Gurez Valley emerging as top destination

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Tahir Majeed

People living in villages near the Line of Control are now happily living a normal life and have hugely benefited from the ceasefire agreement.

Not only this, the government of India has  promoted the concept of border tourism, which has changed things altogether.

The areas situated close to the Line of Control (LoC), like Keran, Gurez, Tangdhar, Machil, and Bangus, have now been thrown open to the public. Thanks to the Indian Army which played a vital role in bringing these areas on the tourism map.

With heart-throbbing views of hills, streams and famous Neelum (Kishanganga) river, Gurez Valley is being promoted as a prime tourist destination. It is expected that the neighbouring county will not let these tourist places be used as infiltration routes anymore. 

February 25, 2021, was no less than an Eid for villagers living along the LoC in J&K. On this day India and Pakistan agreed to strictly observe all ceasefire agreements along the LoC and other sectors. People living in villages near the Line of Control are now happily living a normal life and have hugely benefited from the ceasefire agreement.

Not only this, the government of India has  promoted the concept of border tourism, which has changed things altogether.

Nowadays, tourists from across the country visit Gurez Valley. Peace on borders has given a sense of security to those who intend to visit these tourist destinations located close to LoC. The Government of India seems highly interested in developing these areas as tourist destinations.

During my visit to Gurez Valley I saw people enthusiastically welcoming tourists. Our group held interactions with the local people and tourists from different parts of country were seen  enjoying the beauty of nature.       We were surprised to find an amazing coffee shop, The Log Hut Café, in the town of Dawer has been established by Indian Army. All the staff running the cafe is local and has been trained by army  personnel. Such types of cafes and food outlets  need to be established at every border   tourist spot, like in Bangus Valley, Tangdhar, Machil and*Keran.

Gurez now seems emerging as one more Switzerland in Kashmir.  Once part of ancient Dardistan, the valley of Gurez falls along the ancient Silk Route which connected the Kashmir Valley with Gilgit. People here speak the Sina language and are full with quality of hospitality.

Gurez is located in the high Himalayas, about 86 kilometres from Bandipore town and 123 kilometres from Srinagar city, in northern Kashmir. At about 8,000 ft above sea level, the valley is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Razdan Pass divides this valley from Kashmir valley and it remains closed during the winter season due to heavy snowfall. The people of Gurez valley are ethnic Dards (Shins). They have the same styles of dress and culture as their kinsmen in Pakistan held Gilgit-Baltistan.

Dawar is the central township in Gurez . The population of the area is estimated to be about 35,000 in its all fifteen villages. Dawar is an important archaeological site. In village Kanzalwan, the last Council of Buddhism is believed to have been held. Just a few miles away in Neelum Valley (in the Pakistan-held part) is Sharda Peeth or the Seat of Sharda, named after the goddess of wisdom Saraswati. It was an ancient centre of learning established in 273 B, even before the Takshila and Nalanda universities. Such is the importance of this*valley.

Gurez’s most formidable peak is Habba Khatoon. This pyramid-shaped peak was named after the Kashmiri poet Habba Khatoon. The emperor of Kashmir Yousuf Shah Chak was enthralled by Habba Khatoon’s beauty, intelligence and poetry. Shah is said to have arranged her divorce and married her. When Shah was imprisoned by his rival King Akbar, Habba Khatoon began to wander near this peak that now bears her name to look for her lover. Before the partition of Kashmir, Gurez was a destination for foreign tourists such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who is known to have visited the valley some time before he became the US president.

Sports and Tourism Potential:

Experts believe that if the valley is promoted in a proper way it can attract tourists from across the globe and can generate employment for thousands of unemployed youth of Kashmir. There is unparalleled potential of adventure tourism, sports tourism, trekking, water rafting, skiing, skating, rock climbing and snowboarding etc . The media has a crucial role to play in promoting emerging destinations like Gurez Valley. However, the valley has been not given the coverage it deserves. Recently a Kashmir-based association of volunteers, Youth Peace Club (YPC), brought here a team of media persons who captured the beautiful scenery of Gurez, conducted interviews of tourists and locals. Thousands of social media users have showcased the beauty of the valley and have succeeded in creating some awareness.

Writer  can be reached on : lawtahirmajeed@gmail.com

Role of Youth in Shaping Kashmir’s Future

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Role of Youth in Shaping Kashmir’s Future : 

By Advocate Adnan Magray 

“The nation  has to offer today’s Kashmiri  youth something better” 

The idea of nation-building  started to fascinate me during my higher secondary school days . I was a student at army public school Srinagar and from 2010 to 2014 Those were exciting times to be in school during that time  Anna Hazare’s movement had gained national prominence, Modi had announced his national campaign, Arvind Kejriwal had launched a political party. 

