I travel from Bandipora to my college in Srinagar every day— a 70 km drive. All through the drive, a thought bothers my mind. Because each day, as I pass the gates of the college, I come across a sight that pierces my heart.

Small children loiter by the roadside, selling socks, pens, or simply begging for a few rupees. Their faces are covered in dust, their hands are rough from labour, their shoes are tattered while their innocent eyes speak of pain, hunger, and hopelessness.

What shocks me is how educated and supposedly elite people walk past them as if these children are invisible. Expensive cars stop at the traffic lights, with the people inside them sipping coffee and talking about “development”, while right beside them, the children are losing the essence of their childhood.

What kind of society have we become where indifference is the norm and compassion rare?

Several provisions exist in the law to combat the menace of child labour — from the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, to the Right to Education Act, 2009. These laws are aimed at ending child labour and ensuring free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 years. Yet, the streets of Jammu and Kashmir tell a completely different story.

Laws exist only on paper. Child welfare exists only on social media. Free education is still a dream for millions of children. While across India, millions of child labourers toil throughout the day to earn a living.

Numbers that should send shivers down our spines are reported in the media and forgotten the next instant- between April 2024 and March 2025, about 44,902 children were rescued from exploitation in India — of these, nearly 90 % were from child labour. Estimates suggest around 13.2 million children (aged 6-14 and adolescents 15-18) were engaged in child labour in 2024.

These numbers reveal a harsh truth- child labour still exists because we as a society have failed to take responsibility. Too often, officials make promises during campaigns but forget them when it comes to real groundwork.

Childhood — the most beautiful phase of life — is being crushed under the burden of survival. The elite talk about progress and development, but what about those who can’t even spell the word “school”? The contrast is painful, and yet we stay silent.

It’s time to wake up.

The government must not only make laws but also ensure their strict implementation.

Social welfare workers must be active on the ground, not be confined to office desks.

And we, the educated citizens, must stop being mere spectators.

Let us report, raise our voices, and support NGOs and local initiatives that rescue and educate these children. Each of us can make a difference — by refusing to ignore what we see every day. Because the question is not only why child labour exists, but why do we allow it to continue?

By: Sana Showkat and Snober Mehraj

November 28, 2024 – The journey of making a Samàwar starts with selecting premium copper or brass, known for their durability and shine. Skilled artisans then shape and engrave each piece, transforming it into a functional yet beautifully detailed vessel, ready to serve its purpose in homes and gatherings.

For generations, Ashiq Husain Khan and his family have been crafting Samàwars, blending artistry with tradition in each piece. However, as Ashiq points out, “Nowadays, everyone is drawn to government jobs, and no one wants to continue this craft. Even my younger ones aren’t interested in learning it. What was once an important part of our culture is now just a decorative item.” Another artisan, Mohammad Shafi, contrasts this by saying, “Despite the decline in making Samàwars, it can never completely vanish from our history, as it is a true symbol of Kashmiri identity.”

The first step in the process is preparing the raw material, which consists of flat copper sheets. These sheets are then shaped to form the various parts of the Samàwar.

A Samàwar takes four days to make and requires crafting 26 individual parts, such as the póng, heè, pèti, and thàp, each meticulously shaped and assembled to perfection.

Once the parts of the Samàwar are shaped, they are sent for engraving, where skilled artisans carve intricate designs onto the copper with great precision. Each section, including the head, body, and tail, is engraved separately, ensuring every detail is meticulously crafted. After the engraving is complete, the master artisan inspects the Samàwar, carefully removing any dents or imperfections to achieve a flawless finish. The parts are then dipped into acid (tezaab), a refining process that cleans and prepares them for the next stage of assembly, bringing the Samàwar one step closer to completion.

After the parts are refined, they are meticulously washed to ensure every detail shines with perfection. The washing process removes any remaining impurities and enhances the natural luster of the copper. Afterward, the cleaned components are carefully laid out and left to dry, allowing all moisture to evaporate completely. This step is crucial as it ensures the parts are fully set and ready for the next stage of assembly.

The parts of the Samàwar are polished to enhance their appearance and give them a refined finish. Then, all the prepared parts are carefully joined together and shaped into the body of the Samàwar, bringing the components together to create a nearly finished masterpiece.

Once finished, these Samàwars are delivered to shopkeepers, who carefully store them in transparent PVC covers to safeguard them from any potential damage.

