The Rise of a Village Boy

In Kashmir's Pulwama district, a once-aimless student has become a writer, reformer, and community force—proof that persistence and purpose can rewrite any story

- Gowher Bhat

The village of Pingalgam in south Kashmir doesn't often make news. It’s the kind of place where time feels slow, schools are modest, and young people often carry more doubt than direction. But every now and then, someone quietly rewrites that script.

Asif Majeed Bhat grew up here, in a setting far removed from the polished classrooms and promising resumes that usually shape success stories.

As a boy, he struggled to focus in school. Teachers saw him as just another distracted student, someone unlikely to go far. But something inside him resisted that label, even if he couldn't articulate it then.

Over the years, that resistance turned into a steady determination. Asif didn't just pass through the education system, he transformed his relationship with it.

Today, he holds two postgraduate degrees, one in Urdu and another in Mass Communication and Journalism. He is preparing for his PhD and aiming to qualify for the National Eligibility Test.

For someone once written off as below average, the academic milestones are remarkable. But they're only part of the story.