Trade union leader Sampat Prakash, an unconventional and outspoken Kashmiri Pandit, passed away at the age of 86. Known for his fearless activism and sharp memory of Kashmir's history, Prakash's legacy is being debated in real and virtual Kashmir. He spoke for a united Kashmir and rejected the notion of victimhood, advocating for the recognition of suffering across communities. Prakash's funeral drew mourners from different political factions, bridging ideological divides. His death was widely mourned, although the Jammu and Kashmir government and the BJP refrained from commenting on his passing.
In Kashmir tehreek against the despotic Dogra rule, one of the major characters was businessman, Khawaja Sauddin Shawl, whose contribution is least known and hardly acknowledged.
Lt Gen Brij Mohan Kaul, the Lahore-born Kashmiri Pandit soldier, was a young colonel when he was posted in Kashmir in 1948 spring to manage the JK Militia. Though having a direct line to the Prime Minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Kaul was shifted out in October.
In the 40 years of its existence, the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), a deemed university, has emerged as a key research and healthcare facility for the well-being of people within and outside Kashmir.
The regions history remains buried today under its hollow structure
Zaina Kadal, the heart of old city Srinagar, was once popular for politics as Mujahid Manzil was located here. The Manzil was considered a “shrine of resistance politics” against Dogra regime, and which was later on taken over by National Conference. Once being a hub for political activities fighting against Dogra’s, Mujahid Manzil was a focal point as people from all walks of life in Jammu and Kashmir would visit the place to meet political leaders like Sheikh Mohamamd Abdullah, Maulana Masoodi, Chowdhary Ghulam Abbas and others to get glimpses of Kashmir s topmost leaders and first hand information of regional politics.