wʊˈdˤuːʔ]) is the Islamic procedure and  In Islam its obligatory to give a corpse  three ghusuls in the following order.1. A ghusul with water has been mixed with lote tree(sidr) leaves.2. A ghusul with water that has been mixed with camphor ( Kafur).3. A ghusul with ordinary water.In Islam a man cannot give ghusul to a woman who is not his Mahram( Mahram is one who is related to her father , uncle (from her maternal side especially her mother’s brother, paternal uncle(her father’s brother , brother). Similarly, a woman cannot give ghusul to man who is not her mahram . One who gives Ghusl to a corpse must have the intention of attaining proximity to Allah , and it is sufficient if he has an intention to follow the command of Allah.There is a Hadeeth about the virtue of washing the dead by Abu Raafi’   who narrated that the Prophet   said: “He who washes a dead person and conceals what he sees (of defects or signs of a bad end), he will be forgiven forty times (i.e., a large number of sins). Whoever shrouds a dead person, Allah will clad him with garments of fine silk and brocade in Paradise. Whoever digs a grave and buries the dead in it, then he gets a reward as if he has provided a dwelling to the dead until the Day of judgment.” 
And the person who did ablution(Ghusul) here in Kashmir is called “Saran Gur’’,and Saran Gur is the  person who often does blution to the dead body. And these days unfortunately these people who do ablutions are creating chaos by demanding an handsome amount and that time the people had no choice but to fulfill their demands willingly or unwillingly.Funerals in Islam (called جنازة “Janazah” in Arabic) follow fairly specific rites, though they are subject to regional interpretation and variation in custom. In all cases, however, sharia (Islamic religious law) calls for burial of the body as soon as possible, preceded by a simple ritual involving bathing and shrouding the body,followed by salah (prayer). Burial is usually within 24 hours of death to protect the living from any sanitary issues, except in the case of a person killed in battle or when foul play is suspected; in those cases it is important to determine the cause of death before burial. Cremation of the body is strictly forbidden in Islam.Last but not least is Grave Digging for the corpse , as after ablution the corpse is ,laid to rest in a grave.The Sunnah is to put the deceased into the grave from the end, then he should be turned onto his right side in the grave, with his face facing towards the qiblah. The one who puts him into the lahd (niche in the grave) should say:“Bismillaahi wa ‘ala sunnat Rasool-Allaahi or ‘ala millat Rasool-Allaahi” In the name of Allah and according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah or according to the religion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)).(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Janaa’iz 967; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, 836)It is mustahabb for those who are at the grave to throw handfuls of earth, three handfuls scooped up in both hands, after the lahd has been sealed.While talking to a grave digger who is a resident of Rambagh Payeen Imtiyaz Ahmad Dar told News Kashmir that ,” I have never asked a single penny from anyone for myself,if anyone willingly have given me anything then we used to give them a receipt of Bait Ul Maal which was running  locally by we people under the name of Al Furqan Islamic Bait Ul Maal. The money that was collected we used to spend it on Orphans, Divorcee, widows, and most importantly the needy and helpless people. We have never used that money on ourselves or for our families. If anyone willingly give us then ok if not then we have never asked them to give”.  “Not only in Rambagh even we used to go outside whenever anyone have asked for help we have neither demanded nor asked for money and why should we as we are doing this good cause Allah will reward us accordingly “ , dar said.While talking to A group of volunteers from Natipora and One of the volunteers said, I have been digging grave from past fifteen years (15years), neither I have demanded money nor anybody has given us . this should be obligatory on us , we should guide our children in a best possible way.Another volunteer said , we are guiding our children in our madrasas, for these rituals so that our next generation should be very aware what rituals should be performed to a corpse.We are doing business but if there is a doctor in our society he should come forward and should join us in this cause. As this is for akhirah and a great cause to do, another volunteer said.

