Meet Mubeena Ramzan, the trailblazer in imparting women’s education and property rights

By Sadaf Shabir, TwoCircles.net “In today’s world, if something goes wrong in our household, women are held responsible,” said Mubeena Ramzan, an iconic figure for...

JKSSB exams postponed, aspirants approach SC over hiring of blacklisted agency to conduct tests

The postponement has come amid growing protests by aspirants over the administration’s decision to hire tainted Aptech Limited to conduct the exams.  Ubair ul...

Shock, anger in Kashmir after brutal murder of young woman

In a case of unprecedented brutality in Kashmir, a 45-year-old man killed a 30-year-old woman in Budgam by chopping off her head, slicing...

‘Justice half-done,’ say families of three youth killed in Kashmir fake encounter

An Army court on Monday sentenced an Army captain to life imprisonment for his involvement in a staged gunfight in Shopian in 2020.  Auqib...

‘Govt doesn’t care about religious minorities in Kashmir:’ Kashmiri Pandit leader after fresh killing 

In the latest attack, a Kashmiri Pandit man was shot dead by suspected militants in the Pulwama district on Sunday.  Afnan Habib | TwoCircles.net  SRINAGAR...

Property tax in J&K from April; political leaders oppose move

The Jammu and Kashmir administration ordered on Tuesday the imposition of property tax in municipal areas of the Union Territory from April 1.  Afnan...

Supreme Court dismisses plea challenging delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir

On March 6, 2020, the Centre constituted a three-member delimitation commission headed by former Supreme Court Judge, Justice Ranjana Desai to redraw the...

Widespread anxiety in J&K amid intensified anti-encroachment drive

The administration has recovered thousands of acres of state land throughout the Union Territory, and hundreds of structures erected on the encroached territory...

‘No transparency in anti-encroachment drive:’ Kashmir traders’ body as govt intensifies ‘state land’ retrieval...

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCC&I) held an urgent press conference today and urged the government to bring a formal order in...

“Was greeted with hearts full of love, not grenades,” Rahul Gandhi on concluding Bharat...

Gandhi said he did not take this Yatra for Congress or himself but for the country's people.  Afnan Habib | TwoCircles.net SRINAGAR (JAMMU & KASHMIR) — Amid heavy...

Bharat Jodo Yatra: Rahul Gandhi hoists national flag at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk

The Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra started from the southern tip of the country on September 7 and will culminate today in Srinagar after...

10 facts about Rehman Rahi, Kashmir’s greatest 20th century poet

Rehman Rahi's death on January 9 was mourned across Kashmir.  Afnan Habib | TwoCircles.net  SRINAGAR (JAMMU AND KASHMIR) — Professor Abdul Rehman Rahi, a well-known Kashmiri...

Celebrated Kashmiri poet Rehman Rahi dies at 98

Rehman Rahi has profoundly impacted Kashmiri culture and literature as a respected poet, forward-thinking critic, and literary theorist. Afnan Habib | TwoCircles.net  SRINAGAR (JAMMU AND...

After backlash, AMU withdraws order seeking profiling of J&K students

The circular dated December 27 had caused fear among J&K students as the collected information had to be provided to the Aligarh Superintendent...

J&K: Day after attack left 4 dead, explosion kills minor boy in Rajouri

The attack against civilians on Sunday triggered protests in the area, with a complete shutdown observed today against the killings.  Afnan Habib | TwoCircles.net  SRINAGAR...

Year 2022: Over 180 militants killed in J&K, notable drop in recruitment

In 2022, Kashmir witnessed a spate of targeted killings, leaving scores of civilians, including Kashmiri Pandits and migrant labourers, dead. Afnan Habib | TwoCircles.net  SRINAGAR...

Kashmiri students at AMU allege harassment, attacks; write to Amit Shah for probe

Students from Kashmir at the Aligarh Muslim University have been protesting against the alleged harassment faced by them on campus. Huneza Khan | TwoCircles.net ALIGARH...

Watch: Srinagar’s Heritage House connects youth with Kashmir’s past

Located in Srinagar’s old city, a century-old building is now a heritage museum. Known as Baitul Meeras (Heritage House), the museum was opened...

Explainer: Why next assembly elections will be significant for Jammu and Kashmir?

The next elections will be significant as the BJP-led government has made several constitutional changes in the region. Auqib Javeed | TwoCircles SRINAGAR (JAMMU AND...

