35 C 
Modi Highlights Aspirations of Uzbek People at Yangi Uzbekistan Monument
Tashkent, August 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Saturday that the Yangi Uzbekistan Monument symbolizes the aspirations and progress of the Uzbek people. In a post on the social media platform X, PM Modi wrote, After landing in Tashkent, I paid tribute at the Yangi Uzbekistan Monument alongside President Mirziyoyev. The monument reflects the ... Read more Modi Highlights Aspirations of Uzbek People at Yangi Uzbekistan Monument
Power Tariff Hike: Omar Government Adds to the Burden of the People of Jammu & Kashmir
ADV SUNIL SETHI The decision to increase electricity tariffs in Jammu & Kashmir at a time when ordinary families are already struggling with the rising cost of living is deeply disappointing. More importantly, it raises a fundamental question of political accountability: what happened to the promises made to the people before the Assembly elections? The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved an average tariff increase of 6.83 per cent, applicable from September 1, 2026. For metered domestic consumers, the rate for consumption up to 200 units has increased from 2.30 to 2.45 per unit; for 201400 units, from 4.00 to 4.20; and above 400 units, from 4.35 to 4.60 per unit. These figures may appear small when viewed from the comfort of government offices. For an ordinary household, however, every additional financial burden matters. From Promise of Relief to Reality of Higher Bills The National Conference went before the electorate promising 200 units of free electricity. That promise naturally created expectations among families that desperately needed relief. Today, instead of experiencing the promised relief, consumers are confronting increased tariffs. The government may argue that its promise of free electricity and the general electricity tariff are technically separate matters. But politics cannot be reduced to technical explanations. The real question is what an ordinary voter understood when promises of cheaper or free electricity were made. People vote on the basis of promises and the reasonable expectations created by those promises. If financial constraints, distribution losses and the cost of purchasing electricity were realities after the election, they were realities before the election as well. Governments cannot discover economic realities only after obtaining the mandate of the people. Kashmir's Winter Cannot Be Viewed Through Ordinary Consumption Calculations The impact of electricity prices assumes an even greater significance in the Kashmir Valley. For people sitting outside Kashmir, electricity may be regarded primarily as a source of lighting and running household appliances. During Kashmir's severe winter, electricity is intimately connected with survival, warmth and basic human comfort. Temperatures fall below freezing in many areas. Water pipes freeze. Snowfall disrupts normal life. Families depend increasingly upon electric heaters, boilers, geysers, heating blankets and other appliances. The elderly, children and economically weaker families suffer the most. This means that electricity consumption during the harsh winter months cannot simply be treated as discretionary consumption. A Kashmiri family using additional electricity to keep its children or elderly parents warm is not indulging in luxury. It is responding to climatic necessity. And the timing is particularly unfortunate. The revised tariff becomes applicable from September 1 and will remain applicable through the approaching winter until March 31, 2027. The government should therefore ask itself a simple question: Is the period immediately preceding the harsh Kashmir winter the appropriate time to make electricity more expensive for households? Don't Make Consumers Pay for Inefficiency There is undoubtedly a financial problem in the electricity sector. Power has a cost. Distribution companies require revenue, and transmission and distribution losses have historically presented a serious challenge. But the solution cannot perpetually be to transfer the consequences of inefficiency onto honest consumers. The first responsibility of government should be to reduce losses, improve billing and collection, prevent electricity theft, modernise infrastructure and improve the efficiency of distribution companies. A family that pays its electricity bill regularly should not become the easiest source for balancing the books. Before asking consumers to pay more, the government must demonstrate what measurable reduction it has achieved in distribution losses and what administrative reforms it has undertaken to bring down costs. Efficiency must come before additional burden. The Government's Defence Does Not Answer the Political Question Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has defended the increase by arguing that the government never promised that electricity tariffs would remain static and that power continues to be substantially subsidised. That may constitute an administrative defence. It does not answer the political question. The issue is not whether electricity continues to receive subsidy. The issue is whether the government is moving towards the relief that was promised to the electorate or away from it. The people were promised 200 units of free electricity. They are entitled