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Srinagaram Ganapatim Bhajeham

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Title (Sanskrit) - Lord Ganapati, who resides in Srinagar, I pray to you. Blazing leaves of Chinar in Kashmir, Autumn. The second half of September and the whole month of October turn the valley of Kashmir into a beautiful heaven, which seems to be engulfed in orange fire. These 2 contradictory statements to describe a single phenomena sound absurd at the first encounter, but one understands them in a true sense when s/he experiences it with her/his own eyes. I have never been to my homeland, never seen that phenomenon with my eyes, but impeccably imagined it. That imagination and visual sight, runs in our blood now.  The months of autumn engulf the whole valley with dead and orange coloured Chinar leaves, which creates the sight of a burning heaven. Walking across the orange Chinar drenched footpath along the banks of Dal, with a soothing breeze from the lake patting your cheeks, says my father, is the most beautiful sight on this planet.  On one such autumn day of September 18, 1985,
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"Avane" South Indian Cinema

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India, Kuchh toh Corona

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The write up is taken from the Magazine - MAC VOICE 2020; dated 2nd June, 2020. The author served as the editor of the magazine.
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हम हिंदी नहीं बोलेंगे

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अंतिम बार हिंदी दसवीं कक्षा की बोर्ड परीक्षा में 2016 में लिखी थी। आज 4 वर्षों के पश्चात्  पुनः कलम उठाई और हिंदी में लिखने का एक तुच्छ प्रयास किया, एक कठोर प्रयास। यह लेख छपने के बाद बहुत पिटूंगा, ज्ञात है । जी हाँ! पूरा दक्षिण और उत्तर पूर्व भारत पिछले 70-80 वर्षों से इस का मोटा शीर्षक बारम्बार कहते हुए एकमत से हिंदी को, या विधिपूर्वक कहूँ तो हिंदी के "आरोपण" को नकारता आ रहा है। स्वतंत्रता के पश्चात् जिस हिंदी के समक्ष सम्पूर्ण "आर्यभाषी" भारत ने अभ्यर्पण कर दिया, उसके मढ़े जाने  के विरुद्ध तमिल नाडु जैसा राज्य सदा अटल रहा। भारत का संविधान जहाँ  22 भाषाओँ को आठवीं अनुसूची में आधिकारिकता प्रदान करता है, वहीं वह अंग्रेजी के साथ-साथ हिंदी को भारत कि राजभाषा का दर्जा देते हुए वही तक सीमित कर देता है। आपको बता दूँ कि दक्षिण भारत के कड़े विरोध का ही परिणाम है कि भारत गणराज्य कि कोई "राष्ट्रभाषा" नहीं है, जिसे लोग गलती से, या अधिकतर जान बूझके हिंदी मान लेते हैं। चेन्नई के "पार्क" रेलवे स्टेशन पर एक कार्यकर्ता हिंदी नामपट्ट परकालिक पोतता हुआ  सन्न 1937 म
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Rashtradhipatis of Pravarasenapuram: The Ashta Bhairavas of Kashmir

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. Kashmir, in it’s separate identity from the Gandhara mahajanapada was controlled from it’s conventional capital of Puranadisthan (Pandrethan), currently situated to the south of present day Srinagar. Kalhana, mentions in his 12th century epic Rajatarangini, that the 5th ruler of the Gonanditya dynasty sought to construct a new capital for the kingdom. Mentioned as “Sri Pravarsena” in many Indian texts, Pravarsena II was a probable Huna king, who ruled the kingdom somewhere around the middle of 2nd Century AD. He founded a new capital in the land tracts between the Lake “Mahasarit” (Dal Lake) and river Vitasta. Named Pravarapura or Pravarasenapuram, the city was planned in an exceptional manner. On the northern bank of the Mahasarit, he developed an alluring garden and named it as Shalimar. “Shalimar” is a Samskrit term meaning “abode of love”. It was this place, which was resurrected by Mughal Emperor Jahangir in accordance with Islamic architecture and is still known as Shalimar
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Censoring the discrimination - Delimitation and Jammu & Kashmir

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Within hours of assuming charge, the new Home Minister of the country, Amit Shah held closed door meetings with Governor of J&K Satyapal Malik, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain and senior officials of the Jammu Kashmir Division of the Home Ministry. The speculated outcome was clear. A big decision was on the way for the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Speculations hovered over what and how big the decision could be. Soon headlines flashed - "According to the sources, MHA is planning to delimit the Legislative Assembly constituencies of the state." Every news channel showed this as a breaking news, 9 PM primetimes covered it and soon after, the decision started drawing wrath of the ex-Chief Ministers of the state, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, both claiming to be the undisputed mouthpieces of the majority section of the state. Next morning, after the newspapers published the same news on their front pages, the MHA issued a sta
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Part 2, Medieval and Modern Kashmir

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Massacring Pandits. Part 2, Medieval and Modern Kashmir Martand Sun Temple, Biggest Temple Complex at that time on the earth, destroyed by Sikandar Butshikan. By : Shivansh Ganjoo Part 1 ended with the beginning of Shah Mir's rule. Shah Mir could be named as the chief architect of Islam in Kashmir. He allowed several Sufis, Mullahs and Islamic Preachers to penetrate into the valley. He made Islam the court religion of Kashmir, removed Sanskrit and implemented Persian. Kashmiri hindu officials were removed from their posts with immediate effect. He implemented certain rules for Pandits such as no new Temple shall be constructed and no restoration of destructed temples would take place, Muslims shall be honoured by Pandits and many such. Pandits were now being converted to Islam violently at a war footing. Further rulers implemented tyrannic laws in Kashmir. Frustated Pandits revolted for the first time. On one fine night(date unknown) Pandits marched and set fir
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