The churn that was happening nationally was not limited to the Jan Lokpal bill. Particularly from a youth perspective, it was evident that young people had a desire to play a role in nation-building. 

Every day, thousands  of 10- to 15-year-old students walk through the doors of their middle schools with anticipation and great hopes for their future. Some will fall into leadership positions, but something so important should not be left to chance—or to the few.

Every student has the potential to be a leader, and their teachers and administrators have the responsibility to establish a school climate that nurtures their growth as self-sufficient, engaged citizens, and to develop their leadership skills.

Youth are the most important and dynamic segment of the population in any region . It is believed that developing countries with large youth population could see tremendous growth, provided they invest in young people’s education, health and protect and guarantee their rights. We can undoubtedly say that today’s young are tomorrow’s innovators, creators, builders and leaders.

But they need the required support in terms of good health, education, training and opportunities to transform the future. The economic trigger happens when a county’s more hands to work available than more mouths to feed. To put it succinctly, working age population has to be larger than the dependent population.

Today, Jammu and Kashmir is one of the youngest union territory / state  in the country with more than 62% of its population in the working age group (15–59 years), and more than 54% of its total population below 25 years of age. The youth of today’s Jammu and Kashmir  is increasingly becoming restless and struggling to remove the disparities. However, more efforts need to be put in, if we are to become free from the vicious circles of poverty, malnutrition, corruption, violence and unemployment in the region of Jammu and Kashmir. All these vices are still prevalent in the society, which are not allowing our great nation to function in its real spirit.

Unfortunately, being a democratic nation and largest democracy in the world, India is still lagging behind in achieving socio-political and economic equalities, which were dreamt by our predecessors. As a nation, since 72 years, we have been striving to eliminate these inequalities at all levels, which are existing in the forms of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, corruption, violence, gender bias etc. 

India is ranked at 130 in Human Development Index, 115 in Human Capital Index, 100 in Global Hunger Index, 122 in World Happiness Index, 62 in Inclusive Development Index, 141 in Gender Development Index and 145 in Global Burden of Disease Study. India’s rank in various development indices has barely grown over the years. If India is to improve upon these indices, then the Indian Youth needs to take the charge and come forward to fight against multiple inequalities and contribute in nation building  with special focus on Kashmir policy .

Jammu and Kashmir has the edge of demographic dividend. They have the power to change . 

Young minds of Jammu and Kashmir will be more fresh and innovative which helps in the progress of the country. But adequate opportunities should be given to the youth to represent their ideas and policies for the upliftment of the nation. Only way to express the ideas and to implement their policies is politics. Young people should be motivated to take part in politics and to occupy the high positions such as , Chief Minister , minister’s , MLA’S , MP’S .

Knowledge and unity speaks a lot rather than experience. For instance, a mass protest by the youth in Delhi for justice of Nirbhaya case, a mass protest in Delhi for India against Corruption and a mass protest in the Marina beach for Jallikattu etc are some of the prominent examples for the strength of youth. 

If the ruling power is given in the hands of the youth, then definitely Jammu and Kashmir  will become developed and prosperous region  soon.

They have power to change. Education programs should aim to teach and young minds right from the school level the importance of choosing right people who would take charge of governance. Conventionally, youth of Jammu and Kashmir specially Kashmir valley  have been asked to keep away from politics by dynasty politicians because if their personal self interest .

  Youth of Jammu  and Kashmir should be motivated to consider politics as a means to serve the nation. They should be oriented on anti-corruption drives with focus on prevention, education, and strategies for fighting corruption. Good governance is realistic with youth empowerment.

The pivotal role of youth of Kashmir valley  who are afresh with ideas and not ideals, will help in this movement towards a transparent civil society structure which can influence the political administration for the benefit of the society. It is only through a strong system of representation that democracy work and it is only through a strong youth representation that the dynamism and vigour of a country be maintained.

It is therefore important to acknowledge the role of civil societies in empowering youth towards strengthening of the democratic system of the Jammu and Kashmir sustainable development. 

The solution lies to effectively utilize modern tools in disseminating the belief among youth on their participation and representation in democracy through civil society initiatives.

Jammu and Kashmir needs them to resolve most of our problems. Currently Jammu and kashmir is facing a lot of challenges, and youth are capable of solving them. They just need to be given a chance to prove themselves. Youth have the power to unite individuals in the various ethnic groups. Racism is an ongoing issue around the world. Individuals are fighting against each other because of the complexion of their skin and the texture of their hair. Religion is another issue, the youths can convince their fellow man to live in peace and love. All of us are one and we should not allow these little differences to push us away from each other. There also a lot of crime taking place. Women are being killed by their abusive husbands. Person’s homes, businesses, are being broken into. All of this crime and violence needs to stop. The youth once more has the ability to bring about a change in the country.