to ask when that promise will translate into meaningful relief in their monthly household budgets. A government cannot seek political credit for promises and subsequently seek refuge behind regulatory calculations when people demand their implementation. BJP Must Stand With the Consumer The Bharatiya Janata Party should unequivocally stand with the ordinary electricity consumer of Jammu & Kashmir. This is not an issue concerning Jammu or Kashmir alone. A shopkeeper in Jammu, a middle-class employee in Kathua, a farmer in the countryside, a pensioner in Srinagar and a family facing the freezing winter in north or south Kashmir all ultimately confront the same question: How much more can the household budget absorb? The BJP should demand that the Omar Abdullah government reconsider the tariff increase, particularly its impact upon domestic consumers, and immediately place before the people a transparent roadmap for fulfilling its electricity-related electoral commitments. Special consideration should also be given to the extraordinary electricity requirements of Kashmir during the winter months. If necessary, the government should explore a targeted winter electricity relief mechanism for vulnerable and middle-income domestic consumers in the Valley rather than allowing climatic necessity to translate into financial punishment. Promises Carry a Moral Obligation Democracy does not end when votes are counted. An electoral promise creates a political and moral obligation. Governments must either implement their promises or candidly explain why they cannot do so. What they cannot reasonably do is promise relief while seeking votes and subsequently impose additional burdens after coming to power. The people of Jammu & Kashmir have endured decades of difficulties. They deserve governance that reduces their burdens rather than adding to them. The BJP must therefore raise its voice firmly, both inside and outside the Legislature, and demand: Withdraw or substantially reconsider the burden of the power tariff hike on domestic consumers. Protect Kashmir's households during the harsh winter. Reduce distribution losses before passing costs to consumers. And, above all, honour the commitments made to the people. Electricity in Jammu & Kashmirparticularly during a Kashmir winteris not merely another commodity. For many families, it is warmth. It is security. It is a basic necessity of life. And a government elected on promises of relief should remember that before making that necessity more expensive. (The Author is the Chief Spokesperson of JK BJP)
Between hope and despair Assam families await news of people missing in Nepal in limbo
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NC bond with people unbreakable: Sagar
Srinagar, Aug 29: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference General Secretary and Khanyar MLA Haji Ali Mohammad Sagar on Saturday said attempts to weaken the party through propaganda and conspiracies would not succeed, asserting that its bond with the people remained strong. Addressing a meeting at the party headquarters at Nawa-e-Subha, Sagar said the National Conference was not merely a political party but a movement rooted in the struggles and sacrifices of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the partys strength came from its people and its commitment to its principles, adding that conspirators sinister designs have always been defeated by the power of the people. Sagar said the National Conference had remained associated with the political awakening and democratic struggle of Jammu and Kashmir and had consistently raised its voice for peoples rights. The National Conference is a movement, an ideology and a sentiment. It lives in the hearts of the people, he said. Reiterating the partys demand for restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, Sagar said the NC would continue its democratic and constitutional struggle for the restoration of the political and constitutional rights of the people. He also urged the Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest, saying an elected government must have adequate powers and resources to govern effectively. Meanwhile, several public delegations met Sagar and apprised him of issues concerning their respective areas. He took up the matters with the concerned authorities and directed prompt action for their redressal.
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Haiti gang frees 13 women and children days after raid that killed at least 47 people
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The COVID-19 lockdowns accidentally created a rare real-world experiment for scientists, as human activity suddenly dropped while roads, buildings and cities remained unchanged. Studies from the US and India found that wildlife responded to the change in human presence in different ways, while researchers also recorded sharp drops in urban noise and seismic activity.
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Quote of the day by Richard Attenborough about heroes is a reminder that personal growth needs standards. Without examples of courage, generosity, integrity and perseverance, it can become easy to accept our limitations as permanent. A genuine hero gives us another possibility to consider: a higher standard, a different choice or a stronger sense of responsibility.
