Author: Web Desk

TIMES LINK NEWS DESK SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 01 : Mirwaiz Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq has welcomed the decision of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court ordering the reinstatement of a J&K Bank officer who had been dismissed on alleged “anti-national” grounds without a proper inquiry.In a post on X, Mirwaiz said:“The J&K High Court’s decision to reinstate the J&K Bank officer who had been unjustly dismissed on alleged ‘anti-national’ grounds without a proper inquiry, is welcome news.Since August 2019, scores of employees in J&K have been dismissed in an arbitrary manner on similar grounds, without departmental inquiries or an adequate…

Prolonged delays, repeated examinations and questions over the various post raise concerns over transparency and procedural fairness SRINAGAR, AUGUST 30 (TL): The recruitment process for several posts at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has come under increasing scrutiny, with growing demands from aspirants and observers for a review and, in some quarters, quashing of the entire selection process. The controversy surrounds recruitment for posts including Print and Online Journalist, Media Producer & Editor, Cameraman, Digital Press Operator and Editor, advertised under various notifications and latest Notification No.s 07 of 2023 and 08 of 2023…

By Dr. Umer Iqbal High in the craggy recesses of the West Himalayan range, where the Lidder and Sind valleys yield to barren mountain faces, sits a natural limestone cavern at an altitude of 3,888 meters. For centuries, this isolated place, the Amarnath Cave, has drawn millions of pilgrims across treacherous alpine passes to witness one of Hinduism’s most revered phenomena: a naturally formed stalagmite of ice regarded as the self-manifested physical presence of Lord Shiva, known affectionately to devotees as Baba Barfani. Behind the echoing chants that resound through the cold mountain air lies a profound ecological and spiritual…

The rapid, early dissolution of the ice stalagmite at the holy cave of Amarnath, melting within a mere five days of the 2026 Yatra’s opening is no longer a surprise to climate scientists, nor can it be treated as an isolated atmospheric quirk. It is a stark, visible symptom of an ecosystem pushed past its threshold. As hundreds of thousands of pilgrims ascend the alpine tracks of Pahalgam and Baltal each summer, the tension between profound spiritual devotion and environmental collapse has reached a critical juncture. For decades, expert evaluations, most notably the foundational Dr. Nitish Sengupta Committee report have…

The people of Jammu & Kashmir need to shape a clear narrative regarding the path forward. They need to move away from narratives that needlessly widen the gap between them and the rest of the country. Our destiny is tied to India. Expanding the emotional or political distance serves no interest of the people of J&K.Unfortunately, many politicians continue to employ rhetoric that fuels suspicion and deepens divides. Our primary effort must be to bridge these gaps rather than expand them, says J&K’s veteran politician, Ghulam Hassan Mir (GHM) who is currently senior vice president of Apni Party. In an…

Jazim Bazaz Professor (Dr.) Upendra Kaul’s childhood unfolded in post-Partition Delhi, at a time when the city was struggling to absorb thousands of displaced families. His own family lived through those difficult years with very little. .Those were years of hardship. The family lived in a single room that served as both bedroom and kitchen, with a common lavatory shared by all the residents of the building. Material comforts were scarce, but those difficult years instilled resilience, humility, and an appreciation for the struggles of ordinary people. For the first thirteen years of his life, he was a lonely child. Only…

Roots, Struggles, and Pillars of Support Though born in the serene beauty of Kashmir, my childhood was shaped by the harsh, gruelingrealities of Delhi. It was a time marked by struggle, uncertainty, and more failures than I care to admit. Yet, standing behind me through every setback was a single, unwavering force—my late mother, Gauri. My mother did not just give me life; she gave me my purpose. Her quiet strength and faith insisted that failure was never the end, but merely a detour. Combined with an ache—a deep, unyielding longing to stay connected to my homeland of Kashmir—that inner fire…

Arun Joshi The mountains are majestic, but they are forbidding, too. This is not a metaphor or some poetic expression, but a real-time challenge that pilgrims face when they trek high passes and brave the vagaries of the weather to reach the holy cave shrine devoted to Lord Shiva in the Himalayas in Kashmir. The journey to the cave is a real-time test of breath, bone and belief. Pilgrims’ immense faith in their Lord overpowers all difficulties as they feel spiritual bliss and a sense of satisfaction in having lived up to their faith year after year. This is a…

A decade ago, a chief editor Farooq Khan (name changed) – himself a passionate golfer – remarked that the one pastime I did not share was the very one he enjoyed most. I never wrote then. But whenever I pass that place overlooking Dal Lake, the questions return: At what cost? How many trees? And for whose benefit? Fiaz Maqbool Fazili The RSGC-Royal springs golf course is undeniably magnificent, golfers’ paradise. Nestled at the foothills of the Zabarwan mountains in Srinagar, this 18-hole, par-72 course stretches approximately 6,387 metres. Designed by renowned American architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened…

Zahoor Zahid The contribution of Radio Kashmir and Doordarshan to preserving the cultural heritage, language and artistic traditions of Jammu and Kashmir is immense. It is difficult to imagine what the cultural landscape of the region would have looked like without these two institutions. For generations, they were not merely broadcasting centre’s; they were custodians of our collective memory and cultural heritage. They carried the voices of Kashmir into homes and villages where no other cultural institution had the reach to go. They gave space to Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu and other languages of the region and provided a platform to writers, poets,…