Nostalgia Of ‘Slacks Molvi.’ ZGM Sometimes, mostly at the sunset after returning from our small playfields out of excitement and jubilation, we engaged ourselves in lungpower matches and cried as loud as we could. We derived a lot of pleasure and excitement by catcalling, some catchphrases connected with our games like ‘Bum- Shahi-Kath-Shahi-Bum, or crying full-throat slogans like Kawa Ye’inwol Merdad’un B’yol Khuday’n Gouel, or Yazir  Peer Chu Tsrouefdar. None of us understood the etymology of these phrases or the history behind the slogans, but we loved them for their cadence. Most of the slogans and phrases that we cried were part of the legacy inherited by us from generations ahead. However, the slogan Yazir Peer Chu Tsrouefdar,  I believed, was conjured by one of our classmates for a teacher and small-time cleric … Read entire article »

By Zahid G Muhammad Tubelight’ She stood across the road, grey hair glinting in the sun, her silhouette sharp against Nehru Place’s chaos- perhaps waiting for a bus.   I intended to cross over to visit the computer. Messy traffic—it blurs your vision. “She looks like a Kashmiri—she is definitely a Kashmiri.” Whether in the crowded and haphazard Nehru Place Market or among the teeming millions at Kaaba during Hajj, Kashmiris are distinctly recognizable. Many pilgrims from African countries and Arabia often mistake us for Palestinians, Turks, or Bosnians and usually ask, “Where are you from?” When I told them I was Kashmiri, a few would nod knowingly—making me believe they had heard of us. The majority, however, would give me a weary look of ignorance, making me feel small. Perhaps they thought we … Read entire article »