Visakhapatnam police arrests 104 people in property offence cases, recovers property worth 47 lakh
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Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Nepal flood tragedy, 'People of India...'
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Five out of 16 people from Assam caught in the Nepal disaster safe
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Research in psychology suggests that reading information aloud can make certain details more memorable than reading them silently. Known as the production effect, the benefit may come from actively saying and hearing the words, while reading aloud may also reduce mind wandering. Studies suggest the effect is stronger for remembering specific information than for improving comprehension.
Over 1 Crore People to Sing National Song Simultaneously Nationwide on September 25
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New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday criticised comedian Samay Raina over his alleged derogatory remarks about Kashmiri Pandits and people of Bihar, saying that certain forces deliberately make controversial statements to gain publicity and become famous. The remarks came after a roast exchange between Samay Raina and comedian Sharon []
NC has failed to honour its commitments with the people of Jammu and Kashmir: Mirwaiz
A 2021 University of Tokyo study found that writing information on physical paper can produce stronger brain activity during memory recall than using tablets or smartphones. The findings suggest that sticky notes and handwritten reminders may benefit from the visual, spatial and physical cues around them, effectively making your surroundings part of the memory process.
Nepal Flash Flood: 320 Missing, Around 100 Indian-Origin People Uncontactable
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When disaster brings out the best (and worst) in people
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12 Assam People Remain Untraced In Nepal After Flash Floods, Says Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, August 29: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has confirmed that details of 12 individuals from the state who remain untraced in Nepal have been established, as rescue agencies continue efforts to locate them following the devastating flash floods. In a statement shared on social media, Sarma said authorities are working to establish communication... The post 12 Assam People Remain Untraced In Nepal After Flash Floods, Says Himanta Biswa Sarma first appeared on Northeast Today .
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Hero border cop missing, helped people escape as flood swept away Gyirong port
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Woman, her daughter held for cheating 350 people of 40 lakh through Deepavali chit fund scheme
Over 1k people evacuated after flash floods, says China
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Nagendra challenges BJP to face him in peoples court
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Video: Nepal Army rescues stranded people from rooftops and debris after flash flood
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Videos show people survive floodwaters on balcony in Nepal
BBC Verify has located several videos from disaster-struck areas of the Trishuli river after deadly floods swept through.
Six people injured after sign falls at Christian festival
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Nepal flash floods: Six people from Assam feared missing, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati: Six people from Assam are feared missing in Nepal, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday, as rescue operations continued following flash floods in the country. Speaking to the media, Sarma said the government had received information about six people from Assam who could not be contacted. He said officials were verifying the [] The post Nepal flash floods: Six people from Assam feared missing, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma appeared first on NorthEast Now .
Bajrang Dal workers thrash people reading Malala's book in Ahmedabad, 3 arrested
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People in Punjab fed up with AAP govt, says Haryana CM
Amritsar, Aug 28 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday said that the people of Punjab are fed up with the Aam Aadmi Party government and have made up their minds for a change. He said the AAP government has ruined Punjab and has even surpassed the previous Congress government in corruption. The []
From Ranchi to Delhi, Raashi Anand founded Lakshyam, creating sustainable pathways for vulnerable communities while impacting over one million lives.
Nepal Flash Flood: Rescue Ops Intensify as People Remain Trapped in Tunnel
Rescue operations have intensified in Nepals Rasuwa district after a catastrophic flash flood left people trapped inside a tunnel. The Nepal Army is leading efforts to locate and evacuate those stranded amid challenging conditions.
Nepal Flash Floods: Bridge Swept Away as People Rush to Safety
Devastating flash floods swept away a bridge in Nepal on August 26, with surging waters causing destruction as people rushed to safety. The terrifying moment was captured on camera.
Over one million names traveled to the Sun aboard NASA's Parker Solar Probe. These names were digitally stored on a memory card, becoming part of the mission. The spacecraft, named after physicist Eugene Parker, studies the Sun's outer atmosphere. Parker Solar Probe has flown through the Sun's corona and reached record speeds. This mission continues to explore the Sun and its effects on Earth.