The Samàwar, whether simple copper or intricately designed (Qandkaer), small or large, modern or traditional, holds a special place not only in Kashmiri households but also in the hearts of its people. Despite the rise of electric kettles and other modern appliances, the Samàwar remains deeply rooted in Kashmiri culture. As Tahira Begum, a resident of Hawal, Srinagar, shares, “On the second day of the daughter’s wedding, a Samàwar filled with almonds, cardamom, and saffron is sent to her in-laws as kàhwa khabar.” Recalling her own experience, she adds, “When my daughter got married, I made sure the Samàwar I sent was polished and filled with the finest ingredients because it’s not just a gift but a reflection of our love and traditions.” This enduring custom symbolizes warmth and hospitality, making the Samàwar a cherished emblem of Kashmiri heritage passed down through generations.

Review: Nero’s Guests (the age of inequality)

Director: Deepa Bhatia

Duration: 52 min

Reviewer: Saqib Manzoor (Sem 5)

Nero’s Guests is a poignant, harrowing, plaintive, and insightful documentary featuringcP. Sainath former Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu, that delves into the surging exploitation of farmers, farmer suicides, hunger, poverty, the sad state of women in the agrarian sector, and unfathomable and contemptible silence of mainstream media. Nearly 200,000 farmers have committed suicide in India over the last 10 years but the mainstream media hardly reflects this.

This over-50 minute long documentary by Deepa Bhatia, highlights the struggles of the farmers, and the efforts of a lone journalistic crusader Mr. P. Sainath.

The documentary unveils the dark side of one’s in power, and the despicable and abhorred silence of mainstream media that should have carried forward their woes and cries. It also feeds us with crumbs of information; about how western cooperations are successful in exploiting the farmers belonging to different countries including India.

1. Sainath has done a shoe-leather reporting as we see him visiting the households of poor farmers who committed suicide in the slums where farmers live a pathetic life. We can also see him driving to and walking through the fields of poor farmers that bear nothing but mourns and wails. P. Sainath was moved by the doleful and excruciating tales (unheard) of farmers.The documentary unveils the despicable and abhorred silence of mainstream media that should have carried forward their woes and cries. It also feeds us with crumbs of information; about how western cooperations are successful in exploiting the farmers belonging to different countries including India.

While interacting with the other members of the victim’s family, P. Sainath finds their agony depicted by the walls, faces, eyes and voices. They didn’t commit suicide out of curiosity/will but certain things/organisations forced them to take a such horrifying step. Loans, official  policies, costly fertilizers and sprays and in addition to these, none ready to listen to themcompelledthem to leave their family in pitiable conditions.

‘ In 1998 one suicide was reported per week but now one suicide per day,” as mentioned in it. This statement should make us contemplate the contemporary situation in the country. This country may have advanced in other sectors in terms of technology, prosperity, income etc. but the sector of agriculture__ India is most dependent on__  is witnessing increasing suicides, poverty, hunger and less production.

1. Sainath comes across a man who detested suicide and would reprimand those thinking about such horrible step but later on, the man himself became the victim. At times, these men would find ephemeral relief in venting on paper in the form of poetry. A farmer used to express his pain and agony through poetry. His daughter found the papers, full of sorrowful poems while cleaning the house on Diwali. This poetry was not about the separated lover, romance, or love songs but the farming and the sufferance they had to go through.

Politically free media is snubbing them. They are thirsty and hungry for commercial advertisements that give them profit. Hardly, we can find a story related to the farmers and increasing suicides. When fashion shows, millionaires’ or billionaires’ event/conference is held in any part of the country, the media personalities can be seen carrying camera mics after them like snarling canines looking for a lump of meat. Big hoardings, billboards, and banners, installed at different junctions of the city, display popular models, actors, branded watches and many a time, official schemes but hardly we see one dedicated to farmers or related to their poor conditions. That should have been the main medium of making people aware of what is happening in the countryside but alas, these are for filling the hungry protruding bellies. Sadly, there is ‘not a single reporter/correspondent to report on poverty’ in the country. Drawing from this statement, we can see how important is this issue for media.

