THE CURIOUS CASE OF KUNAN POSHPORA

If you ever happen to visit the border district of Kupwara in North Kashmir and plan to visit the scenic Bangas valley ahead of Chowkibal or go up to the Tithwal Bridge on the LC, chances are that you will altogether miss the twin villages of Kunan and Poshpora located about 8 km west of Kupwara town during the drive.

But how much traction do such attempts to resuscitate a long buried and near forgotten incident have in today’s Kashmir? Present day Kashmir certainly does not want to regress into the spiral of violence it has witnessed in the last three decades. It has seen unprecedented development in the last three to four years and the youth have a bright future by joining the mainstream.

Let us celebrate women like Jameela Begum from the area who was mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat programme in November 2021 as ‘The Flag Woman of Kupwara’ for her effort in stitching hand embroidered Indian National Flags. Following her example, there are countless other women in Kunan Poshpora and adjoining areas in Kupwara who have followed suit to empower themselves. Instead of digging up old wounds for divisive reasons, it is time to focus on inspiring stories such as the effort of the locales to ensure a Drug Free Kupwara, or of the development of sports infrastructure in the village, the 83 children who have enrolled in NCC & Bharat Scouts and Guides and a host of others who through skill development programmes sponsored by NGOs in Pune and Delhi are carving out a brighter future for themselves.