Quote of the day by Jake Gyllenhaal: Jake Gyllenhaal encourages pursuing personal dreams despite external doubts. He advises listening only to those who offer encouragement for your aspirations. Gyllenhaal's career spans notable films like Brokeback Mountain and recent projects. He has also achieved recognition for his extensive theatre work.
Japan killed 14,000+ bears after record attacks; 6 people died despite cull, 8,800 more targeted
Article 370 abrogation inflicted deep wound on J&K peoples emotions: Altaf Bukhari
Srinagar, Aug 28: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Friday said that the abrogation of article 370 inflicted a deep wound into the emotions of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Congress and BJP are equally responsible because Congress had already hollowed this article out over the years while BJP revoked it completely. He made these remarks today while addressing a public convention in Tral today. The event, organised by the party, attracted a large gathering of local people, besides party workers from across the town. Apni Party leader further said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had a deep emotional attachment to Article 370, despite the fact that its provisions had already hollowed out and eroded over the decades. Article 370 provided constitutional protection to our land and jobs, and that is why, following its abrogation along with Article 35A on August 5, 2019, the Apni Party pursued the matter with the Centre and ensured that the people of J&K must retain exclusive rights over land and employment in J&K. We succeeded in convincing the Centre and protected these rights, resulting in the introduction of the domicile law, he said. However, Bukhari said that there is a need for a dialogue between the Centre and the people of Jammu and Kashmir to address their issues. He said, There is an urgent need to make New Delhi understand the importance of initiating a dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth, to address their genuine issues and concerns. This is imperative to bridge the existing trust deficit. Since the elected government has failed to address the pressing issues being faced by the people here, we will urge the Centre to engage directly with them to ensure that these issues are addressed effectively. We hope that our frequent appeals in this regard reach the Centre and that it initiates a dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as it had promised, he added. He also take a dig at the ruling NC and said that this party has always prioritised its power on the interests of the people in Jammu and Kashmir. He further said, NC has never fulfilled the promises it has made to the people. Its poll promises are the most recent example of this. It sought votes by promising to provide one lakh jobs soon after assuming power. It had also promised 200 units of free electricity, free gas cylinders, the regularisation of daily wagers, and much more. However, all these promises have proved to be hollow and remain unfulfilled. He urged the people to rid themselves of these traditional parties, which have always misled and deceived them with false promises and emotional slogans. He went on the say, During its election campaign, the NC had claimed that, after assuming power, it would ensure the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A. However, it has now reduced its demand to the restoration of statehood alone. This is nothing but political drama, and they have always resorted to such tactics. In his speech, Bukhari also highlighted the local pressing issues that the people in Tral are facing. He expressed grave concern over the lack of adequate facilities and infrastructure at local hospitals and schools. He said, I dont know what the local MLA, who has been given the mandate to ensure that such issues are addressed, is doing. Since he is a public representative, he must ensure that these issues are properly addressed. He should speak to the concerned Minister, and if that doesnt work, he must take the people who voted for him out in protest. This is not about anything personal; it is about the public mandate. Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said that Tral has great potential for tourism, which, if properly explored and developed, can bring economic benefits to the local people and create much-needed employment opportunities for the youth. He said the area is blessed with abundant natural resources and scenic beauty, which should be utilised effectively for sustainable development, livelihood generation, and the overall prosperity of the local population. Bukhari expressed concern over the arrests of youth and said that the Apni Party is continuously striving to ensure that random arrests are stopped and that those detained are released so that they can return to a normal life. Talking about the Sikh community, Bukhari demanded political reservation for the community to ensure that its rights are fully protected. He said that the Sikh community has always stood shoulder to shoulder with the Muslim community, even