By Shariq Maqbool

In the heart of Kashmir, beneath the silence of its snow-capped peaks and the rhythm of its daily life, an invisible crisis is unfolding. While political tensions and climate concerns often make headlines, one slow-burning emergency rarely receives the attention it deserves: the growing addiction to tobacco, and the devastation it leaves in its wake.

Cigarette smoking has become a common sight in the Valley. It is present at tea stalls, outside colleges, on shopfronts, and even inside homes. To many, it feels like a normal part of life. But behind this social acceptance lies a trail of worsening health, financial collapse, and quiet grief.

Recent research conducted by the Policy and Research Institute shows that more than half of adult men in Kashmir smoke regularly. Among the youth, one in five has already experimented with smoking, many starting as early as their mid-teens. In interviews, young men often mention stress, boredom, and peer pressure as reasons for picking up the habit. One 18-year-old from Pulwama said, “Everyone in my mohalla smokes. You grow up seeing it, so you follow.”

But what seems like a personal choice soon becomes a public health burden. Hospitals in Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag are reporting a steady rise in cases of lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and heart disease linked directly to tobacco use. Many patients, doctors say, arrive at advanced stages when treatment options are limited and survival chances are low. Secondhand smoke is also impacting those who don’t smoke—children, elderly parents, and women sharing confined living spaces.

The problem doesn’t end at illness. Smoking is also draining household incomes across the Valley. A typical smoker spends ₹250 to ₹300 a day—roughly ₹9,000 a month. For families earning between ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month, this habit eats away at almost half their income. The long-term effects are even more damaging. Tobacco-related health problems often lead to medical debt, forcing families to borrow money or sell assets to pay hospital bills. One young woman from Sopore said her family sold their land to cover her father’s cancer treatment. “We lost everything,” she said. “And we still lost him.”

The reasons for smoking go beyond addiction. In a region marked by years of unrest, emotional strain, and social uncertainty, tobacco often becomes a coping mechanism. Many smokers say it helps them manage anxiety and pass the time. “It feels like control when everything else in life is unstable,” said a 28-year-old man from Anantnag. But studies consistently show that smoking actually worsens anxiety and disrupts sleep, making mental health even more fragile over time.

It is clear that this crisis cannot be solved through individual effort alone. What’s needed is a coordinated, compassionate public health response—one that addresses the emotional, social, and economic roots of tobacco addiction. Experts from the Policy and Research Institute have recommended several steps, including launching large-scale public awareness campaigns in Kashmiri and Urdu that speak directly to people’s lived realities. Personal stories from survivors, or from families who’ve suffered losses, can be far more powerful than facts alone.

The Institute also recommends offering free tobacco cessation programs in primary health centres, training frontline health workers to support people who want to quit, and restricting the sale of cigarettes—especially loose ones, which are cheap and widely available. They’ve also stressed the importance of targeting young people with education, mentorship, and alternative outlets like sports, arts, and skill training programs.

This is not about blame. It’s about protection. It’s about giving families a fighting chance—about preventing needless suffering. And above all, it’s about acknowledging that smoking in Kashmir is not just a personal vice; it is a social emergency. Left unaddressed, it will continue to claim lives, drain wallets, and rob young people of their full potential.

Tobacco smoke may be invisible, but its impact is not. We see it in hospital beds, in grieving households, in struggling students, and in dreams that end too soon. It is time to clear the air. Kashmir deserves the chance to breathe again.

Shariq Maqbool is Chief Spokesperson and Executive Member at the Policy and Research Institute. Chief Advisor Daily Asian Mail ,He writes on public health, social policy, and youth well-being in Kashmir.
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By: Shariq Maqbool

War has long served as a strategic instrument for powerful nations to preserve dominance, protect economic interests, and expand geopolitical influence. In today’s global landscape, this reality remains painfully evident, particularly for the Global South, where the consequences of conflict are often the most severe. The current escalation between Israel and Iran has once again brought the world to the edge of a larger conflagration, threatening global peace and stability. If such hostilities remain unchecked, the possibility of a Third World War can no longer be dismissed—a war that would yield only widespread destruction and human suffering.