Fear among Kashmiri Pandits in valley after fresh militant threat

BJP’s spokesperson (J&K), Altaf Thakur, has urged the police to investigate how the list was leaked and has urged the administration to ensure...

To fight harsh winters, doctors in Srinagar launch ‘Apparel for Poor’ for underprivileged

Dr Mohammad Salim Khan and a group of medical students collect warm clothing at their department to assist underprivileged families.  Afnan Habib | TwoCircles.net  SRINAGAR...

Why are tribals from Jammu and Kashmir protesting inclusion of Paharis in ST list?

Members of the Gujjar Bakarwal community in Jammu and Kashmir are on a protest march from Kupwara to Jammu against the government of India's...

‘80% pellet gun victims in Kashmir suffer from partial vision loss’, claims study

The study examined 777 patients diagnosed with pellet gun-related injuries admitted to the tertiary hospital in Srinagar, between July and November 2016.  Auqib Javeed...

Jailed Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Altaf Shah dies of cancer at AIIMS

Altaf Shah, the son-in-law of late Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was a prominent member of the separatist group Tehreek e Hurriyat. Afnan...

Who is Gulam Ali Khatana, BJP’s Rajya Sabha nominee from J&K?

51-year-old Ghulam Ali Khatana from Jammu has worked with the RSS affiliated Muslim Rashtriya Manch and has held several positions within the BJP.  Ubair Ul...

Why were prominent clerics in Kashmir arrested under stringent PSA?

Jammu and Kashmir Additional Director General of Police said the clerics were found involved in “instigating” youth, which was rejected by the region's religious...

Fresh killing renews fear among Kashmir’s minority Hindu community

The killing of a Kashmiri Pandit man in Shopian district of Kashmir last week evoked a sharp condemnation from the Union Territory administration and...

Political row in Kashmir as non-locals get voter rights

Any Indian citizen, including non-locals who live or work in Jammu and Kashmir, will be eligible to register to vote and participate in the...

‘Inside the heart of the conflict’, a new book on Bastar & Kashmir challenges...

A new book ‘Flaming Forest, Wounded Valley: Stories From Bastar and Kashmir’ by author and journalist Freny Manecksha investigates how places can be drastically...

‘My journalism seems to be the reason for these travel restrictions’: journalist Aakash Hassan...

Independent journalist Aakash Hassan from Kashmir writes for The Guardian and has covered human rights and politics from the region for reputed media outlets...

Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik sentenced to life imprisonment; shutdown, clashes in Srinagar parts

Ahead of the sentencing of Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik in a 'terror-funding' case, spontaneous shutdown was witnessed in Kashmir parts, with clashes, sloganeering...

In Kashmir, women diagnosed with PCOS face trauma, infertility

The latest Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS), published in December 2020,  found that at least 60% of Kashmiri married women report one or...

Social divide widens in J&K’s Pir Panjal amidst ST reservation politics

Gujjar-Bakarwals and Paharis, the two distinct ethnic groups of Jammu and Kashmir are at loggerheads with each other due to the changing political dynamics...

Anger, protests in Kashmir after killing of migrant Kashmiri Pandit

Killing of a Kashmiri Pandit in Kashmir valley has evoked sharp reactions in the Pandit community with several calling for the mass resignation of...

Why Delimitation Commission’s report to redraw electoral boundaries in J&K is ruffling feathers??

Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have said that the recommendations by the Commission will disempower the erstwhile state while the political observers believe...

Explained: Why is Kashmir’s historic grand mosque frequently shut down by authorities?

Kashmir valley's grand mosque of Jamia Masjid in Srinagar was shut for congregational prayers on the Muslim festival of Eid on May 3. In...

India’s attacks on press freedoms similar to a dictatorship: RSF Asia-Pacific Director

The congressional briefing focused on India’s steep decline in the latest Press Freedom Index ranking by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which plunged from 142...

Kashmir marred by series of attacks ahead of PM Modi’s visit

This will be the prime minister's first visit to the newly carved Union Territory (UT) post abrogation of Article 370—which granted special status to...

Why are three Kashmiri students in jail after court granted them bail?

On March 30, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to all three students who were booked for sedition. They are still behind bars as...

‘What good will the film do for us?’ several Kashmiri Pandits question The Kashmir...

For several displaced Kashmiri Pandits, the film’s depiction of Kashmiri Muslims as villains is untrue and will not help the battered community in their...

‘Film on Kashmiri Pandits has further widened the wedge between two communities,’ says top...