While talking to News Kashmir one person (name with held) said that, when his grandmother expired I was demanded by RS Ten thousand (10,000) by grave digger ,he  was astonished how death became so costly. Its curse on society how can a poor afford that.He  requested administration to please look into the matter and help poor from these evils of society.Another sufferer told News Kashmir that , “ My mother died because of Covid-19 virus but if people will come to know how much I was demanded they will come to roads. How can I forget that nightmare when I pleaded to people to dig a grave for my mother and no one gave an interest in that. “
On this we talked to some Muftis from all sects Ahli Hadith, Hanafi, Shia sect , different people was having their thoughts .
While talking with Mufti Mohammad Yaqoob Baba Al Madani (Ahli Hadith), he states:” Everywhere people are different but from our side the cementeries we have and the person who bathes the corpse don’t charge. A person should learn how to bath the corpse, you can see the people of different areas themselves came voluntarily for  digging a grave for the deceased, even some volunteers used to come for ablution of corpse. Even in early times the corpse had to wait for two three hours, for these rituals, even though it could take long wee hours of wait for the corpse to get buried .Nowadays , Alhamdullilah we don’t have that much issue from every area there is a said person who can perform these rituals according to the Shiarah of Islam. Yes, there can be possibility where people aren’t aware of the Islamic teachings if the people of their own will give them some amount for their hardworking they can , as there is no such bad thing in it . But, the amount should be valid or lawful. It shouldn’t be burden for a poor onwards.If a person works hard while digging a grave or in form of ablution of a corpse he / she should be given an amount for the work he/she did. But it should be valid or lawful.According to me , there can be few places from where people will ask money for digging a grave or for ablution of corpse.While talking to Aga Syed Muhammed Hadi Moosavi (Shia sect) :See in our Islam , one is Wajib,”it’s an obligation, a responsibility you have to perform it like you used to perform Salah and all”. Another one is social obligation which in Fiki term we called them Wajib-e-Kifayi . Wajib-e- Kifayi is one which obligatory to everyone till any group or a person perform the wajib. For example, in our society there are doctors, an engineer, a journalist any profession they are wajib-e-kifayi . Everyone has to try Wajib-e-Kifayi as its necessary for society as its beneficial for the society. If anyone who is a Doctor in the society then its not obligatory that there will be more doctors of the same profession. Same way the social rituals of ours Islam strictly says that these rituals are obligatory if any muslim dies, the people around in his locality its obligatory on them to look for the grave digging, ablution and the shroud(a length of cloth or an enveloping garment in which a dead person is wrapped for burial).Its obligatory on them.Look I perform Salah as its wajib on me nobody is going to pay me for that, neither I will ask anyone . In our sect Ahli tashii ( a Shia sect) they called it Haram(forbidden or proscribed by Islamic Law) if anyone will ask money for these rituals like (grave digging, ablution or for shroud) if at that time when there is a corpse lying there they arrange shroud within no time even at that time nobody cares who will buy it, for whom. See , its our social responsibility, if a muslim is no more at that time he is near Allah and we should respect the corpse. And in this case its wajib on every muslim to look for its Tajweed or taqsaam , every ritual and definitely its wajib. If a person is lying dead in a town the whole town will be sick(cursed)as they don’t look after the corpse. If we see the from Islamic point of view from our sect we categorically say that if any gives ablution to a corpse and will ask money is haram, . If the owner of the tent will ask money  that’s secondary but if anyone asks money for a grave digging then its absolutely haram. Its our responsibility and we should do this.
While talking to Mufti Zia Ul Haq (Hanafi Sect) states :” Under the Islam teachings its”Almarahu yurafu bi mamlaat la bi salaat wa sou” its meaning “Ek admi ko Nimaaz or Rozu sei nai pehchana jata hai balki uskei mamlaat sei pehchana jata hai,yanai iskei mamlaat kaise hai “,(A man is not identified by prayers and fasts but by his affairs or how his affairs are ). If we want to see how are his affairs with his family, friends and even also with his relatives. We have to see how his affairs are with his Islamic brothers, how his affairs are with his non muslim brothers . Our religion is not limited to Prayers,Fasts,Zakaat and Hajj while as these things help us to improve our situation and their existence should be refelected in our day to day affairs. Likewise we teach or children our women how to pray at home. In what circumstances  should we fast. In what condition our fast will be broken. Same way we should start teaching our children our women , men how to dig a grave, how a corpse should be given ablution ,how to shroud a corpse. These teachings are very necessary. If in an locality a women expires its obligatory that the next living to her should be aware how to give an ablution to a corpse. There should be people in your family , in your locality who dig graves. If its not possible because someone will say in our family no one knows how to dig a grave, then definitely there should be someone who can perform these rituals. When anyone in any family expires they do a lot of crying, then why don’t they teach their children such a thing which is beneficial to the society.Whenever we call anyone muslim they should be muslim in every aspect. If there is a group who is in profession  who only perform these kind of rituals ,then likewise government fixes the price for everything, nobody can even think of just do in against of the fixed price. Likewise same if a seller and purchaser fixes an amount for any item and they do get agree on it. Same applies here as when a corpse is lying there and the people  who are in that profession like  grave digging, ablution they shouldn’t be very cruel by demanding the huge money of the deceased. The rate should be fixed it should be ok . The rate shouldn’t be limitless .Its in Hadith that,” if one muslim covers another muslim , Allah will reward him on the Day of Resurrection”. If anyone has faith on it no one will demand money for this better cause. But if its their profession then rates shouldn’t exceed neither there should be any demand.Shairyat has not fixed any kind of rate in it. There is not any kind fixed amount we can give hadiya for their work done by them to the deceased. We are not giving wages to them remember we are giving just a token(hadiya) to them for their work. Their shouldn’t be demand on name of hadiya.We should guide our children on time likewise its not faraway that day when we will adopt non locals for these rituals .  One group will come and will say give us a buzz and we will be available for your services and likewise will demand money for their services. And we are heading towards that.And in our society we are creating havoc for ourselves by demanding money for these rituals.In nutshell, Kashmir  society hopes death expenses would be minimum that is better for health of society.