We see through this documentary how elites/millionaires/billionaires want to help the poor/farmers by consuming the products such as champagne in great quantities so that they produce more. This is how they want to extirpate poverty. Generously, they want to sit in pubs, cafes, and bars and relish the cookies, cakes, drinks, and food while poor and hungry farmers work tirelessly in their fields to make these products. This is so despicable and unacceptable. Those products carry the sweat and blood of farmers but the rich want to help( exploit) them on different levels. Even this document shows us how someone wants to know the depressing conditions of farmers by just meeting the officials and people who spend most of their time in their Air-conditioning rooms. These men who wear suits, ties,and boots want to make rules for the farmers who got blisters, bruises, and wounds. The journalist was successful in organising a meeting with the farmers and victims’ families. It shows us how finance minister reached Dalla Street in just two hours when the stock market plummeted disastrously but it took a minster ten years to know about the grief-stricken farmers. This tells us the administration is the puppet of riches and is callous towards the poor. This is so reprehensible.

Even, when people are starving in the country, we are exporting their food to other countries which makes Indian farmers wish to be a European cowson which two dollars are spent daily by their owners.

Big malls, buildings, billboards, and mannequins in cities are lit up with 24×7 electricity but in the countryside where the majority of the population of India resides and are poor and farmers don’t see any sign of it for at least 18 hours.

Women are becoming widows. Children are orphaned. They are left with nothing but haunting memories. Children at tender are forced to take responsibilities of family and work in the fields. With no experience in hand, they are left depressed and despondent. They breathe the air of despondency. Women are forced to travel to far-flung areas to get work. For this, they leave their home, and children behind in the wee hours of the morning and return home in the dark hours of the night. It was saddening to see a working woman saying, “ It seems my child doesn’t even recognize me.” Women of different ages and children have been forced to take to the streets and protest against the unacceptable and harmful policies. A poem of a child beseeching mother for bread moved and saddened me. It was written by a farmer, a poet also, who committed suicide.

After much hard work, P. Sainath was able to address parliamentarians and different people (at events) where he would make them cognizant of the plight of farmers. He starts his speech with Nero (Roman Emperor) who once threw a grand party to which many eminent, prominent people were invited. Soon, Nero was flustered about how to illuminate the garden amid the darkness. An idea popped up in his mind. He brought the criminals and prisoners into the garden and set them on fire. In this way, he lit up his garden and party but none of the guests questioned this atrocity and gruesome act of Nero. Last but not least, we should not be a ‘Nero’s Guest’ and die a death of utter cowardice and shame.

Review by Irtiza Yousuf (PG Sem 1)

“A Thousand Splendid Suns” is Khaled Hosseni’s another beautifully and well crafted novel that takes the readers on an emotionally charged journey revolving around the lives of two Afghan Women, Mariam and Laila, set on the backdrop of the war torn Afghanistan from 1970s to the early 2000s.

Plot:

The writer intricately builds the stories of the two characters and brings them together in an unlikely but powerful way. The plot goes around exploring the impact of war , politics and Taliban’s regime on the life of common people especially women and at the same time plays with the themes of love, sacrifice, betrayal and resilience. The main theme of the book still remains sacrifice and bonds that go beyond blood. The author’s ability to create a gripping and heart-wrenching plot keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

Characters:

Hosseini’s characters are ortrayed with depth and complexity. Mariam and Laila from two diverse backgrounds are strong protagonists whose resilience in the face of their similar adversities resonate throughout the story. The supporting characters add layers to the narrative, making it rich and multifaceted.

Setting:

Hosseni skillfully captures the essence of his homeland , Afghanistan’s changing landscape both politically and culturally. He takes us back to kabul, its problems and makes it an enthralling experience altogether.

Themes:

The book explores many themes such as gender inequality, the impact of war on civilians, domestic violence and agility of human spirit. Hosseni has worked on these issues with great sensitivity and captured the nuances of simple Afghan people.

Writing Style:

Hosseni as always keeps the writing simple but poignant. His ability to convey the characters’ emotions and the atmosphere of each scene adds a layer of authenticity to the narrative. The use of symbolism and metaphors enhances the storytelling, creating a lasting impact. He of all people has to be the most well versed with capturing the essence of Afghanistan and the problems people face there.

Criticism:

While “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is widely praised, there are some  aspects that may be considered drawbacks:

1. Somewhere down the line the story tends to get a little predictable.
2. Natives accuse Hosseni of romanticizing the certain aspects of Afghan culture.
3. Gender stereotype is a growling problem in the novel.
4. The novel is too strong on the emotional ride and may not go well with some people.

