Sunday Editorial – Kashmir Pen
By Mushtaq Bala
July 21, 2025
This week in Jammu & Kashmir unfurled as a tapestry of remembrance, resilience, and progressive momentum
On 13th July, our collective soul turned again to the Martyrs’ Graveyard, where CM Abdullah, despite restrictions, paid homage to the heroes of 1931. His stirring words—“Woh jo na rukey zulm ke saamne, unhi ke qadam raaston ke diye ban gaye”—reminded Kashmiris that dignity and justice often come at a heavy price. His powerful analogy—“7/13 is our Jallianwala Bagh”—asserted the day’s significance and its everlasting imprint on our political consciousness.
In a bid to strengthen cultural identity, CM Abdullah released the evocative coffee table book “Valleys of Jammu and Kashmir”, celebrating our landscape and spirit. Simultaneously, he inaugurated a new block at Barzulla’s Bone & Joint Hospital, reinforcing his commitment to healthcare infrastructure and people-centric governance.
Connectivity received a significant boost with accelerated work on the Megha–Budhal–Mahore–Gool road, promising greater access across the Pir Panjal range. Yet, not everything is smooth; startups are grappling with glitches in the J&K Single Window Portal, putting innovation and enterprise at risk.
Sporting accomplishments too lit up the week. Bilquis Mir has charted history as the Competition Director of the 1st Khelo India Water Sports Games—a leap for women in leadership and sport. At the same time, PhD scholar Tamana Khan secured a prestigious CSIR Senior Research Fellowship, highlighting the intellectual vigor emanating from the Valley.
The J&K Fiction Writers’ Guild convened its 333rd session, marking another milestone in our literary journey. Yet the mood was subdued by the passing of Shahid Budgami, whose poems and prose resonated deeply with Kashmiri readers—and whose absence leaves a poignant void.
Community action and environmental awareness surfaced through Mudasir Rehman Dar’s eco-campaign in Kulgam, where he taught schoolchildren to convert waste into art—an embodiment of grassroots environmentalism. Complementing this, the Asmita Pencak Silat League, with over 500 female athletes, asserted gender equality and sporting diversity.
Heritage and welfare also featured prominently: CM Abdullah inspected the restoration of Mubarak Mandi, launched ‘Project 13‑13’ for women’s surgical care in Jammu, and helped establish Sainik Sahayta Kendras, reaffirming his multi-dimensional approach to development.
Yet political disquiet remains. The GCC’s demand for statehood restoration, alongside calls from Delhi-based voices urging renewed Indo‑Pak dialogue, underscore the importance of unresolved state aspirations in our contemporary context.
Amid it all, perhaps the simplest image spoke loudest: an Uttar Pradesh pilgrim, carrying a 15 kg load for 111 days, finally reaching Pahalgam for the Amarnath Yatra. With this year’s pilgrimage crossing the 2.5‑lakh mark, faith, endurance, and unity—despite all odds—shine brightest.
This week has shown that under CM Abdullah’s leadership, Kashmir is striving to honor its past while forging fresh beginnings. Governance that blends memory with development, cultural preservation with innovation—this is the path forward. As Kashmir moves ahead, it must remain anchored in its history, emboldened by its youth, and devoted to its ecology and identity.
Mushtaq Bala
Editor-in-Chief
Kashmir Pen