Youths  of Jammu and Kashmir seems to have the ability to face any issues and challenges. They have a positive influence on their fellow young people. They are able to teach them the positive things in life. The ones who are destroying their future, they tend to listen to their fellow youths. They will make them understand the importance of being a good human being.

The wise youth that we have out there should be taken into consideration. Some of them, though educated are unemployed. They should be given an opportunity to expose their intelligence to the world and make themselves into someone. Government, Civil Society, voluntary organizations and other stakeholders should assist the youths; so that they can make our land a great and educated one. They will make a huge difference in society and the entire world. The youth of Kashmir valley  are  lifeline  our nation. They will make India  proud. The country will be recognized by the positive approaches of youth of Kashmir valley . They  just need the support and enabling environment at family level, community level, society level, state level, national level and international level which in turn will them to perform their duties.

The role of the youth of Jammu and Kashmir in the nation building is crucial. They are problem solvers, have a positive influence on other young people and the nation, and are extremely ambitious. They have the ability to create an identity for themselves and move the nation forward. However, they will not be able to do this without the support of government of India   Then the youth of Kashmir can make their beautiful land flourish and shine in success.

Zaheer Jan – Eminent specialist and Social Worker fighting for rights of persons with special needs 

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Zaheer Jan – Eminent specialist and Social Worker fighting for rights of persons with special needs 

News Kashmir Exclusive 

Zaheer Jan, paediatric Rehabilitation specialist and professional Social worker has been untiringly  working with persons with special needs especially  children with special needs.  He has seen how  parents face difficult challenges while dealing with the issues faced by their  children with special needs.

He talks on diverse issues faced by the Special  needs people with News Kashmir.

” In 2011 the population of Jammu and Kashmir persons with special needs was around 4 lac,now it would be much more as we don’t have exact data on it  .

When I saw persons with special needs especially children facing lot of problems,  I founded the organization Save the Destitute Foundation and I am its Chairman.  The aims and objectives of the organization are  Child and disability rights , Capacity building and  Advocacy for persons with disabilities,  inclusive education,  disasters and health issues.  We have different areas of burning concern to work in our organization   . When we saw as organization there is no awareness in Kashmir related to inclusive education, early intervention, job policy and we thus organised many conferences and workshops to create awareness on same,” States Zaheer Jan.

He observes :” Parents face much different and difficult challenges while fighting for rights of their disabled children . We as organization approached number of schools to provide admission quota rights to children with special needs.  We also wrote to higher authorities .”

Zaheer Jan opines that despite so much efforts in this regard the school responses have been so far been dismal.

Zaheer believes with article 370 abrogation many bright  central laws on persons with special needs  automatically applied on Jammu and Kashmir   . So me , Dr  .

Chintanjeet Kaur ,Mudasir Sahaban wrote to Director School Education and Chief Secretary to implement RPD act admission for children with special needs ,but there was no response  . We then knocked doors of judiciary via PIL and the then Chief Justice JK ordered Government and schools to answer on the points.

The school excuse was that they don’t have accessible building ,educators for same but the court ordered to take full steps to ensure RPD act is implemented in letter and spirit. 

Zaheer Jan believes that he still gets to know  lot of painful things from parents that their children with special needs are not getting admission in schools .

He states as soon as child is diagnosed with any disability he needs immediate early intervention. 

Zaheer Jan opines that infrastructure related to children with special needs from schools to health centers and other early intervention centers here in Kashmir are located mostly in few selected urban hubs and the awareness about such schools is lagging   . He believes that both resource rooms and number of educators have to increase ,and the infrastructure for children need to be fully equipped to deal with their needs  . He believes that such things are lagging . Zaheer Jan has successfully won several cases in favour of children with special  needs .

Zaheer Jan currently works with Brainpreneur and  Child Development Center  organization of Sunaina Tickoo, which has centres both in Jammu and Kashmir  . The Organization is focused on early intervention wherein they tackle from cerebral palsy to Down syndrome all problems related to disabilities . The Organization also helps poor children in their treatment  . The Organization gives treatment to children according to their needs. 

Zaheer Jan states that Sunaina Tikoo via occupation and speech therapy are focused on readiness to School so that children are able to go to mainstream schools.  The Brainpreneurs also aims to setup vocational education for children with special needs  

Zaheer Jan has a fervent appeal to Government to draft a policy to Private schools to fix a percentage of admission quota for children with special needs, he also urges the Government to ensure establishment of vocational training centers,  wide ranging friendly infrastructure,  more trainers, more institutions and Job quota for persons with special needs or disabilities. 