A prominent Kashmiri Pandit leader Sanjay Tickoo in an interview with TwoCircles.net castigates the hate generated by the film The Kashmir Files.  Auqib Javeed |...

Opinion: Kashmir Files weaponizes grief for propaganda

The gut-wrenching story of Kashmiri Pandits should not be weaponized for stoking anti-Muslim violence. Alishan Jafri | TwoCircles.net  After a friend shared Chetan Bhagat's recent op-ed in the Times...

Texas doctor demands “retribution” after Kashmir Files film

The film has incited widespread calls for anti-Muslim violence. Pieter Friedrich | TwoCircles.net UNITED STATES — “Retribution,” declared Rajiv Pandit, a doctor based in Dallas, TX,...

Journalists in Kashmir anxious after admin’s “militant sympathizers” remarks

The remarks made by the region’s top administrator in a fact-finding report by Press Council of India (PCI) has caused worry among the journalists...

This super teacher is on a mission to transform the lives of children in...

Kanchan Sharma, a retired lecturer, has been running a school for the slum children for over a decade now.  Mubashir Naik and Irshad Hussain |...

Against all odds, this tribal boy from Srinagar cracks one of India’s toughest exams

Tufail Ahmad constantly struggled to get good internet connectivity and worked as a laborer to arrange funds for books. Auqib Javid | TwoCircles.net SRINAGAR — Tufail...

Meet the college dropout who runs a news portal in J&K

The portal is getting recognised for reporting on issues in Chenab valley which are overlooked by the mainstream media. Shadab Farooq | TwoCircles.net JAMMU — When 22-year-old...

Kashmir residents upset over closure of Valley’s biggest mosque for 26 weeks

The year 2021 witnessed the highest number of restrictions on Friday prayers at Jamia mosque in Srinagar. The mosque remained shut for at...

Meet Shariya Manzoor: The boxer girl from Kashmir

Twenty-year-old Shariya Manzoor from a restive region in Kashmir is a boxer whose passion for combat sports has earned her laurels. Her dream is...

“We have lost our livelihood,” How closure of Kashmir Press Club rendered four men...

For these four individuals—who are not professional journalists—the closure of Kashmir Press Club (KPC) was felt the hardest and directly impacted their livelihood.  Auqib...

Kashmiri journalists ‘deprived’ of interactive space, protection as authorities shut valley’s only Press Club

The journalists from Kashmir valley lamented that they have lost a rare institution that stood by them, talked about journalistic rights, and called...

Kashmiri journalist Sajad Gul jailed under stringent PSA, family in shock

Twenty-six-year old Sajjad Ahmad Dar alias Sajad Gul, a trainee reporter with a local web portal The Kashmir Walla, was arrested by the Army...

Outrage in Kashmir after govt circular orders colleges to do ‘Surya Namaskar’ on...

A few days ago, the Jammu and Kashmir government directed the higher education department to organize a large scale virtual Surya Namaskar on...

“We have been rendered homeless,” Muslim tribals in Jammu raise questions over ‘selective’ eviction...

After over a dozen homes of Muslims tribals (Gujjar-Bakerwals) were demolished in an eviction drive by the administration in Jammu—the Hindu-dominated winter capital...

“Arsalan is innocent,” family of 19-year-old Srinagar youth arrested by NIA demand his release

After a 19-year-old youth from Srinagar was arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) under militancy charges, his family has been left distraught. They claim...

Kashmir: Claims of probe on Hyderpora encounter leave police, families of slain, political parties...

The claims of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Jammu Kashmir Police ordered to probe the controversial Hyderpora encounter, have been dismissed by...

“Aim to disempower Kashmir,” Why Delimitation Commission’s draft report stirs controversy in restive region

The political parties under the banner of People Alliance for Gupkar declaration (PAGD) expressed their dismay over the draft report of the commission...

Do renewed attacks on police, increase in civilian killings belie govt claims of ‘all...

For the citizens of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, notwithstanding the perception of an increase or decrease in violence, the situation has...

International Human Rights Day: Khurram Parvez’s arrest casts shadow over human rights work in...

The arrest of prominent human rights defender Khurram Parvez under UAPA has brought to halt the human rights work in Kashmir. Auqib Javeed |...

“Land is our only source of income,” Kashmir village erupts against land transfer to...

On November 29, scores of villagers from Pulwama assembled in Press Enclave Srinagar and protested against the "allotment of their agricultural land to CRPF"...