during the most challenging times of violence and bloodshed in J&K. Addressing the gathering, former Cabinet Minister and Apni Party Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir said that Apni Party is a party of the masses and will always remain the voice of the people. He said this party will continue to raise genuine public issues and grievances with the concerned authorities to ensure their timely redressal. He said, We are not here today to seek your votes, as there are no elections scheduled in the near future. We are here to tell you that Apni Party is truly a peoples party and will always stand by the people, no matter what. We need your support. Join hands with Apni Party and help strengthen it. Together, we can ensure that the rights and interests of our people are protected, while working collectively for sustained peace, prosperity, and development in Jammu and Kashmir. He further said, The difference between Apni Party and the traditional political parties is that Apni Party focuses on genuine public issues and works to address the concerns of the people, while traditional parties continue to mislead and befool the public with false promises and emotional slogans. Apni Party is here to prevent exploitative political forces from misleading our youth and pushing them towards a path of jails and graveyards. We envision a peaceful, prosperous, and dignified future for our youthone where they have opportunities to grow, succeed, and contribute positively to the future of Jammu and Kashmir, he added. On this occasion, NC worker Karan Singh, PDP worker Mohammad Amin, Social Activist Muzafar Bhat, Mohammad Younis Dar from congress joined Apni Party. The party leaders greeted these new entrants into the party fold. Besides Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari and Ghulam Hassan Mir, the prominent party leaders who were present on the occasion included partys Chief Spokesperson & State Secretary Muntazir Mohiudin, District President Kupwara Raja Manzoor, State organisation & Spokesperson Dr Harbaksh Singh, District President Budgam Advocate Owais Ashraf Shah, District Vice President Pulwama Sofi Akbar, District Vice President Pulwama Abdul Qayoom Mir, Secretary Pulwama District Syeed Tajala Andrabi, Youth President District Pulwama Junaid Mir, Abdul Rahman Gojir, Ghulam Hassan Goursi, Ghulam Hassan Choupan, Abdul Majid, Rashid Gojir, Youth Leaders Huq Nawaz, Zahid Bhat, Sajad Naikoo, Bita, Imtiyaz Mulvi, Irfan, Junaid, Javeed,Amir Reshi, Asif, Nirmal Singh, Abdul Rashid, Lucky Singh, Mohammad Shafi, Gul Dar, Shabir Baba, Yusuf Gojir, Mushtaq , Nund Kak, Bashir Ahamed , Jangi Singh, and others.
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Nepal flood death toll rises to 469; 1545 people rescued
Kathmandu , August 28 : The death toll due to the devastating flash flood in Nepal's Rasuwa district rose to 469 on Friday, while 1,545 people were injured and rescued, Nepal Police said. According to Nepal Police, the Chitwan district recorded the highest death toll with 178 bodies recovered, followed by 110 in NP East, 44 in Gorkha, 37 in Nuwakot, 33 in Dhading, 28 in Tanahun, 27 in NP West and 12 in Rasuwa. Authorities have rescued 644 people from Rasuwa, 898 from Nuwakot and three from Dhading. Twenty-eight police personnel also remain missing amid the floods. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 977 people were missing as of Thursday. Nepal Police has deployed 4,348 personnel for rescue operations. The catastrophic flash flood that struck the Tibet-Nepal border on August 26. The Government of Nepal has dispatched NPR 25 million in cash for relief, including NPR 10 million each for Rasuwa and Nuwakot and NPR 5 million for Dhading. The United States and the World Health Organization (WHO) have extended support and expressed solidarity with Nepal following devastating flash floods and mudslides, with Washington announcing USD 5,00,000 in assistance and the WHO dispatching emergency medical supplies. Meanwhile, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Thursday established an Emergency Control Room (ECR) to coordinate assistance for foreign nationals affected by the devastating Bhotekoshi flash floods in Rasuwa district, which have caused massive loss of life, extensive infrastructure damage and reports of missing persons. In a notice, the ministry said the ECR will serve as the central coordinating body for search and rescue, information verification and consular assistance for foreign nationals affected by, missing in, or otherwise connected to the flood incident. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released the names of 63 Indian nationals working at the Trishuli-I project in Nepal who have been rescued amid the devastating flash floods that have wreaked havoc across the Himalayan nation. The ministry said that 288 Indian nationals remain uncontactable. President Droupadi Murmu has expressed solidarity towards Nepal, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Nepal PM Balendra Shah and said India is ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance. Nepal grapples with the aftermath of a major flash flood that struck the Rasuwa district on Wednesday morning, sending a powerful surge of water, sediment and boulders through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems. (ANI)