Potatoes are Symbol of Gurez to World

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Potatoes are Symbol of Gurez to World

Rameez Makhdoomi 

Potatoes are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals.the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals it provides can help ward off disease and benefit human health.

Potatoes were first domesticated in the Andes in South America up to 10,000 years ago. Spanish explorers introduced them to Europe in the early 16th century.

Potatoes have helped in world peace .

According to a new study on the topic,  published online few years back the National Bureau of Economic Research, conflict decreased historically in 16 th and 17 the century  by 15 percent in areas that could more easily grow potatoes. This is due to fact that in less land more potatoes were grown. 

The border valley of Gurez located at distance of 125 kilometers  and its adjoining Tehsil Tulail have huge potential in growing high quality and tasty potatoes. Its cold environs and the quality of soil, the valley, which already produces a good quantity of potatoes, is also suitable for growing its seeds.

The beauty and stories of Gurez are historical, full of beauty and mystery  .

The Gurez Valley historically has been bastion of growing quality potatoes and since due to tough terrain valley remained mostly closed from rest of world in winter months and thus  Potatoes were lone source of stable food crop.

Gurezis mostly do organic farming instead of using pesticides in their farms. The Gurez Valley’s Izmarg potato farm is also famed for its high-quality potatoes.

The SKUAST scientists at Izmarg potatoes farm told us that Gurez has huge potential to be a world leader in production of quality potatoes and with time more people are taking to potateo cultivation with interest and they too are working untiringly to come up with quality varieties of Potatoes from Gurez .

In almost every home of Gurez and Tulail be it fried or steamed potatoes or other dishes made out of Gurez Potatoes their taste is unmatched in world , and Potatoes vegetable is symbol of positive Gurez to world.

Altering the Attitude of Mind

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ALTERING THE ATTITUDE OF MIND

Dr Suhaib Ashraf Bhat

Thinking about the matters of our daily lives, and our private and public affairs is something that is essential and important, it is necessary in order for us to deal with these matters and benefit from them in the appropriate manner. 

Thinking in and of itself is not a problem, rather it is required, important and essential, 

This “thinking” may become a psychological or social problem if it prevents a person from playing his natural role that is expected of him in life. 

Such as thinking that things are more serious than they really are, or thinking too much about matters where thinking about them will not change anything at all, rather that only causes distress and becomes an obstacle prevents one from taking any initiative, and make him hesitant and confused, and unable to take any decision. 

With regard to thinking a great deal about everything and worrying about every problem, this is to some extent a natural thing, so long as it does not prevent you from living your lives in a natural manner. What I mean here is, is this thinking helping you to come up with solutions to these problems that you are facing? Do these situations deserve all the time that you are spending on thinking about them? If the answer is yes, then there is no problem! But if the answer is no, then you yourself are admitting that they do not warrant that, and then you are halfway to solving the problem, which is to identify the problem and take a decision concerning it. Because when we know what the problem is, it is easy for us to find the right way of dealing with it. 

Overcoming these problems needs some discipline and some time. You can make the decision to start and you are able, with the help and support of Allah swt, to do that. You have to trust yourselves in this regard! 

I suggest to you that you divide your concerns and problems into three categories or levels: 

1. Concerns and problems that have a direct impact upon your lives in a serious manner that may lead to breakdown in your happy lives. These must be given their due measure of objective thought and you should try to reach an agreement and settle the matter. They should not be ignored for so long that it becomes too difficult to deal with them.

2. The second level is concerns or problems in which the positive and negative aspects are equal and in which you are involved. In these cases seek help from Allah swt and it is o.k. to consult others concerning them and to weigh up alternatives, then decide what you think is the solution, bearing in mind without going to extremes in worrying about it.

3. The third level is concerns and worries that do not concern you at all, because they have to do with other people. It is better not to get involved in them and waste your time with them, because they simply do not concern you and your opinion does not matter.

The concerns and matters of our daily lives inevitably fall into one of three categories: 

1. Matters which are in the past and are over and done with. We should not worry about these too much, except to the extent from which we can learn from our mistakes and experiences when dealing with things in the future. The past cannot come back and there is no need to worry about things that are over and done with.

2. Matters which lay ahead in the future. It is more appropriate not to think about these a great deal before they happen, because the future is part of the unseen, and all that we have to do in this case is to examine the choices we have in this matter if it comes to pass. When the time comes, we have to put our trust in Allah swt and take a decision.

3. Matters of day-to-day life. This is where we attempt to weigh up all the available alternatives, and it is fine to consult others with regard to these things and to exchange ideas without going to extremes or worrying too much. 