It is a mistake to believe that wars erupt spontaneously. More often, they are deliberately provoked. Instability serves as a convenient backdrop for certain global actors to pursue their strategic and commercial objectives. The arms industry, among the most lucrative sectors globally, thrives on the perpetuation of violence. Peace, in this equation, becomes inconvenient. The irony is unmistakable: the same countries that champion democracy and human rights are frequently the largest exporters of arms to conflict-ridden regions, enabling chaos while preaching morality.

For decades, regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia have borne the brunt of manufactured conflicts and proxy wars. The recent attacks by Israel on Iranian targets only add to this troubling legacy, raising the stakes and pushing the world closer to a dangerous tipping point. Iran’s vow to retaliate creates a perilous cycle, one that history has repeatedly shown leads not to resolution, but to greater devastation—until, eventually, all sides are compelled to return to the negotiating table.

Amid this growing global unrest, there is a critical lesson for India and Pakistan. These two nuclear-armed neighbors have remained trapped in a cycle of mistrust and hostility for decades, investing enormous sums in military capability while millions of their citizens continue to struggle for basic needs. Resources that could transform lives through education, healthcare, and infrastructure are instead diverted to fund an arms race driven by mutual suspicion and historical grievances.

The pressing question remains: what has any war ultimately achieved? The pattern is always the same—destruction, loss, and finally, negotiations. From Iraq and Afghanistan to Libya and Syria, the outcomes are tragically familiar. If diplomacy is the inevitable destination, why not begin the journey there, instead of after irreparable loss? India and Pakistan must not allow external influences or domestic pride to dictate an adversarial future that benefits no one.

It is time to reject the false security offered by militarization and embrace a future rooted in cooperation. Rather than importing weapons, both nations must begin importing ideas, knowledge, and innovation. Rather than constructing bunkers, they should be building schools and hospitals. War does not bring prosperity—it only deepens poverty, prolongs suffering, and stalls development. The true path to progress lies in bilateral engagement, grounded in mutual respect and regional ownership of peace initiatives.

History should remember us not as nations that succumbed to division and conflict, but as ones that had the wisdom to choose peace over provocation, diplomacy over destruction, and unity over hostility. At a time when the world teeters on the edge, let us summon the moral courage to forge a better, more hopeful future—together.

The author is the Spokesperson of the Policy and Research Institute, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

By Rashid Rahil

The world’s rapidly shifting political situation hints at significant changes on the horizon for the subcontinent. Recent developments, such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine ceasefires, underscore this notion. US President Donald Trump wants to end the ongoing wars, conflicts and mutual hostility in the world. Meanwhile India is making strides in various fields and strengthening its political and economic ties with global powers. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has achieved notable successes in construction, development and foreign policy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a visit to the United States, where he met the newly elected US President Donald Trump and the two leaders signed drafts of cooperation in various fields.

India took a significant step in bolstering its defence capabilities yesterday, Prime Minister Modi also signed a defence agreement with the US President Donald Trump. The agreement facilities the purchase of modern warships from the US, poised to substantially enhance India’s military strength and position it as a formidable competitor to China in the subcontinent.
Following the meeting, the US President praised PM Modi’s exemplary work. Under PM Modi’s leadership, India has witnessed remarkable progress across various sectors, earning global recognition in education, healthcare, medical science and technology. The Country’s efforts to uplift its impoverished populations have also yielded impressive results.
India’s strategic diplomatic efforts have paid off, yielding significant benefits as the nation strengthens its political and economic ties with key global players, including US, Russia, Britain, Japan and Arab Countries. Through collaborative initiatives in technology, education, industry and trade, India has successfully cemented these relationships, fostering a strong foundation for future growth and cooperation.
In the subcontinent, India and China have the potential to emerge as major world powers, driving global growth, prosperity and development. As neighbouring countries, they can collectively transform the subcontinent into a thriving region, providing a strong support system for surrounding nations, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran and other Asian Countries. However, this vision requires Chinese leaders to adopt a selfless approach, prioritising the well-being of their people and neighbouring countries, much like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership style.