Kashmir Files Saga 
News Kashmir Exclusive KASHMIR Files Movie is creating lot of responses and reactions . The movie depicting the Pandit pain is also doing record breaking buisness . According to Wikipedia,  The Kashmir Files is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language drama film,written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. Produced by Zee Studios,the film is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during the Kashmir Insurgency, which it portrays as a “genocide”. It stars Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi.The film was theatrically released on 11 March 2022.It is worth mentioning here that The Kashmir Files continues its historic run at the box office and has minted Rs 97.30 crore collections in the first week, Akshay Kumar and Kriti Sanon’s Bachchhan Paandey, releasing on March 18. will have to brace for a very intense battle.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only praised the movie but  also used the movie as an opportunity to slam his political opponents and critics, alleging that those who oppose it are the ones who tried to hide the truth about the violence inflicted on Hindus in what was India’s only Muslim majority state.On ground zero, the expert pulse is that Riding on overwhelming government support and tax breaks from several states across the country, the controversial movie has become a runaway success. It has also come under bitter criticism as it’s unprecedented for the government to put its weight behind a commercial movie.From the political spectrum of the country , there are critics as well. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said few days back  that the movie The Kashmir Files glorified violence and offered “no clear solution to the problems”. He made the comments after watching the movie along with several member of the state’s legislative Assembly.
“The movie is showing half truth, but even in that, it is clear that the BJP-supported government at the Centre did nothing to help the Kashmiri Pandits,” Baghel said.Bollywood superstar Kangana Ranaut has been actively promoting Vivek Agnihotri’s film The Kashmir Files since quite a few days. The actor has now called The Kashmir Files actor Anupam Kher a ‘blockbuster hero’ while passing a sarcastic remark at her industry colleagues. She said that he could act as well. Fans have been comparing one of Anupam’s work in the film to late actor Heath Ledger’s iconic role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.Corporate India is standing firm behind movie .plethora of companies, including financial services firm  RK Global, conglomerate Dalmia Group, online fitness and gym platform Project Fit Co, social networking app MemeChat and internet service provider Netafy are offering free movie tickets to employees and users as well as discounts on products and services to those who have bought tickets to watch The Kashmir Files in cinemas.One hopes Kashmir Files as movie brings justice to all.