Do not be sad, because sadness cause you to regret the past, to have misgivings concerning the future and to make you waste away your present. Do not be sad because grief cannot return the one that is lost or is gone away. Have faith, Give your life a second chance. Keep your eyes open. Lost will be replaced with something best. See upon you the signs of blessing, How many have been deprived of that which we already have? Lock your blessing up and keep them safe by being thankful.

Past is gone, future is unseen, so all you have is present.  Are you the one who created human? Are you the one who grants them provision? Are you the one who is taking care of their needs? 

No, it is Allah swt, Who does all that, Who is more merciful towards them than you are. Have complete trust that Allah swt will never cause them to be lost, may He be glorified and praised. This matter is not up to us at all. If all the people thought in this way no one would have any peace of mind. But praise be to Allah swt Who has guaranteed provision for everyone. Allah swt says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And no moving (living) creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah swt. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit (in the uterus or grave). All is in a Clear Book (Al‑Lawh Al‑Mahfooz — the Book of Decrees with Allah swt)” [Hood 11:6]

So cast these thoughts away from your mind.

Maybe you have a day coming up that will be your first free day in a long time, and you want to make the most of it. Maybe you’re thinking about those days you wake up and feel weirdly present, happy about the sunshine, singing to yourself, and want to know how to have more of them. Let today be the day you let go of worries and embrace pleasure and contemplation. Let go of yourself, get lost, slow down, and enjoy the moment. The one who seeks happiness and success in this world has to have a balanced approach without letting the one outweigh the other. In this manner he can strengthen his heart with faith and find peace of mind in doing that which he is required to do. You know that death is an inevitable reality that will come to every living thing, and no one will be spared that, no matter how noble his status before Allah swt. Allah swt said to His Prophet, the noblest of all creation (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they (too) will die”

[al-Zumar 39:30]

And Allah swt says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:185]

And the poet said: 

Every son of a female, no matter how long he lives, Will one day be carried on the bier.

Every day doctors and scientists engage themselves in finding out ways by which life can be extended as much as possible. Life includes happiness and sorrows. Those are called the ups and downs of life. Without them, life is just an endless battle that can always be won. It is however important to find happiness in life to overcome one’s sorrows. Only then life seems to be beautiful.

Some people believe the purpose of life is getting wealthy. However, what will be the purpose of their life after collecting millions of dollars? If the purpose of life is to become wealthy, there will be no purpose after becoming wealthy.

In fact, here lies the problem of some people in the last stages of their lives. After they have collected the money which they dreamt of, their life loses its purpose and they live in tension, restlessness and suffer from the panic of nothingness.

Can attaining wealth be an aim?

We often hear of wealthy people committing suicide; sometimes, it is not the wealthy person himself but members of his family – his wife or children. The question is: Can aiming for wealth bring happiness to the individual? In most cases, the answer is ‘No’. Is the purpose of collecting wealth a long-standing purpose?

As we know, a five-year-old child does not look for wealth: he prefers a toy to a million dollars. An 18-year-old adolescent does not dream of wealth because he is busy with things that are more important. A 90-year-old does not care for money; he is more worried about his health. This proves that wealth cannot be a long-standing purpose in all the stages of an individual’s life.

Conclusion: People have different purposes at different stages in their lives such as collecting money and property, indulging in sex, eating and dancing. However, all these purposes are temporary, they come and go. Money comes and goes. Health comes and goes. Sexual activities cannot continue forever. All these lusts for money, food and sex cannot answer the individual’s question to himself: what next?

  suhaibbhatt85@gmail.com

Mesmerising Habba Khatoon Peak and spring Gurez 

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Mesmerising Habba Khatoon Peak and spring Gurez 

Farzana Mumtaz

Gurez Valley is one of the unique spots of Jammu and Kashmir , full of natural beauty and serene environments  . Located at just 120l5 kilometers from Srinagar  a four hour drive from Srinagar through tough terrain the valley of Gurez is totally Mesmerising. 

At the center of Gurez  the tall mountain is Habba Khatoon peak. 

The peak with all its awe inspiring beauty is also a great tribute to the legendary poet and Ascetic of Kashmir Habba Khatoon. 

 The Peaks talk in their own language to natural lovers and have unbelievable attraction  and filled with natural wealth  .

On the other hand of the spectrum,  The Habba Khatoon spring is among the one of the beautiful springs of Kashmir full of gushing water creating a loud but wonderful noise of unhindered flow of water. It’s water is considered one of the purest waters in the world  . Many opine that the water of this gorgeous spring has medicinal properties in terms of healing .

Simply,  Gurez Valley is full of scenic views and beauty .