Conclusion:

“A Thousand Splendid Suns” is a powerful and emotionally resonant novel that transcends cultural boundaries. Khaled Hosseini’s storytelling prowess, coupled with the exploration of profound themes, makes this book a compelling read. It is a testament to the enduring human spirit, leaving readers with a mix of heartache and hope that lingers long after the final page. A must read for someone who is just beginning reading.

Mehru-N-Nisa

‘Fight Club’ is a 1996-book written by Chuck Palahniuk. It is a story of an anonymous person who is also the narrator here. The narrator suffers from insomnia initially in the story and then it turns out that he suffers from split personality disorder too.

The main characters are: the narrator, Tyler Durden and Marla Singer. The narrator lives in a flat, earns money by working in a car-rental company, travels a lot (because of work), and buys comfy and expensive furniture, curtains, dishes, rugs and all that stuff for himself. The narrator is a kind of person who will be considered normal in the present world or must I say that most of the people at present are like him. We want to work up to a certain age, earn money, travel around the world and live a luxurious life. So yeah, that’s how our narrator is but he suffers from insomnia because of the frequent business trips and jet lags. He lands up in a support group when his doctor tells him that he doesn’t know pain, so he should go and see the people in a support group and listen to them (that’s where he meets Marla). Then eventually he meets Tyler on a beach and start a ‘Fight Club’, hence the title of the novel.

Tyler Durden is the alternative personality of the narrator, who overtakes the narrator to such a level that many people (including Marla) know him as Tyler Durden. He takes over the narrator’s body when he is sleeping and does whatever he wants to. He is nothing like the narrator and everything that a person would want to be like – outspoken, cunning, adventurous, bold and truthful. His personality is such that all the people around him easily trust him so that so they don’t even ask him any questions about the stuff they are doing (keeping aside the fact that the first rule of ‘Project Mayhem’ is that ‘you don’t ask questions about Project Mayhem’ and the fifth rule is that ‘you’ve to trust Mr. Durden’). Also, another aspect of his personality is that he is highly pleasant and likeable. He easily builds strong relationships with the people he knows, be it the narrator, Marla Singer or the space monkeys. He can also be termed as self-destructive and insane, keeping in mind the stuff he does to himself and to others too (here referring to ‘Tyler’s Kiss’).

“Maybe self-improvement isn’t the answer.

Maybe self-destruction is the answer.”

Marla is the lone female character of the story. She wants to taste death but kind of doesn’t want to die. She goes to the support groups where she listens to people talking about their disease and their struggles with the disease. She overdoses on Xanax to feel how it feels while dying (not a “for-real suicide”). She is also self-destructive and dangerous in her own way and for her own reasons but at the same time she cares for people too (like the way she comes with all the support group people as the story is nearing its end). And once she tells the police that “she’s (Marla) confused and afraid to commit to the wrong thing so she won’t commit to anything”, referring to her insecurities.

Chuck Palahniuk has done a tremendous work. And I love the way he has written and made us understand about materialism, about how we mess-up our lives, how we are labeled, judged and controlled by all the things that won’t even matter in the long run and how we forget about the things that actually matter.

“How everything you ever love will reject you or die.

Everything you ever create will be thrown away.

Everything you’re proud of will end up as trash.”

I didn’t consider writing this piece about The Black Book. I am in the middle of reading 1984 by George Orwell and I had decided to write about that book. But it so happens that now I am writing about Orhan Pamuk’s masterpiece. I read it almost 2 years ago when my cousin literally forced me to read it before any other book. It took me around 6 long months to complete it. I didn’t really understand a major portion of the book and I didn’t read many books afterwards, as I used to. Earlier I was thinking of this article as another college assignment and how to write 1000 words.

Even though it may seem that I am not speaking in good terms about The Black Book but it has been one of my most influential reads. If a book makes you change your point of view then its irrefutably a good read in my opinion. Unfortunately I don’t remember all parts of the novel but there are certain sections I clearly remember. Those parts keep recurring   to me in one circumstance or the other. When I say parts I mean this book does  not follow the usual scheme of one cover, one story.

