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Counter Narrative | The Velvet Knife: A Civilizational Critique of the Sentimental Modernist Discourse on Marriage and Parenting in Kashmir
I A certain article, recently circulated in public discourse, presents itself as a compassionate diagnosis of the ailments afflicting Kashmiri marriages, parenting, and youth. It laments the emotional emptiness within households, the disconnection between generations, the burdens of ritual and custom, and the disillusionment of young men and women adrift in a sea of anxiety, ambition, and virtual overstimulation. Yet beneath its gentle tone and emotionally disarming language lies a devastating philosophical sleight of hand. Its deepest betrayal is not that it critiques the state of our society—indeed, critique is welcome and needed—but that it prescribes as cure the very poison that caused the sickness. It offers the language of…
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The Stupid Boy | Kashmiri Folktale | Kashmiri Traditions | Sage’s Vault
The difference between knowledge and wisdom is a very subtle one but one that can be understood. “The Stupid Boy” is part of Kashmiri Folklore which brings out this difference. Reverend J. Hinton Knowles writes in 1887, “Kashmir as a field of Folk-lore literature is, perhaps, not surpassed in fertility by any other country in the world”. Yet, these stories are unknown to non-Kashmiris and Kashmiris alike. This is an attempt to share some of these stories with you.