The children of Dhundalwadi, a village in Maharashtra, walked without proper footwear. I had travelled there with Yuva Sangam Phase VII, hosted by IIT Bombay, expecting new places and new faces, and I found both. 

The image I brought home was this one, set against the urban landscape of Mumbai, along with the limits in the village’s healthcare and educational facilities. 

We tend to measure progress by what gets built. A better measure is what reaches the people living beside it, and Kashmir, the place I call home, shows how wide that gap can grow.

Our visit to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Corporation took us to the Atal Setu project, and its scale impressed me. What held my attention was the thinking behind connectivity. 

A bridge links two places, and it also changes how people travel, brings markets closer and opens opportunities for businesses and communities. 

Kashmir’s geography and environment differ from Mumbai’s, so copying another city would solve nothing. 

Education Must Go Beyond Marks, Says Omar

Biscoe vs Burn Hall: Kashmir’s Schoolyard Battle Goes Online

Any such project would need feasibility studies, financial planning and environmental consideration. 

Still, better connectivity could bring markets, workplaces........

© Kashmir Observer