The book was originally written in Turkish and has been translated to English by Maurleen Freely. Galip, a lawyer, is the protagonist who is looking for his wife, Ruya who has suddenly disappeared leaving behind just a note. Ruya is a detective novel lover. While explaining what Ruya was like Galip also shares that he is not a fan of detective novels. He says that the authors lay out clues for the characters throughout the plot. The detective doesn’t do any work on his own rather he is led by the writer to the conclusion. Unlike these stories Galip’s own story has no clue. He is the writer of his own story. This might be one of the reasons why it is difficult to get immersed in the book. The character doesn’t seem to know where he is going. There is no hope of finding a possible way out. In superhero movies, heroes can’t be defeated and they never die. This in a way spoils the experience as the audience already has an idea of the climax. In other stories the characters seem to find a solution to any kind of problems. This prompts the audience to confuse reality with fiction.  Such presumption makes all other stories seem ordinary.

Galip suspects his wife is with Jelal who a famous columnist and Ruya’s half-brother. He somehow ends up posing as him and living his life. He intended to find clues in his columns and started writing instead of him for the newspaper. If we think about it all of us want to be someone else. Galip  starts to look for signs in peoples’ faces to find clues. He sees so many different thing and even the faces of mannequins. Since then I have been obsessed with reading faces to see signs.

The columns come in as alternate chapters in the book. “When Bosphorus  Dries Up” written by Jelal is my favourite. He talks about how fast it is drying up now and soon people will find out what’s at the bottom. It will tell many stories of a civilisation and the river will no longer be a pleasant sight. People will avoid it. It reminds me of Jehlum. When Jehlum will dry up we might find out the elements that led to the fall of our society. We might even have to witness a red river bed soaked by the blood of thousands of innocent lives. We might stumble on the secrets that were not supposed to be found. People will realise their fallacies which led to this happening.

The author is also wary of the effect of westernization on his society. He fears that they are losing their own identity. Well, this is also pertinent to our society which is blindly following the concept of pseudo modernisation. Not only on the larger scale but on individual level too, most of the people are lost. They are walking on the wrong path, the path not meant for them and they are oblivious of their real identity. They have created infinite masks to hide their reality while their true faces have rotten behind these masks. It is not surprising that they have lost the choice of giving up the masquerade and have eventually ended up losing their identities.

Overall all the elements in the book are very philosophical. Philosophy is relevant in all times and everyone can interpret it in a manner that means something to them. The language used in the book is a little difficult but that is justified since it’s a translation and the essence of the book must be preserved. Using appropriate words so that message is not misinterpreted is the basic compulsion.

In addition to this the plot itself is not character heavy. Very few important characters keeps the focus of readers on track. More importantly the message of the book is what matters here and too many characters are more likely to be a distraction.

[spoiler alert] In the end Galip finds both of them murdered and nothing about the killer is revealed. Author does not talk about why they were murdered. Either he wants the readers to predict it or what I prefer to think is that it is not important. Galip’s investigation which got him into certain situations was just a facade to impart ideas of greater importance. Why did I choose to spoil it? Because in case you read it I want you to focus on the substantial ideas of the book rather than being curious to find out the end. He finds them as suddenly as they disappeared at the beginning.  I myself have decided to read this book again when I am ready to see the bigger picture that the Pamuk has attempted to draw.

The boom in the media industry across the globe has triggered a perception among the media practitioners that there is a need to evolve techniques that would ensure that the professionalism in the field is upheld at all costs. Given the emergence of social media and concepts like the citizen journalism there is a growing perception that the media industry in general and the journalism in particular may become a casualty. Easy availability of tools and platforms like the Facebook, blogs and twitter may have added to the flow of communication but in absence of the regulating agencies it becomes imperative for the media practitioners that they come up with suggestions that help the increase of communication process and at the same time, help maintain the sanctity of this profession. In such a scenario, the focus needs to be on the media education. Though, the institutions of the media studies have upgraded their curriculum in sync with the new technology, the level of participation by the students of media seems unconvincing. In Kashmir, though the media education is provided at both the under-graduate as well as the post-graduate level, the amount of criticism these institutions face is something that needs to be discussed thoroughly. The curriculum for the media courses taught here needs either an upgrade or an overall change. There is an utter need to encourage the involvement of the professionals from the field. The participation of the students in the field work has to be made compulsory. For this purpose, the industry as well as the education sector needs to join hands and evolve a broader consensus for the betterment of the students pursuing studies in the courses like the media. Furthermore, the media students have to be exposed to the modern technology and tools which require an active support of the administrative machinery to make the availability of the facilities by providing funds and financial assistance.