Reports of rights violations in J&K, arrest of prominent Kashmiri activist by NIA concerning:...

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) President Syed Sadatullah in a statement said that the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir must be resolved by talks, consultation and...

TCN interview: “Number of bunkers in Srinagar has remained same, if not reduced,” says...

To understand the current security scenario in Kashmir, the deployment of additional troops, hybrid militancy and the challenges forces face to deal with it,...

Outrage in Kashmir after killing of 2 ‘civilians’, who police claim were working with...

Following the killing of two civilians in an encounter at the Hyderpora area of Srinagar, the family members of the slain duo have rubbished...

Meet Shiekh Asif from Kashmir, a tech entrepreneur who believes an idea can change...

Twenty-eight-year-old Sheikh Asif from Kashmir’s capital Srinagar never thought that "an idea" will change his life and he will become an owner of a...

“Not able to attend online classes,” students, businessmen in Kashmir decry new ‘unscheduled, unannounced’...

The unscheduled internet shutdowns in different parts of Kashmir, especially capital Srinagar, have hit the students and businesses hard.  Auqib Javeed | TwoCircles.net  SRINAGAR - For...

“We are begging govt to release our kin,” say families of Kashmiri students held...

After cases were filed against Kashmiri students for allegedly cheering for Pakistan in different parts of the country, their families back home are in...

“Srinagar has become an open-air prison,” restrictions back to Kashmir capital after decades

After the spate of civilian killings in Kashmir, especially of members of the Kashmiri Pandit community and non-locals, the government has beefed security in...

“Falsely booked,” claims family of Malik Noor Fayaz of Doda in prison for ‘killing...

The family of 51-year-old Malik Noor Mohammad Fayyaz, who is currently in prison for the killing of a BJP member and his brother in...

Top Muslim religious clerks, civil society members condemn killings of non-Muslims in Kashmir, call...

Following a spree of targeted civilian killings in Kashmir, especially of non-Muslims, in the last few weeks, the members of the Muslim majority community...

“Senseless violence in Kashmir should stop,” targeted killings create wave of fear, migration

The killings of civilians in Kashmir, especially of non-Muslims, has created fear among the minority community. According to reports, many Kashmiri Pandit families have...

“Being a lawyer in Kashmir is walking on two-edged sword,” journey of a lawyer...

Working as a lawyer is not easy in a region like Kashmir, where multiple levels of threat not only impede justice but restrict the...

Why Kishanganj in Bihar is being targeted as ‘Kashmir’?

Kishanganj is a Muslim majority district in Bihar. Lately, the district has been in focus after Hindutva leaders started comparing the region with ‘Kashmir...

“We celebrated abrogation of Article 370 but we didn’t know Jammu will be its...

Two years after the BJP government abrogated Article 370 of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the region where it promised the abrogation...

USCIRF urges Biden to raise India’s Human Rights abuse, persecution of Muslims with Indian...

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called upon US President Joe Biden to raise India's human rights situation and persecution of...

“We are still begging for meals 30 years after migration,” Why are Kashmiri Pandits...

On September 18, hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits held a protest demonstration at Jagti township in the outskirts of Jammu city against the delay in the payment...

What made Syed Ali Shah Geelani popular in Kashmir?

The senior Kashmir Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani died at his home in Srinagar on September 1 amid tight police presence. His death...

Devotees slam authorities in Kashmir for not allowing prayers in major mosques, shrines

The predominantly Muslim region has been under an unprecedented lockdown following the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020. While the lockdown restrictions have gradually...

Families of Kashmiri ‘militants’ killed in encounters with forces demand probe, insist their kin...

In recent months, at least three Kashmiri families have demanded probes into the killing of their slain kin who are accused to be 'alleged...

“This is sheer injustice,” say sacked JK govt employees accused of ‘anti-national’ links

After the government in Jammu and Kashmir terminated 11 of its employees on July 9 accusing them of 'anti-national' activities, the order has left...

“Will affect livelihood,” Kashmir photographers unhappy with new order banning drones

On July 4, a week after the Jammu drone attack, which was the first of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir, the district administration...

“Jailed but innocent,” acquittal of Kashmiri man after 11 years in false case puts...

On June 22, a 44-year-old Kashmiri man Bashir Ahmad Baba reunited with his family 11 years after he was “framed” in a case in Gujarat and jailed...

