Kashmir's Youth Revive Culture and History Through Viral Posts

Kashmir is a region known for its stunning mountains, peaceful lakes, and unique floating houses. It is also a place with a rich history and culture, but many young people are starting to lose touch with their roots. Muneer Ahmad Dar, a local from Indian-administered Kashmir, realized this when he struggled to read a poem written in Kashmiri at a mosque. He noticed that his generation was using other languages like English, Urdu, and Hindi more often, and the Kashmiri language was slowly fading away. This inspired him to start a social media page called 'Muneer Speaks' to help preserve and promote Kashmiri culture. Over five years, his page has received more than 500 million views across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Muneer shares stories about Kashmiri places, history, proverbs, folklore, and poetry. He wants to capture the way people in Kashmir have lived, laughed, cooked, and remembered their past. He is part of a growing group of young content creators who use digital platforms to save pieces of Kashmir's heritage. The region has faced decades of conflict and violence, causing many young people to leave in search of safety or better opportunities. However, this new generation is changing the story by focusing on art, tradition, and everyday life, rather than just the unrest.

At first, Muneer focused on the Kashmiri language, but his work has grown to include photos of old buildings, cultural stories, and the history behind local foods. For example, he made a video explaining how people used eggs to help hold buildings together in the past. Another popular Instagram page, 'Museum of Kashmir', is run by journalist Muhammad Faysal and his team. They document overlooked artifacts and traditions, sharing videos of colorful mosque ceilings and poetry readings with helpful captions. Followers say the page helps them see Kashmir's history in a new way, showing that heritage is not just about big monuments but also about everyday items like books, shawls, and family recipes.

Experts warn that content creators need to be accurate, especially when sharing oral histories that can lose details over time. To make sure their stories are true, creators work with researchers who check their content against published sources.

Another creator, Sheikh Adnan, runs 'Shawlwala', a page dedicated to Kashmir's famous Pashmina shawls. These shawls are handwoven from the fine wool of Himalayan goats and are considered both a symbol of heritage and luxury. Adnan highlights the work of elderly artisans who spin, dye, and weave each thread by hand. He wants to show that these shawls are more than just fashion items; they are examples of Kashmir's history and resilience. Every thread tells a story of skill and tradition passed down through generations.

Some young artists use humor and satire to share their culture. Seerat Hafiz, known online as Yikvot or Nun Chai with Jiya, creates videos that mix wordplay and cultural commentary. She covers topics like local literature and Kashmiri translations of English classics, using memes and jokes to show why reading native literature is important. She believes that even though young Kashmiris switch languages and platforms, they still carry the memories and emotions of their history, sometimes expressed through humor.

Despite their efforts, creators face challenges. Social media platforms do not recognize Kashmiri as a regional language, making it harder for their content to reach more people. Groups like Adbi Markaz Kamraz are campaigning to add Kashmiri to Google Translate, sending requests and emails to Google. Even with these obstacles, young Kashmiris are determined to keep their culture alive. Muneer says that even if people forget his name, he hopes they remember the Kashmiri stories he helped preserve, giving meaning to his work and keeping the culture strong.