Reading Under Shadows

As syllabi shrink and shelves thin out, Kashmiri readers still reach for stories that make them feel free.

- Falak Fayaz

I grew up believing that between the covers of a book, one could find what the outside world often denied: the courage to question.

But, over the past few years, that belief feels like it's slipping away.

Something subtle is changing in how we read and what we are allowed to read. Some books have been silently dropped from syllabi and shelves.

A teacher I spoke with in Srinagar told me that she skips readings that might invite “unnecessary questions.” In her words, I felt that the space for intellectual freedom is shrinking.

And yet, something remarkable is also happening. Even as institutions grow more cautious, young Kashmiris are finding their own ways to keep reading alive.