Verdict 2022 

News kashmir  Analysis 
Bhartiya Janta Party has achieved Landslide victory in recent State elections of India , winning four out of five states including the all important state of Uttar Pradesh.  Aam Admi Party has sweeped the Punjab State with great majority. 
The BJP is set to retain power in Uttar Pradesh and  Uttarakhand  and the party has attained pole position in Goa and Manipur, where it is on course to form the next government.
In Punjab, the AAP secured an impressive win, decimating the ruling Congress.
A day after the BJP secured victory in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now shifted his focus to the poll-bound Gujarat and held a mega roadshow in Ahmedabad on Friday.
On the other hand , AAP has marked a tectonic shift in national politics, winning 92 of 117 seats in Punjab with a vote share of 42.1 per cent, up from 20 seats and a vote share of 23.7 per cent last time.
Congress is facing much trouble .From running the country in 2004 and even being in power in nine states in 2014, the Congress is worse off than it was 24 years ago — it is ruling in only two states, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
From Himalayas To Sea, BJP Has Been Blessed By All 4 States,” Says PM Modi .
For the first time in three decades, a party has been re-elected in UP, India’s most politically important state, which is a bellwether for national elections.Important to mention , that Uttar Pradesh  Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in his celebratory speech in Lucknow, gave maximum emphasis to better law and order, beneficial schemes for the poor, housing facilities and congratulated the voters for rejecting dynastic politics. He repeatedly invoked schemes for the poor, free ration, and better security for women.The beach state of Goa also threw many surprises .Overcoming anti-incumbency, the BJP on Thursday emerged as the single largest party in Goa by winning 20 assembly seats, just one shy of the halfway mark, and quickly enlisted the support of regional outfit MGP and three Independent MLAs to form its government for a third consecutive term in the state.The tally of 20 was an improvement from 2017, when the BJP had won 13 seats in the 40-member assembly, where the simple majority mark is 21.Undoubtedly the verdict 2022 has gone in favour of ruling BJP making it much harsh for opposition to challenge BJP in 2024 .

Women of Courage 

Ramees Makhdoomi 

The theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March, 2022 (IWD 2022) is, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.We in this edition bring the life journey and stories of four women of Courage who have inspirational  stories .
1.
Preethi Dsouza – Motivational Speaker and Event Organizer 
Preethi Dsouza is an symbol of courage as Despite many pains in personal life she has risen not just to aspire and inspire others but be a symbol of growth amid adversity  .She is an   inspiring and multi-talented human being . She is motivational speaker , sucessful model , stylist , event planner based in UAE. She has her roots in India and is  now aspiring actor too.She is a motivational speaker of par excellence  and via her speeches motivating one and all . She plans to go big in motivational speaking world especially when it comes to lifting those who have lost hope in life .Started modelling at age of 40, after she won the Misses India Globe 2019 at UAE and won award Iron lady, which reflected her  personality and life struggle . It was after divorce she focused on modelling career. She was chosen as a model by Punjabi singer  in the song lodev ,after that she didn’t stop herself from going phootshoot , and took the collaboration path since you don’t get paid as an amateur model.She has achieved  great things in Event organizing  world and is a fertile brain when it comes to organizing mega events whatsoever be there nature.  Event organizing successfully is her Forte and her strong point. 
She has during her journey always trusted fully God and started career and gave it flight. At Ajman a distant place from Dubai she  took one small rented flat . She  started freelancing in models and event hosting and started earning little money for fulfilling needs . SHE Wants  to empower women be they of UAE or kashmir . She  wants to teach women that they can come back anytime in life by self love and learning skills to survive . She wants to do many events in this regard . 
She wants herself rising in bollywood or Hollywood . She  want to spread the message of truth , respect and peace and love of God .Preeti Dsouza believes that self love is key to achieving  women Empowerment.  Her aim is to become very rich to slap all those inhuman faces who have Pained and hurt her  . She opines that  Money is not everything . Humanity is bigger thing  . Preethi Dsouza is certainly a symbol of utmost courage .
2. Farzana Mumtaz – Poineer of Women Journalism 
The Editor-in-Chief  of the prominent weekly News Magazine of Jammu and Kashmir  News Kashmir, pioneer of Women’s Journalism in Kashmir  Farzana Mumtaz  is a name to reckon with .

Farzana Mumtaz is a women of courage who has been face of women Journalism in Kashmir .She is among the rare women in our part of the world who runs a media institution .  In her two decades career as Journalist she has shined in diverse forms of media both via her pen and talent of speech. 

Pertinently, during her journalistic career since 2002, Farzana Mumtaz has a credit to attend several conferences and workshops both nationally and internationally as well, she also attended global conference in places like Delhi and Thailand .