Every Human is Born with Unique Talent : Dr. Sumaiya Rafiq Zargar 

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Every Human is Born with Unique Talent : Dr. Sumaiya Rafiq Zargar 

Mir Sabeen Gulrez
Founder of DotEducation and Ambassdor of SACO(Save All Children Organization),INSPAD(Institute of Peace And Development) and Chairperson NHRSJC(National Human Rights Social Justice Council), Dr Sumaiya Rafiq Zargar is an Educational Researcher and is also a Social Worker.Having hundred(100+) plus awards like national and international with her,like Honorary Doctorate Award from US , Excellence Award In Peace Education and many more. Dr. Sumaiya is a renowned professional in the field of  holistic educational services. She is very popular amongst students and parents for her presentations and workshops. Through her various  presentations, and  workshop she has guided many students and parents on topics like holistic healing and educational awarness She has a special passion to contribute in the field of educational field  and spread literacy to underprivileged children. Working with different NGOs Voluntarily. She believes that every individual can be easily motivated & inspired to reach their goal by proper guidance. Dr. Sumaiya believes that every human is born with bright  inside , that needs to be shaped in the perfect way. DR Sumaiya is holding Masters, skill certifications Honorary Doctorates from the USA and other countries, with multiple awards  for her contribution and benevolent work in field of social services.Having a sixteen (16) years of experience in media , holistic education , events , marketing , stress management . Dr SumaiyaIs a Presenter , writer,Poet, Ambassador of peace . She is author of books like Peace World Book,The Beginning , Men To Women.When asked about Dot Education Dr Sumaiya Rafiq said that,”Dot education is UK based company with the vision to empower every individual with  skill developmental  programs. Our aim  is  to provide every individual  learning as well as earning opportunities through our platform. Dot educations impact is evident in its skill based programs  that enable students to attain successful careers, become community leaders and live independent  with earning opportunities and meaningful lives”. For under-resourced students, opportunities for a better life is priority. Therefore ,Dot education aims to provides support to such individuals  through  our skillset programs to benefit such individuals worldwide through learning and earning module, she futher added .In an Exclusive Interview with New Kashmir Magazine Dr Sumaiaya on being asked How did you get the idea for your business?Education is something that powers my dreams and passions into action, I always love to do something that advances innovation, enhances productivity, and improves myself. Through my experience in Media, Events, Marketing, and Holistic educational industry, I innovated the cornerstone of creating an educational platform called Dot education which is based in the UK and acts as a virtual platform to represent the Globe by not only providing skills but enterprise holistic educational systems with earning opportunities around the world. Being an educational researcher, social activist, Global Goodwill Ambassadors SACO, and Chairperson of NHRSJC.  We have been doing a lot in terms of educating and Supporting Underserved children in 132 countries. We facilitate holistic educational support, workshops, Skill developmental programs, and mental health programs to support individuals around us.What makes an effective leader?To me, my definition of effective leadership is to bring out the best in every individual. I believe every human is born with a unique talent that needs to be nurtured by providing the right direction, inspiration, and guidance. It can be exhibited only if the leader is honest, effective courageous, passionate, confident, committed, and ambitious. What do you find most challenging about this work?The future is challenging itself but at the same time, it’s exciting as well. In the current circumstance like a pandemic, it is even more challenging because we are navigating uncertainty in terms of the world economy as well as advanced technology.  At the same time, we are very positive that online and technology-based teaching has continued to grow and the education system is getting more hybrid, as well as blended programs, are emerging. This has raised new business models as well as new teaching environments with different types of solutions, advanced virtual reality, immersive learning, and simulations. It has also prepared us to be ready for new unpredictable challenges.What has been your most significant achievement?So far, my significant achievement in terms of my personal life is that I’m getting closer to the Almighty by understanding the facts of life, good and bad energies along with the people surrounding me. As far as my professional life is considered I am an honest human with some skill sets as a leader, communicator, presenter, analyst, motivator, and educator. I consider this as my greatest accomplishment because people value my efforts to make them grow and be happy.What goals are you still working towards achieving?I am all set for Dot education to be a leading educational platform where every individual gets skill sets to learn and earn same time What marketing tactics do you find most effective for reaching dot education?It All Starts with passion, vision, and the right strategy. I along with my team especially my younger brother and Dot tech partner (UmotKose) try not to leave a single chance to make our marketing tactics weak, we consider using and understanding the importance of all aspects be it inbound as well outbound marketing with suggestions and feedbackWhat motivates you?My father’s advice developed an internal wish inside me to be different and die as a legend. My father is no doubt a legend and his trait are transferred to me as well.  What challenges did you have to overcome at the beginning of your journey?Well, that’s a very good question. If I talk from my personal perspective then it being a Mother of 4 years and balancing between my passion and responsibility as a mother and house maker then as an entrepreneur of virtual business the first thing I was going to struggle with is traffic.It was like I along with my team created a beautiful educational platform, we had appealing trainers but no one to avail of opportunities. And that’s because, in the beginning, our website is like a drop in the ocean where we have to attract our target audience in our niche.How I overcome this is only because we searched for the right affiliates in our niche to promote our platform and send traffic. It’s a win-win situation: the affiliate gets somewhere between 25-30% profit and we get the difference and traffic in our store.Your message? I really wanted you people should stand and I am ready to help those who actually wanted . If you have skills utilize that connect with us and we will help you.

