The Downfall of Kashmir: Once-Heavenly Land Grapples with Moral Decay and Societal Disarray

The Downfall of Kashmir: Once-Heavenly Land Grapples with Moral Decay and Societal Disarray

Asfiya Taliey

In the epoch of peers and sufis, Kashmir was exalted as the heaven on earth, resplendent with virtues of peace, love, ethics, hospitality, discretion, honor, and respect. The sufi poet, Amir Khusrau, poignantly extolled its celestial beauty, proclaiming, “If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this.”

Kashmir has been a veritable bastion of culture and obedience throughout its history. It has been the muse of many an artist worldwide, yet today, I shall not join their ranks. For, if it were to be titled a hell on earth, it would hardly be a contentious matter.

The past decade has witnessed the reasons behind my characterization of my beloved “Peer Waer” as such. However, it is not a matter of pride or joy but a source of unbearable distress. How can I represent my land to outsiders or future generations? Shall I say, “It is a land brimming with murderers? Or a land overrun by drug addicts?”

Let me take you to the seamy side of my “Peer Waer.” As a child, I was proud of being a Kashmiri, of the moral code and hospitality instilled in us by our elders. However, today, I am appalled by the behavior of my fellow Kashmiris. Where are we headed?

I am shocked by the current events in Kashmir, where a father murders his daughter, a son kills his mother, sex trafficking rackets thrive, and Western cultural influences are embraced with alarming frequency. Nudity is commonplace, and our land is adapting an increasingly lewd demeanor. Parents take pride in their children performing lascivious dances and other inappropriate acts. They are proud of their children adopting the Western lifestyle, from immodest attire to cultural practices.

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Children are being taught every subject and language except the moral values and customs of their land. The skyrocketing prices of even basic necessities and wants have impacted people’s lives, and the concomitant rise in unemployment has driven many youths to take up criminal activities.

Elders, unacquainted with modernity, fail to comprehend their children’s aspirations and dreams, and their outdated thinking often leads them down the path of wrongdoing, without any security or support. This has led to a surge in depression and anxiety among the youth, opening the doors for drug addiction, robbery, murder, and other heinous acts.

There are several factors responsible for the valley’s downfall, which will undoubtedly impact its people economically, culturally, ethically, mentally, and physically in the coming years.

The whole world reveres the bond between a father and his daughter as the most sacred and affectionate, but in Kashmir, I have witnessed the exact opposite. A place where drug addicts are deemed normal, and upstanding scholars are labeled as thieves and liars, and cursed with vulgar epithets. A place where it is acceptable for a girl to walk the streets in Western attire, while a modest lady is regarded as a hypocrite, lacking character and manners.

The prevalence of dowry systems, numerous customs, skyrocketing prices, luxurious lifestyles, Westernization, a loss of culture, disrespect for moral values, unemployment, greed, jealousy, malice, incomprehension, depravity, and confusion have left the valley in a state of disarray and desolation.

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As a society, we must awaken the youth to the perils of their surroundings. Rather than opening clubs and bars, we should focus on building rehabilitation centers, educational institutions, and dawah centers on the grassroots level, without being beholden to any governmental agency. Providing employment to the locals instead of hiring foreigners can also be an
effective step in reducing unemployment and preventing the youth from being lured into criminal activities.

Furthermore, we must rekindle the flames of morality and culture, inculcating in our children the values of respect, ethics, and hospitality that have defined our land for centuries. We must teach them to respect women, to reject drugs and other harmful vices, and to cherish the unique culture and heritage of Kashmir.

The land of Kashmir, once known as a paradise on earth, has been reduced to a land of contradictions and chaos, where moral decay and Westernization have taken root. However, it is not too late to reclaim the valley’s lost glory, to rebuild our society and rekindle the flames of morality and culture. It is time for us to unite, to take responsibility for our actions, and to work towards a brighter future for our beloved “Peer Waer.”

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