Insights & Instincts

From Sufi to Salafi A report by Vedang Bhatt, Mass Communication Student, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication. This research essay explores the role of Wahabi and Salafi school of Muslim thought behind rising violence in the Kashmir valley. The paper also looks at Pakistan’s double standards and how a political solution to the issue might never be possible.             “O n Burhan Wani’s death anniversary, Zakir Musa declared Al-Qaeda’s Kashmir unit head”, read a First Post report on 28 th July 2017. A video recently went viral and Indian Media was taken by a storm. Zakir Musa, the recently appointed chief of Al-Qaeda – Kashmir Wing, announced the terrorist group’s plans to bring the State of Kashmir under strict Sharia rule. Zakir Musa, in his video, also warned Separatist leaders to not generalize Kashmir’s fight for Independence as a political movement, since it is essentially a religious propaganda, and ...

Hello everyone! I'm sorry I've been away. I was a little bit messed up, little bit busy and a little bit confused lately. There are multiple reasons I can list down but none of them, can be called : "okay, that's the one i'm upset about''.  I suppose all of us have been through this phase. You just don't know what's happening around. You have nothing which makes you smile and neither do you have anything to cry for. But you feel the void over everything. You start being a pessimist and eventually hating your life.Worst part of it is that you know you're wrong but you cannot help it. This feeling, neither has any definition, nor a solution. Let me tell you one interesting story. Once upon a time, there  was a sage and his student. Once the sage asked him to cross a river and go to the other side but the student wasn't ready to go in as he couldn't swim. But he had deep faith in his teacher. He spoke to the sage about his proble...

I was sitting quietly in my room, disturbing and talking to no one while doing so. Everyone I knew in college was talking about going home for the extended weekend. I decided that it's pointless to go home for twenty-four hours and kill the already on lifeline financial situation. Father made me a video call just as I was about to dump my homecoming plans and fall back into a slumber. I picked up the call and instead of him, they had put my two-year-old nephew Dev in front of the camera. He screamed in ecstasy as he saw his favorite uncle in the screen. He put up the most wonderful smile and screamed "Chachu!" and I swear I almost teared up watching my bundle of joy jump around here and there, calling my name. So I decided that I must go, lift him and listen to his incredible laughter I long to hear. It was still around 9 pm here. "If I leave in next thirty minutes, it's not crazy to think that I can reach Mumbai by one in the morning and from there a cut th...