Tribal Problems in India

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TRIBAL PROBLEMS IN INDIA 
By Monalisa Parida 
         India is a vast country having a land area of nearly 33 lakhs square kilometres stretched from the mighty Himalayas in the north to the tropical rainforest in the south, from the Thar desert of the west to the chain of hills in the east. In this vast country live people of several communities, ethnic groups and religious beliefs. Tribals are scattered in various parts of India though largely found in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, parts of Jharkhand, Bihar and the eastern states. As the name suggests they belong to certain tribes-mainly nomadic gatherers and hunters, and other settlers around dense forests or water bodies.       These Tribes are self-sufficient, physically strong and have their own lifestyle. Those who live on the peripheries of forests depend mainly on forest products-fruits, roots, herbs and timber. They gather these things at great risk to their lives. They hunt wild animals for food. Some tribes, who have made their settlements around towns and cities, may do casual labour. Some of the Tribals of Rajasthan are quite skilful in making iron tools like sickles, knives, tongs, spades, etc.        They sell these things in the towns and cities where they often settle in slums on the roadside. Elsewhere, they also sell forest products like resin, honey, medicinal herbs, etc.     The Tribals are facing several serious problems. The major among these are……..1. The problem of Geographic separation 2. Cultural problems 3. Social problems4. Economic problems     i) Exploitation     ii) Unprofitable Agriculture     iii) Problem of land ownership     iv) Unemployment and underemployment     v) Non- availability of banking facilities 5. Educational problems     i) The problem of language     ii) The curriculum of education 6. Problem of health and sanitation 7. Problem of separatism    i) Tribal revolts and uprisings     ii) Smuggling, infiltration and drug addiction 8. Gender issues 9. Problems of health and nutrition       Because of economic backwardness and insecure livelihood, the Tribals face health problems, such as prevalence of disease, like malaria, cholera, tuberculosis, diarrhoea and jaundice, problems associated with malnutrition like iron deficiency and anaemia, high infant mortality rates, low levels of life expectancy, etc.      Present day, problems faced by Adivasis are militarization, urbanisation, construction of dams, industrialisation which cause deforestation. Unlawful grabbing of tribal lands has been going on  these days.

FAILURE AND SUCCESS ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN               

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      FAILURE AND SUCCESS ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN           

