The Missionary and the Maharajas by Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe is a captivating memoir that sheds light on the struggle for education in Kashmir through the remarkable journey of Cecil Tyndale-Biscoe, a British missionary and educator. The book explores his unconventional teaching methods, his audacious attempts to challenge societal norms, and his transformative impact on Kashmir's educational landscape. Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe beautifully captures his grandfather's essence, his devotion to enlightenment, and his unyielding commitment to shaping the character of his students. The narrative weaves together education, women's empowerment, and political awakening against the backdrop of a tradition-bound society. The legacy of Cecil Tyndale-Biscoe continues to thrive under Kashmiri leadership even after his passing.
The report discusses the evolving land redistribution process in Kashmir and its impact on land management. It highlights the controversy surrounding the Prime Minister's AwasYojna (Grameen) housing scheme for the poor, which sparked a debate on land distribution and identity-demography issues. The report mentions conflicting figures and skepticism expressed by political figures regarding the number of landless families and the inclusion of non-locals in the scheme. It delves into the historical context of land redistribution in Kashmir, including the impact of Gulab Singh's rule, the land-to-tiller reform, and the challenges faced during partition. The report also touches upon subsequent land reforms and interventions, such as the Roshni scheme and post-2019 changes in land laws.
Within less than seven decades after the British Christian Missionaries introduced the modern allopathic system of medicine to Kashmir, a Srinagar-based doctor, Dr Ghulam Mohuddin – one of the first to have MBBS, moved to England and felt coerced by the devastation wreaked by World War II to settl.
Successive rulers before and after 1947 have remained reluctant in encouraging English journalism in Jammu and Kashmir. Fighting odds, restrictions and outright denial of permissions, the English media always existed in the erstwhile state but never became the mainstay.
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.