KASHMIR IS NO MORE INDIA’S WINTER WONDERLAND THIS JANUARY

         Valleys of Kashmir in this January 

Kashmir - paradise of scenic beauty and a piece of picture perfect land surrounded with valleys and mountains which reminds about Switzerland. Kashmir is famous for multiple reasons but the beauty of this area can not be overlooked. The creativity of God in making a piece of land shows the utmost potential in this hilly area considered as “Heaven on Earth”.

But this year Heaven on Earth is no longer a winter wonderland because of lack of snowfall. This is the very fast time Kashmir is facing this type of situation and environmental crisis. Till now there is not a single time when Kashmir witnessed a proper snowfall this year where last year they saw 4 to 5 inches of snow all over Kashmir. 

In the time when the valleys should look like covered through white velvet for snow all over around , the valleys are brown and barren. “No snow in Gulmarg” is breaking hearts of locals and as well as tourists, as we all know most of the local’s livelihood depends on tourism and tourism is getting affected by lack of snowfall. Winter is the most touristy season in Kashmir and the economy is dependent on tourism and it supports about 2000 people for their regular life and resources. There were 150 cancellations in January itself confirmed by a hotel manager from Srinagar. Along with that tourists are going back early as they are disappointed because there is no snow in the mountains. Locals are calling the winter landscape “desert” and it has a crushing effect on the tourism industry. 

This time Kashmir felt the record breaking temperature in winter season. Climate is changing globally but this area is most vulnerable towards climate change. Srinagar , capital of Kashmir recorded 15 degree celsius on Jan 13th which is highest in the last two decades. Pahalgam witnessed 14.1 degree celsius on 15th Jan which is another record breaking temperature. 

Every one other occupation related to tourism is badly affected this year. Clothing rental stores, ATV drivers, local transport owners, ice sledge owners all are suffering from this harsh climate change. And it's not only about facing problems in tourist season, they will face problems throughout the year for this lack of snowfall because it will cause regular use water shortage. 

It's high time to do  developmental activities in a more sustainable way. Many regions of the world are facing terrible ecological and environmental issues and this year it's prominent that climate change is the biggest threat for the world and for mankind right now. 

A tree with thousands memories

                      When a tree speaks 

Sometimes rather than people things , objects and other existing entities hold memories more concretely. Am from Kolkata , and there is a tree in my hometown. I consider that tree as an extended part of mine because that tree is not only a tree, that tree is a metaphor of happenings that took place in my life before leaving the city. The tree was with me always when I had nobody to talk to about how I feel when I was going through something. That tree saw every phase of my life. 

The tree was rooted beside a highway named Belghoria ExpressWay. There were a lot more trees along with it but I got attracted to that particular tree because I found a connection between me and that tree. The connection is , one day I was so upset due to some reason and I went to that place and started watching the tree and I noticed that the tree had not a single leaf at that time. Then it struck my mind that just like me , the tree is also not in its 100% today. After that whenever I came back to the tree I found something similar between us. With time the tree became part of me. The tree became one of my closest ones in my teenage years. 

Recently one of my closest teenage memory was taken from me and that is the tree. The tree is no longer there because as the tree was beside the high road the tree was cutted down for making the extension of the road. Not only that tree , a few more trees were cut down because of our development. And nowadays this is a common story that trees are cut down for development but this is exceptional because they not only cutted a tree they cut my teenage, brutally.

It is estimated that around 15 billion trees are cut down globally each year, which averages to approximately 41 million trees per day. These numbers can fluctuate based on a variety of environmental and economic factors. The study by the journal Nature estimated that nearly 42,000,000 trees are cut down daily. Most of the 90’s kids have some memories related to a tree as they have that opportunity to grow up in touch of nature. We all are paying the price with this ecological and environmental loss for our so-called development. Our childhood and teenage years are getting deprived from us. 

Who shows path to wanderers

                                                         My little khasi friend 

A little soul with an astonished smile on her face was seen by me at a little warm tea stall in Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya. I don't remember her name as she was a bit shy about talking to me at first because language was the barrier there. Eventually we ended up being good friends without even talking much because we shared a common language which was connected by heart. 

She was the epitome of the peace of Cherrapunjee because she held the silence of mountain within her eyes. I don't know why I felt so connected with her when she first touched my hand while doing a greeting through our heartily language. I offered her a biscuit and she agreed, I fed her with my own hands, this is where our bond gets stronger. 

She depicted my childhood as I was also tried to helping my parents always even if I am not capable enough to do so. She also did the same, she continuously intended to help her parents. Spending time with her made me feel simplicity can bring us the type of peaceful happiness which fancy things cannot. Her eyes had a story, a story which can attract anyone anonymously. A story of struggle while being down to earth.  