On world women’s Day 2022 the message of Farzana Mumtaz is :” Women can achieve anything provided we do not loose the focus of our goal . Challenges  are bound to come and people will try to knock you down but iron will can help to solve all storms . Women should never leave the dream of achieving big and always have courage and grit to face this men dominated world .Journalism is a platform where you get many opportunities to do some social service. I love to help people. That adds up to your deeds and happiness. Through Journalism you can serve both  your passion and  Zest. “
Farzana Mumtaz adds -” As rightly stated by prestigious world bodies The empowerment and autonomy of women and the improvement of their political, social, economic and health status is a highly important end in itself. In addition, it is essential for the achievement of sustainable development . I once again appeal to women to remain focussed to achieve their goals and objectives . Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality.”
3. Kusum Kaul – Dynamic Business  Leader 
Kusum Kaul a proud Kashmiri Pandit is a women of multiple talents,  the first Kashmiri to head the women wing of prestigious Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industries GCCI .She is a experienced media professional and dynamic entrepreneur. 
 M.A in Mass communication and Journalism from Kashmir University, Srinagar.   B.Sc. in Zoology from Degree College for women, Anantnag, Kashmir University.    L.L.B. from Sir L. A. Shah Law College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat University.Kusum Kaul is Director – Transsphere Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Proprietor – Zest Worldwide Communication, Managing Trustee – Utkarsh Healthcare Foundation India. After having to leave from Kashmir as a result of Forced Pandit Migration Kusum Kaul believes having a spirit of firm determination and never giving up helps a human to negotiate any  sufferings and challenges. 
She is motivated to take her entrepreneur vision to all parts of country especially  Kashmir and credits accomdative nature of Gujaratis to its business successfully 

Kusum Kaul is not just running successfully her Ayurvedic business but taking the knowledge of Ayurveda to world .
She states that her   childhood days were spent in a carefree atmosphere like a tom boy with her cousin brothers, where school was not a burden, homework used to be fun (would do the homework of her cousins too as they were in the same class).She states :””I have cleaned, colored and drawn lines on Mashak (wooden slate), would do my maths and lessons on that. Life was fun as a child, swimming daily with fish under chinars in the freshq serene waters of Nagbal (freshwater springs of Anantnag).  I would race with other boys and girls along with the fish under water, trying to catch the long green fish. The heavy canopy of chinars would make the water look dark and also scary sometimes. Jumping from a cliff of the temple, diving into the water would be a daily exercise and fun. Going to Eidgah with others girls on every Eid was a regular feature of childhood as there was no Hindu/Muslim rituals restriction from my family’s sides (conception of Eid being a Muslim festival), till we shifted to Baramulla. Life took a drastic change from a joint family of thirty people to a single family of four, from a Kashmiri medium to English medium school. The transition wasn’t smooth but I settled down in some years in St. Joseph H.S. School, where I was groomed to what I am today. The discipline, modern life, sports, debates and my father’s modern outlook to life made me what I am today: sincere, dedicated, strong, living in the present and disciplined.
She adds that :” Academically I was a first class student, trying to understand things rather than trying to score marks, I never learnt how to get marks ,rather I was a sportsperson not interested in getting marks, but was in watching movies.
Indira Gandhi has always been my role model.Women should never loose hope, and are key to global peace. “
4.
Jalpa Joshipura- Rising women Entrepreneur  leader of India 
Jalpa Joshipura who started her diverse and dynamic career as a successful Banker is now slowly and steadily translating into a successful  women business leader of country. 
Based in Gujarat she is founder of Evolv which has quite dynamic features – A women’s community ! A one stop solution for WOMEN Entrepreneurs to Network, wherein they Find Support, Advice, Learn and Grow their business with other women Entrepreneurs.Jalpa Joshipura  wants to make Evolv a one stop solution for the women  Entrepreneurs of the country. *The focus is to build up a much needed eco system for women entrepreneurs *
She believes women should never loose focus of their career path and need to show unity in achieving the goals of career. For Jalpa Joshipura providing the young women of Gujarat a quality business knowhow and platform are the main areas of work and concern. 
Flea Market conducted by her able leadership at Ahmedabad on 8 January and 9 January wherein women Entrepreneurs  showcased  different products was a grand success .
Flea Market 2022 was their first edition, from now on they will do it on regular intervals. 
Jalpa  Joshipura  believes that when the women Entrepreneurs  of Gujarat and other parts of the country  connect and brainstorm on an United platform it would ensure success of both women as well as economy. *It’s the time now that women starts contributing to the growth of country’s GDP* 
Jalpa Joshipura  believes that knowledge  sharing and building quality networks is the key to new age world of entrepreneurship .She opines that pent up demand getting the desired means would boost the Indian and global economy in post covid world.
She may have still to travel to many journeys but Jalpa Joshipura  is becoming a name to reckon with among the women Entrepreneurs  of the India.5Sabina Kamal 
Sabina Kamal is among the sucessful muslim women of India.  A brilliant techno-creative thinker, has been architecting Digital Products and Solutions for over 20 years, she is currently COO & Founder of Prestigious MobiQuest / Paytm m’Loyal ; India’s largest SAAS based Loyalty & Rewards platform.Her message to humanity is that Let’s together strive to give meaning to our lives as individuals and as humanity learn to coexist with each other with love and kindness and appreciate diversity and establish peace such that when we return to our Lord, we have no regrets and redeem the rewards collected in this journey of life. Would like to quote Iqbal sher “Khudi ko kar buland itna ki har taqdeer se pahlay khuda banday se khud poocha, bata teri Raza Kya hai”. She states : I would like to appeal to the people of my country and globally to all of humanity is to  drop social cliches and prejudices against Islam, against my Muslim Sisters specially this whole thing against Hijab. Live and let live. Go research. Form your own opinions. Respect the freedom and free will given by God to do what each individual wants and to be what they want to be.
On my future plans, I see a gap in India being non Arabic as a Native Language community for good Quran Recitation Academies, I would like to start or help setup one some day for children & women in different parts of the country on a blended learning format. 
I intend to someday be able to use gamification to teach Children the meaning & purpose of life in a fun self exploratory way. 
I have had the opportunity to be a part of the open source Oxygen/ Med Tech community Oxikit/Pillar Tribe during the Pandemic and after a challenging Covid recovery and am glad that my efforts helped to train, inspire the Tech/ Manufacturing/building community to manufacture locally and contribute towards building a Self Reliant Country inspired by the United  Nations Sustainable Development Goals. I’m not sure how yet, but I hope to contribute towards environment conservation and work to help build a greener planet. 