Mental health experts sound alarm as suicide cases rise in Kashmir amid pandemic

Several cases of suicides in Kashmir in the past month and with the pandemic year recording the highest cases of suicides in Kashmir in...

Life after Article 370: Kashmiri farmers decry not getting benefits from progressive central laws...

Following the abrogation of Article 370 by the Indian government in August, 2019, a total of 165 laws of the erstwhile state of Jammu...

Part II: Gujjar-Bakerwal community in Jammu and Kashmir face depleted livelihood, exclusion, fear of...

The Gujjar-Bakarwal community live in the hilly areas of the Indian subcontinent, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Pakistan, and Tibet. In...

Gujjar Lung or Covid-19: Explaining cause of deaths in Gujjar-Bakarwal community in Jammu and...

The Gujjar-Bakarwal live in the hilly areas of the Indian subcontinent, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Pakistan, Tibet. The nomadic community...

The story behind the controversial Palestinian mural in Kashmir

On the occasion of Eid, a protest against the recent Israeli actions in Palestine took place in an area in Srinagar, the summer capital...

“They are our hope,” Local community and relief orgs’ in Kashmir answer SOS calls...

Amid the present Covid-19 crisis, over two dozen NGO’s in J&K, especially in Kashmir valley, are working in the region by providing medicines, oxygen,...

“To whom should we plead?,” families of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails across India...

The demand for the release of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in different jails across India was raised after a Hurriyat leader Shahid-ul-Islam tested positive in...

Book Review: Connecting Kashmir’s past with the present

The book Kashmir: Looking Back in Time-Politics, Culture, History by Khalid Bashir Ahmad is an attempt at connecting Kashmir’s past and present. The book...

“If we don’t click pictures, what will we earn?” Kashmir’s photojournalists rue new police...

After Kashmir Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar issued directions to media on April 7 to “not come close to encounter sites and cases...

Understanding LOC ceasefire and reorganization

The US influence cannot be the only reason for this change. In its current political construct, India needs some solid reasons to go forward...
Rohingya

“Move to detain us aimed to please Hindutva vote bank in Jammu,” say fear-stricken...

At-least 168 Rohingya refugees living in Narwal area of Jammu in India were taken to detention centres on March 6. The move whipped up...

“Young Abrar had left home to earn money for studies,” distraught family questions militancy...

Editor’s note: The story is the second part in a three-part series on the three youth from Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, who...

UN Special Rapporteurs concerned with criminal proceedings against 4 Kashmiri journalists

TCN News The office of the United Nations High Commissioner (OHCHR) has expressed strong concern at the criminal proceedings and investigations initiated” against the four...

Govt’s name-changing spree in Kashmir “too small an issue” for people

Auqib Javeed, Twocircles.net Srinagar: Backed by BJP at the Centre, the Union territory administration in Jammu and Kashmir is on name changing spree for the...

Vacant Hotels, Empty Shikaras dot the Kashmir landscape as Govt fails to woo back...

 Auqib Javeed, TwoCircles.net   Srinagar: Despite advocating normalcy by uplifting the ban on social media, the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory administration has failed to woo...

Un-ending Tragedies IV: To meet her jailed son, this Kashmiri mother is begging door...

By TCN Correspondent SRINAGAR: This year marks a new beginning for 42-years-old Zamrooda. A resident of Batamaloo area of Srinagar and originally a homemaker, now has...

Won’t plead for justice anymore: Kashmir’s ‘Mass Rape’ survivors on 29th anniversary

Auqib Javeed , TwoCircles.net Kupwara: “We were not heard then and we aren’t being heard now,” says 75-years old Mohammad Amin, whose wife(name withheld) was...

200 days since abrogation of Article 370 : Alienation, clampdowns, denials and detentions continue...

Auqib Javeed, Twocircles.net Srinagar:  On August 5, the Indian government withdrew Article 370 of India's constitution, which gave the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir...

Un-ending Tragedies III: ‘We embraced and wept’, Father on meeting jailed son after 60...

In the first week of August last year, the stage was set for the government of India to remove the special status of the...

Telugu Translation of Kashmir Anthology Released in Hyderabad

Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net An anthology of 30 essays penned by different activist authors and political journalists across India translated into Telugu titled ‘Kashmir Bahiranga Cherasala’...

TCN SPECIAL- Abrogation of Article 370 Aftermath: How a Kashmiri mother struggles to meet...

In the first week of August last year, the stage was set for Union government of India to remove the special status of the...
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