Let Kashmir Speak

In Kashmir's multilingual classrooms and overlooked villages, communication isn't about accent or fluency. It's about creating the right conditions for confidence, connection, and growth.

- Sahil Manzoor

Kashmiri kids are growing up in a world where being able to express yourself clearly is no longer optional.

From college admissions to job interviews, from school debates to social media, communication is currency.

But when we talk about how to build this essential skill, we skip the most important part: the surroundings we create for learning.

Let's start at the beginning.

According to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, children formally enter school at age six. But by then, their exposure to language has already shaped much of their ability to think and speak.

If a child is surrounded by engaging conversation, songs, stories, and responsive adults, their vocabulary blooms. If not, they struggle to catch up, because their environment failed them.

In my years as a student in Raiyar-Ich, a village nestled in the Khansahib hills, I've seen firsthand how environment shapes communication. In schools with under-resourced libraries and overloaded classrooms, children rarely find space to express themselves. Their confidence shrinks, because no one ever asked them what they think.