   Dr Suhaib Ashraf Bhat

Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and anxiety, these are what everyone wants, and these are the ways in which people can have a good life and find complete happiness and joy. There are religious means of achieving this, and natural and practical means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers; although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on others.The name of failure is enough to put us off it and strive for success, regardless of the material gains that a man may attain as the result of his success, because failure is a word that implies shortcomings and loss, and success is a word that implies perfection and praise. Failure and success are two sides of the same coin, although they may seem to contradict one another at first glance. But in fact they are interconnected if you think about it, based on experience and real life.You might often come across a conversation pertaining to things like “sadness is shaytan’s doing” or that “a believer never gets sad” or even that “sadness is an indication of weak or incomplete faith”. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could be further from the truth. Statements like these only escalate the process of drowning for individuals who suffer from depression, anxiety or hopelessness. It is of the utmost importance that people know the difference between sadness and depression; sadness is a typical human emotion and depression is a much more damaging and longer lasting condition of hopelessness, despair, and dejection. Sadness is a part of what makes us human. No living soul is unfamiliar with it; even our Prophets faced multiple episodes of sadness. For example, Yaqub (Alahisalam) wept until he lost his vision and even our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah swt be upon him) experienced bouts of sadness upon the loss of his wife and uncle. Hence, sadness is not a sign of weakness in any form. To experience sadness is to be human. Having strong faith, or Imaan, does not render a believer to be an exception to the emotion of sadness. Depression is majorly defined by a sense of hopelessness- in yourself and in the world around you. It is rooted in a sense of sheer helplessness where you feel like nothing is in your control. But that is the truth; nothing IS in your control. It is in Allah’s (swt) control. Take a moment, embrace your lack of control over your circumstances, and know that the one in control is the best of planners and loves you more than you can imagine. Surrender your attempts to control your life, leave it up to Allah (swt), and trust His plan for you. Sometimes, the human mind is unable to understand Allah’s (swt) ultimate wisdom behind every single thing that happens to us. However, by accepting that Allah (swt) is in control and welcoming His plans for us ultimately leads to the enrichment of our mind, body and soul.Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary things that bad thoughts may bring to mind. For when a person gives in to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts, such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the loss of good things, it will fill him with worries, distress, mental and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people have seen. But when a person depends on Allah swt and puts his trust in Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm him, and he relies on Allah swt and has hope of His bounty, this wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of a great deal of mental and physical sickness. It gives indescribable strength, comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are filled with the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many strong people, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to foolishness and insanity. It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought. If your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefit in your spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy. Otherwise it will be the opposite.Have great hope in Allah swt, and do not let the Shaytaan cause you to despair of the vast mercy of Allah swt which He has guaranteed for His believing slaves. You need to increase your hope and trust in Allah swt Who forgives all sins, and who accepts the slave who seeks His protection and refuge, for He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving and the Most Loving.  You should increase your good deeds, upholding the ties of kinship, etc. The sadness which we feel also happens to others, for it is something natural. How many people were examples followed by others and had a great deal of drive and ambition, then they lost their drive and ambition for a long time, then it came back to them by the grace of Allah swt. Remember the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah swt be upon him): “Everybody has his time of energy, and every time of energy is followed by a time of lethargy. But if a person tries to follow a moderate path, then I have hope for him, but if he becomes one who is pointed out (in the street), then do not think anything of him.”(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2453; classed as hasan (sound) by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1995). 
What is meant by “Everybody has his time of energy” is eagerness for a thing, energy and the desire to do good.What is meant by “every time of energy is followed by a time of lethargy” is tiredness, weakness and lack of movement.“But if a person tries to follow a moderate path” means that the one who has energy does his deeds in moderation and avoids going to extremes when he is feeling energetic and avoids being negligent when he is feeling lethargic.“Then I have hope for him” means, I have hope that he will be successful, for he can continue following a middle course, and the most beloved deeds to Allah swt are those which are continuous.“but if he becomes one who is pointed out (in the street)” means, if he strives hard and goes to extremes in doing good deeds so that he will become famous for his worship and asceticism, and he becomes famous and people point him out to one another,“then do not think anything of him” means, do not think that he is one of the righteous, because he is showing off. He did not say, “do not have hope for him,” as an indication that he has already fallen, and he will not be able to make up for what he has missed out on. Think about this hadeeth, and relate it to your own situation and the situation of others: you will see a clear similarity. This hadeeth clearly states that man goes through a stage of incomparable eagerness and great focus and ambition, and then suddenly he becomes weak and loses that focus and eagerness and ambition. When he reaches this stage, he must strive even harder to do obligatory duties and avoid haraam (impermissible) things. If he does that, then there is the hope that he will succeed and progress, but if he falls into haraam things and stops doing obligatory things, he will be lost and doomed.Don’t ever forget that Allah (swt) will never burden you with something that is beyond your capacity to deal with. Even on days when you feel as if you cannot take it anymore, know that you can survive it- for Allah (swt) knows us better than we know ourselves and whatever trial you’re facing in your life, know that He also gives you the strength to handle that trial.
Suhaibbhatt85@gmail.com

Tablighi Jamaat Mehsana – Oasis of Humanity 

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Tablighi Jamaat Mehsana – Oasis of Humanity 

By Rameez Makhdoomi 

Mehsana, also spelled Mahesana, is a city and municipality in Mehsana district, in the Indian state of Gujarat. 
Mehsana is known as milk bowl of world and Mehsana is placed on the northern direction on Gujarat geographical map and renowned for oil and gas industries laid down in the city.
At this calm and beautiful District of Gujarat the Tablighi Jamaat is leading the efforts of projecting great teachings of Islam in peaceful manner and also doing much work on ensuring the communal harmony. 
Tablighi Jamaat has a strong base in the State of Gujarat with Mehsana among its strong holds. Preaching muslims how to be good humans and how to contribute in the welfare of humanity is their focus. 
The likes of Mehboob Bhai From Tablighi Jamaat in Mehsana are taking the lead in urging the Gujrati Muslims to be exemplary humans and shine on the character front. He believes that humanity, pro people approach without any bias can make this world a very peaceful place. 
Mehboob Bhai lays emphasis that regular prayers can help a Muslim to be an example, as prayer heals many inner faults according to him. He states that humans should learn to respect each other despite many differences in thinking. 
In the belt around Mehsana District Mehsana scores of Tablighi activists campaign to masses how to be better humans and contribute to welfare activities.