Missing Children 

News kashmir Exclusive 
The number of missing children in Jammu and Kashmir, and in almost all the parts of country call for an immediate action against heinous network of human trafficking. The missing of a child destroys entire family and means life long pain . The recent missing of child from Awoora Kupwara has caused tremendous pain to his family and society .Recently,  Former Rajya Sabha member and senior leader, Mir Mohammad Fayaz  announced an additional reward of Rs 2 lacs for those who give any information about missing child from Awoora area of Kupwara district.
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Mir Fayaz wrote, “I feel & share the pain of this missing child. In this time of distress, apart from District Police Kupwara reward, I, hereby, announce an additional amount of Rs 2 lacs from my side, if anyone gives information about his whereabouts.”
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, Imam Din also  visited the home of an 8-year-old boy. He was accompanied by SSP Kupwara, Yougal Manhas; concerned DDC Member and BDC Chairperson, besides, officers.On the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner expressed sympathy with the family of the missing child and said that the administration is standing shoulder to shoulder with them in tracing out their child. He appealed to the people to support the police and administration in finding the child.The data on missing children in Jammu and Kashmir is worrisome to say the least .National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data has revealed that 627 children have gone missing in Jammu and Kashmir by 2020. They include 350 boys and 277 girls. In 2020 alone, 230 children including 167 girls and 63 boys went missing in Jammu and Kashmir.The NCRB data suggested that the recovery rate of the missing children in Jammu and Kashmir is a mere 29.2 percent.We have many heart rending examples in this regard. Mehran from Srinagar , three-and-a-half-year-old boy who went missing outside his home 13 years ago and remains untraceable, causing much trauma to his family and parents .
The country level data of missing children is also painful. Every eight minutes, a child goes missing in India. According to the annual National Crime Record Bureau’s (NCRB) “Crime in India” 2019 report, a total of 73,138 children were reported missing last year. The report also states that the number of missing children has increased by 8.9% in 2019.
The need of the hour is that in the entire country a strong mechanism is brought into place that crushes evil forces behind missing of our children.  Missing of a child is a worst catastrophe for family.

