Songbirds, Mystics and Our Beliefs
Songbirds and Mystics Long queues gathered outside the door of a top Faqir in our neighbourhood That pretty little bird Kettijj (swallows) excited me the most. I loved chasing the bird in wee morning hours as it flew like a fighter plane on the deserted streets – gliding and soaring – then perching on the eaves for a song. I loved watching the bird dipping dextrously a straw or a twig in a muddy puddle and like … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
Brides and Bridegrooms Then And Now
Bridegrooms And Barber’s Bowl ZGM In our sprawling city, with beauty salons galore, and brides queuing outsides these for having long sittings with the beauticians, the stories of the past, not that past by their mothers and grandmothers when these parlors were not there, and brides still looked prettier than spring flowers sound to them as good as fairy tales. In their pursuit of looking prettier than the Helen of Troy that ‘had launched a thousand ships’ many … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
The New Power Game And Kashmir Resolution
Kashmir in New Power Game By Z.G. Muhammad Once again India-Pakistan relations are getting enmeshed in the emergent ‘neo-cold war between Washington and Moscow. Since Donald John Trump took over as President of the United States, it has become more than obvious. The two countries are apparently yet to learn lesson from the past- that it was they joining the cold war politics, which immensely contributed to the non-resolution of the disputes between and perpetuation in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
Kashmir: Once Again On Floor of the Security Council
Kashmir: Security Council Rise To Occasion Z. G. Muhammad For the past seventy years the war of words, on the floor of the United Nation’s Security Council on the Kashmir Dispute, has been a routine with India and Pakistan. It, in fact, began, on 30 December 1947, when New Delhi sent a cable to the Security Council, through its representative at UN. The cable, making a complaint under Article 35 of UN charter … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
Kashmir: Imran Khan’s Litmus Test
PUNCHLINE Kashmir: Imran Khan’s Litmus Test By Z.G. Muhammad On Saturday, August 18, 2018, four days after the Independence Day of the country there was a change of guard in Pakistan. This was not a simply passing baton from one political party to another. It was a paradigm shift inasmuch as it brought to end rotating leadership between the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and the Pakistan People’s Party after decades. In fact, transferred power from the fiefdom of the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
On Kashmir Dispute Vajpayee Puts Nehru in The Dock
PUNCHLINE Vajpayee Was Different From Nehru? Z.G. Muhammad In all literature; history, memoirs, and travelogues, Kashmir is described as a country. Notwithstanding, being ruled by Moguls, Durranis, and Sikhs through their governors for exacting taxes to the extent of famishing people, it continued to be known as a country. It retained, this title even after India and Pakistan were born as an independent dominions. For the first time, it lost this title on 27 October … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
Mashal-e-khu’er – the children of lesser god but part of pageantry
Nostalgia ‘Mashal-e-khu’er The Luxury of time was the beauty of our childhood. We were not couch potatoes, but free as birds having liberty to perch on high or low branch and sing our songs like a nightingale. We had freedom of Iqbal’s hawk to fly unimpeded high in skies at our sweet will. ‘To have a happy childhood is the luckiest thing that can happen in one’s life. That way our whole generation despite being … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk