When prejudice masquerades as ‘intellect’ and ‘analysis’ and when certainty induced criticism is a proxy for narcissistic self -aggrandizement in society, the intellectual, poetic and literary foundations are hollowed out. This general and generic statement holds resonance across societies and cultures but has particular salience for our Kashmir. Undoubtedly, these words have a harsh ring to them but unfortunately these correspond to a bitter social and cultural truth. The intellectual foundations and bases of our society and culture are withering away at the altar of these insalubrious themes and issues. This condition is at great odds with our great and sublime legacy in terms poetic and literary output in the past. What do I mean by what I have suggested in flowery terms?

A disclaimer on my part is warranted here (before I elaborate upon my argument and support it): I am neither a repository of intellect, nor do I have a special claim and prosaic but obscure truths in social., cultural, intellectual and scientific domains. What I am is an observer and I may be flattering myself here an analyst of crosscutting themes and issues. This is my vantage point. From this ‘perch’, I feel sad and bad about the inexorable decline in our intellectual and social standards. Now let me dwell on the central point and theme of this essay. Broadly, a given society’s intellectual quest must be to probe for and find truths referred to in the essay, explicate on these and render these as the predicate for further truths. (I must emphasize here that as Muslims, there are clear boundaries to the truth discovery process. There is just One Absolute Truth. But worldly truths are there awaiting discovery and there may be an element of relativism to these worldly and prosaic truths). The base of the argument and the central point established, what relevance does this have to Kashmir and Kashmiris?

Again, broadly speaking, the cardinal premise for........

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