Because of her , the little unfathomable store started feeling like home where I could have a glimpse of my childhood. We all know that life doesn't stop for anybody, so as time passes, our friendship also comes to a point of time out when we tend to leave. But I believe the bond I shared with her is not something which can be washed off with time. While having a goodbye season with her I promised to come back to her , to meet her and her touch assured me that she also feels the same. 

365 of 365

                              2023 & Me 

Time has a good thing that time flies, whether it is good or bad. And 2023 is not an exception of this Time -rule. When a year comes to an end , it becomes a mirror to us where we can see our growth, breakdowns, ups downs and every little moment which left a mark in our life in the whole year. The year 2023 has brought a lot of self realisation, clarity, and hard decisions for me. And am proud of the fact that I have survived those days when I thought I couldn't. This year I saw the most vulnerable version of mine and disappointed but not surprised was my biggest mood. This year taught me a lot of things like never settle for anything less , don't go back again and again, stop being a part of a same cycle, let it go , speak it out , seek help if it is needed, something needs to be end for a good thing to start, try to see both side of a coin, don't put others before you, you are thirsty but that doesn't mean you will drink from any cup , and everyone don't deserve your that side, protect your heart but don't become heartless. This year made me realise that, just like the way everything is not for me , the same way am not for everything. This year is grey, not black , not white. I have been the most confused version this year, I had to let go of so many things so many people and had to take some of the toughest decisions, made some hardest goodbyes but things need to come to an end to remain forever. I fought many silent battles and managed to survive and am proud that I managed and I chose to be good and kind on my own. Celebrate yourself with this new year celebration. It takes a lot to go on , to push through hard times. We need to belive in ourselves, good things are coming. 

Homecoming & Home

                   Searching for a safe place 

Home , i word which denotes a sense of a safe place. Home is something that we all want to have , we all want to be. But , do we all have the privilege to be in a home ? 

Home doesn't always mean a cement and brick structure.. sometimes home can be a person , a moment, a place which is not really a four wall place. But again, do we all have the privilege to be in a home ? 

Some of us take the deepest breaths for not being able to be at home and on the other hand some of us feel caged in home. Home feels suffocating for those who have dealt with childhood traumas, abandon issues , family trumas, moreover a traumatic bond with family, with home. But on the opposite side of the coin , home feels a place where you don't need to cover yourself with artefacts , where you are exposed, open. 

Keeping both of these perspectives in mind we all left home someday for different reasons, moved out from the city with a lot of emptiness in the suitcase. We become guests in our own home. We came back to our home with a backpack and a few days in our hand. Home doesn't feel the same back then. You started feeling at home with those persons who made the home a home. You started believing that home doesn't necessarily mean a structure, it can be a person, a moment where you lived a little bit more. Somedays you look back to your life and cherish the memories and you assure yourself homecoming means one of those nights which you spent with your home- persons. 

Clicked by: Piyali Saha

Edited by: Piyali Saha 

Eyes - The bridge of human connection

                         Depth of an eye 

We all crave for human connections , the form of these connections must be different from one to another but we all need it in the end. As a human being,in the process of building these connections with another human being, we become confused. We started petting unrealistic or realistic expectations which may or may not be fulfilled by the other half and the stick of obsession to uninterested turns so fast. 

Eyes, probably the most lively part of the human body, conveys more than words or any other forms of expression at that moment. We often avoid looking at someone's eyes because we feel it may take us to a place where we can't be covered with external artificials. Eyes carry the secrets and truths of a human being, have the capability to set hearts ablaze, and they can capture a crowd's attention without a single word spoken. Eyes portray in terms of making human connection, how powerful one glance can truly be.

In frame: Priyanka Gogoi. 

Captured by: Trishab Singore. 

THE SEASON OF 'LETTING GO'

December, a month which feels like a Sunday of the week, always carries different pieces of emotions. The time when Nature also whispered - 'let it go'. December comes with different stories every time, sometimes it's a loss, sometimes it's a find. We always implore that - "December, you are the last one, so be the best one!". But is it so? Maybe the answer is 'No'. December carries the essence of finishing , empty and agony with it. Maybe the last push for a new start. The cycle of being afraid, believing again, getting hurt and again being afraid ends here. The way a tree becomes lifeless,humans also fall out of life. A season with an urge to slow down within it. The best thing about time is that time changes. With the rule of nature the season of falling out and letting go also comes to an end. A new start waits there for us just like the flash of light after the darkest Tunnel. And human life goes on and on. The beauty of life, the test of different emotions complies with nature and they started walking parally, maybe with a hope of better along with 'maybe's and 'what if's.