Character Development

Character Development

Character, as they say, is everything. Like friendship, it takes ages to develop character but it can break or get besmirched in a moment. All this is well and fine but the question is what is character? There are no easy answers to this question as the very notion and concept of character defies easy […]

Importance of Knowledge

Importance of Knowledge

That knowledge is an intrinsic good and has inherent merits is to state the obvious. It is knowledge and its quest thereof that has made advances in civilization possible, among other things. Be it the field and domain of medical sciences where stupendous and staggering advances have been made or information, technology and allied services, […]

Ravages of Winter

Ravages of Winter

As winter is about to descend and fall in Kashmir, the whole valley will assume a new form and shape in all its dimensions and avatars. While the snow capped mountain peaks will look all the more resplendent in their white glory, the valley, however, will be enveloped by severe and biting cold. The most […]

The Power of Dua

The Power of Dua

Dua (loosely translated as prayer) is one of the most potent and powerful concepts. As imperfect, weak and flawed human beings , there is very little in our power and capacity. But, at times, arrogance and pride make us believe otherwise and we consider ourselves to be more than what we are. This is a […]

Winter and Electricity

Winter and Electricity

As winter approaches and sets in, the usual crisis that Kashmir is familiar with, that of power, will hit Kashmir. If the past is any guide, then the power woes that include unscheduled power cuts, outages and so on will be the main ones adding to the already extant burden of winter in Kashmir. If […]

Money: the Root of Evil?

Money: the Root of Evil?

Money, the cliché goes, is the root of all evil. Is there merit to it? Is money indeed the root of evil? Yes and no is the answer. Money can be evil or lead to evil if it becomes an end in itself. This can happen in instances of both when a given person has […]

Treat Everyone Fairly

Treat Everyone Fairly

In the treatment of people, there is a fundamental paradox and it lies in the fact that while we, as individuals, in any given station of life, would like to be treated what we think we deserve , but we treat people differently. Consider this generic example. Person A, who because of mere happenstance , […]

Support Greta Thunberg

Support Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg, the 16 year old Swedish climate change activist, has created ripples with her activism, something that has brought her both support and criticism. Her articulate and rather innocent stance and activism has endeared her to millions but at the same time, some have become her opponents and critics. Generally speaking, climate change is […]

On Experience

On Experience

Generally speaking, and by and large, experience is everything. But, in Kashmir, we tend to postpone experience and prefer the speculative over it. This is perhaps best illustrated in our education system that produces over qualified people with a proficiency more in theory than anything else. But, theory is theory- a realm of abstract thought […]

Sin and the City

Sin and the City

In cities, especially large and big ones, which accord the veil of anonymity to people, and where different people of different persuasions reside people, or some people, become lax in moral or ethical terms. Or, in other words, there is real sin and potential for it in large cities. The “usual suspects” for sin in […]

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