Subtle Shifts in the Valley

Old rivalries, economic shifts, and social traditions are reshaping Kashmir. And the warning signs are already visible.

- Waheed Ahmad Rather

History rarely repeats itself, but it has a way of whispering the same warnings.

Across Asia and Africa, old regimes left societies divided along lines of caste, religion, or region. Some leaders saw the danger and tried to rise above it, calling for unity, local self-reliance, and a sense of shared purpose that could bind communities together.

Kashmir today carries echoes of that past.

The region's social and political fabric, already fragile, is slowly fraying.

The historian E.H. Carr called history “an unending dialogue between the present and the past.”

That dialogue is tacitly unfolding across the valley, only becoming visible when its effects can no longer be ignored.

This year’s Muharram processions, intended to honour Imam Hussain, became a flashpoint for Shia-Sunni tension. Street speeches and online sermons carried sharp words, highlighting rivalries that have simmered for centuries.

What once was contained within neighbourhoods now travels far and wide, amplified by social networks and student groups.