Video: People scream, run for cover as floods gush through Nepal's Trishuli Bazaar
Video People scream run for cover as floods gush through Nepals Trishuli Bazaar
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Raksha Bandhan in Kashmir: A Festival That Travelled with People
Raksha Bandhan arrives every year with the full moon of Shravan, carrying with it a simple yet profound messagethe bond of protection, affection and responsibility between human beings. Across India, the festival is most commonly associated with the relationship between a brother and sister. A sister ties the sacred thread around her brothers wrist, offers a prayer for his well-being, and the brother, in return, promises to stand by her. Yet, like many Indian festivals, Raksha Bandhan has meanings that go far beyond the ritual itself. For the Kashmiri Pandit community, its significance is inseparable from the memories of a homeland where festivals were woven into the ordinary fabric of life. Yes, Kashmiri Pandits did observe Raksha Bandhan in Kashmir. It was not necessarily among the most prominent festivals of the Kashmiri Hindu calendar in the manner of Herath, Navreh or other distinctly Kashmiri observances, but Shravan Purnima and the sacred-thread tradition were familiar parts of religious and family life. The celebration existed within the larger spiritual culture of Kashmir, where festivals were rarely merely social occasions. They were expressions of faith, family, community and continuity. For a Kashmiri Pandit growing up in the Valley, the festival would not have stood apart from the rhythms of everyday life. The house, the courtyard, the neighbourhood and the extended family were all part of the celebration. Festivals were experienced collectively. Relatives visited one another, children moved from house to house, elders blessed the younger generation, and food became another language through which affection was expressed. The ritual itself might have been brief, but the emotions surrounding it could remain in the memory for decades. This is what makes the recollection of Raksha Bandhan particularly moving for those Kashmiri Pandits who left the Valley. Migration did not merely mean leaving behind houses, orchards, fields and ancestral property. It also meant leaving behind a particular way of celebrating life. Festivals had been attached to places. A particular courtyard had witnessed a particular Raksha Bandhan. A sister had tied a rakhi to her brother in a room whose walls had absorbed generations of family conversations. An elderly grandmother had blessed the children. A mother had prepared something special for the occasion. A neighbour had arrived unannounced. These seemingly insignificant moments eventually became the fragments from which the memory of an entire homeland was reconstructed. This is perhaps the deeper meaning of festivals in the life of a displaced community. When people lose their physical landscape, rituals often become their portable homeland. A festival can travel where a house cannot. A prayer can survive when an ancestral courtyard has been abandoned. A family tradition can cross mountains and generations without requiring a piece of land. Raksha Bandhan therefore acquired an additional emotional dimension for many Kashmiri Pandit families after their migration. It became not simply a celebration of the brother-sister relationship but also a reminder of the world that once existed around that relationship. The thread tied on a brothers wrist could evoke memories of a Kashmir that had been left behind. There is an important distinction, however, between the traditional observance of Raksha Bandhan among Kashmiri Pandits and the highly commercialised version of the festival that has become increasingly visible in contemporary India. In Kashmir, the sacred-thread tradition existed within a religious and cultural framework shaped by the unique practices of Kashmiri Hindu society. The modern rakhiwith elaborate gifts, advertisements, social-media celebrations and commercial packagingis only one contemporary expression of a much older tradition. The word raksha itself carries a meaning far deeper than the exchange of gifts. Protection is not necessarily a one-way obligation from brother to sister. In the older civilisational understanding, protection is reciprocal. Families protect one another; communities protect their traditions; elders protect memories; and younger generations protect what has been handed down to them. A sacred thread can therefore become a symbol of responsibility rather than merely a decorative object. This understanding becomes particularly meaningful in the Kashmiri Pandit context. A community that experienced displacement had to protect something more fragile than property: its collective memory. Language, rituals, cuisine, religious practices, festivals, family