Hijab Row

News kashmir  Monitoring  Desk 

The issue of Hijab Ban  that erupted the southern state of Karnataka  is now a much serious and divisive issue .

In the beginning of January 2022, a dispute erupted in the  state of Karnataka, when Muslim students wearing hijab in a junior college were denied entry to classes.Over the following weeks, it spread to several other schools and colleges across the state. On 5 February 2022, the Karnataka government issued an order stating that uniforms must be worn compulsorily where policies exist and no exception can be made for the wearing of hijab. Several schools cited this order and denied entry to Muslim girls wearing the hijab.Following this, petitions with regard to this issue were filed in the Karnataka High Court. The High Court issued an interim order restraining all students from wearing any form of religious attire. On 8 February 2022, the Government of Karnataka announced the closure of high schools and colleges for three days after protests and disputes over the wearing of hijab intensified. When the schools reopened on 14 February 2022, the High Court order was implemented in all schools and colleges of Karnataka, asking the students to remove hijabs at the school gates.On the other hand, 
India had another run-in with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) few days back  after the latter expressed “deep concerns” over the ongoing hijab controversy and “continued attacks targeting Muslims and their places of worship”. In its response, India accused the OIC of working with a communal mindset and said the organisation continues to be hijacked by vested interests to further their nefarious propaganda against India.Difference between hijab and burqa
The hijab is a headscarf that covers the hair, neck, and sometimes a woman’s shoulders. The burqa, on the other hand, is a one-piece veil that covers the face and body, often leaving just a mesh screen to see through.further hardening of the stand, the Karnataka government also recently  issued a circular which says that wearing ofhijabis not permitted in minority institutions run under the state government.Secretary for Minority Welfare, Haj and Wakf Department Major P. Manivannan stated that, the interim order of the full bench of the High Court also applies to residential schools run under the Minority Welfare Department and Moulana Azad Model Schools (English medium).The banning of Hijab in the Karnataka educational  institutions is giving rise to many controversies .

Stray Terror News Kashmir  Concern 

Stray Dog menace is hitting very badly Kashmir. The heart of Kashmir Capital  City Srinagar  seems to be worst hit along with North Kashmir  district of Baramulla .Few days back in a heart rending episode on 6 February,  2022 A 10-year old boy was mauled to death by stray dogs in Pattan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district The incident resulted in  strong protest by the locals who said that the stray dog population in the area has increased manifold as garbage was being dumped in the area by different Municipal Council authorities.Only few months back , 33-year-old man from Sangrampora area of Sopore, who was grievously injured in a canine attack 12 days ago succumbed at home .Last month only , six-year-old boy was injured after he was attacked by a group of stray dogs at Malpora village of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla District .To curb this stray dog menace the sterilization of dogs is the need of the hour  .Except for Srinagar, there are no dog sterilisation programmes in any other district of Kashmir, including Baramulla that is hit hard by dog menace. As a matter of fact , Canine sterilization is a set of commonly undertaken procedures designed to render a dog or bitch (male or female canine) incapable of reproduction. These procedures made their way into the veterinary lexicon after the issue of canine overpopulation.On the other hand of the spectrum,  From historic area of Lakchowk to Naseem Bagh , Baghat to Buchpora stray dog seem to be causing big issues for masses .
The need of the hour is also that masses respect environment  and dogs are provided food and nice habitats so that they don’t turn as killer dogs .It is quite visible on ground zero that residents of Srinagar are not impressive about  SMC’s ambitious dog sterilisation programme which is yet to take off in big manner  while the increasing population of dogs is posing threat to human beings.Dog bites are causing much havoc in Kashmir . As per a report by the department of Community Medicines, Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, around 58,869 persons were bitten by the dogs in the last ten years in Kashmir.In the last five years, 30,000 dog bite cases have been reported in Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) alone. While topping the list in 2020 more than 2,800 cases of dog bites were reported in Srinagar only.Precious human lives too are being lost by stray dog bites . All these grim realities  call upon the authorities  to ensure  a wide ranging of measures to tackle the menace of stray dog bites .