stories and ancestral memories all became part of a cultural inheritance that needed to be carried forward. The Kashmiri Pandit calendar itself contains many distinctive festivals and observances that developed within the Valley's particular cultural environment. Herath, for example, occupies an extraordinary place in Kashmiri Pandit consciousness. Navreh marks the Kashmiri New Year and carries associations with renewal and continuity. There are numerous other observances connected with particular seasons, deities and local traditions. Raksha Bandhan therefore should not be presented as though it historically occupied exactly the same position in Kashmiri Pandit life as it did in every other part of northern India. Its place was real, but its cultural expression was shaped by Kashmir's own religious universe. What is remarkable is how such traditions survived geographical separation. A child who grew up in Jammu, Delhi, Dehradun or another city after migration could still participate in Raksha Bandhan without ever having experienced the Kashmir of his or her parents. The festival thus became a bridge between generations. Parents could tell their children how festivals were observed in Kashmir. Grandparents could recall relatives who were no longer there. Old photographs could emerge from cupboards. Names of villages and neighbourhoods could become part of family conversations. In this manner, a simple thread could become an instrument of remembrance. The younger generation may not always understand the emotional weight carried by such memories. For them, Raksha Bandhan may simply mean a rakhi, sweets, gifts and a family gathering. But for those who remember Kashmir before migration, the festival can contain another layer of meaning. It can take them back to a time when distance between relatives was measured not in hundreds of kilometres but in a short walk from one house to another. There is also a wider lesson here about Kashmiri culture. Kashmir has often been described through its mountains, lakes, gardens, poetry and mysticism. But the real culture of a people resides equally in its small ritualsthe way a lamp is lit, the way elders are greeted, the food prepared on a particular day, the words spoken during a ceremony, and the manner in which one generation passes something to another. When people are displaced, these small things become enormously important. A culture does not disappear simply because its people leave a particular geographical space. It disappears when its memories cease to be transmitted. This is why the continuation of festivals among Kashmiri Pandits matters. Every observance becomes an act of cultural preservation. Every child who learns why a festival is celebrated becomes a link in a chain that stretches backwards into history. Raksha Bandhan, in this sense, can be seen as one of those threadsnot merely the thread tied around the wrist, but the invisible thread connecting generations. It connects the sister with the brother, the child with the parent, the present with the past, and the displaced family with the homeland that continues to live in memory. There is something profoundly poetic about this. The physical thread is small and fragile. It can be broken with almost no effort. Yet the idea represented by it can survive decades of separation. A house can be locked. An orchard can be abandoned. A village can become distant. But a ritual remembered by a family can continue to exist. For Kashmiri Pandits, therefore, Raksha Bandhan is not only about asking who will protect whom. It can also prompt a larger question: who will protect the memories of the culture that our ancestors entrusted to us? Perhaps the answer lies with every generation. The brother and sister who exchange a rakhi today may not know all the stories associated with the festival's past. But if they preserve the ritual, tell their children about it, remember how their parents celebrated it and connect it with the wider cultural heritage of Kashmir, they are doing something far greater than observing a festival. They are keeping alive a fragment of a civilisation. And perhaps this is why festivals become especially precious after displacement. In one's homeland, traditions can sometimes be taken for granted because they surround us everywhere. In exile, their value becomes clearer. A festival becomes a doorway through which one can briefly return to a lost world. Raksha Bandhan will once again arrive with the full moon of Shravan. Sisters will tie threads, brothers will offer gifts, families will gather and sweets will be exchanged. But for many Kashmiri Pandits, somewhere beneath these familiar celebrations there may also be another, quieter ritualthe remembering of Kashmir. A Kashmir of homes, courtyards, grandparents, siblings, neighbours and festivals. A Kashmir that may have been left physically behind, but which continues to live in memory. And perhaps that is the most enduring raksha of all:the protection of memory itself. (The writer can be reached at: sanjaypanditasp@gmail.com )
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