Letter To Editor: Kashmir's Family Crisis Starts With The Elders We Ignore

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Representational Photo

Not long ago, I watched a young colleague break down in frustration. He kept repeating,“Buddha mar jata”-“If only the old man had died.”

His anger came from a small argument with his grandfather, who had stopped him from going out to play football. But those words cut deeper than the moment.

They reflected a growing truth in Kashmir: we are slowly forgetting the people who once held our families together.

In a place like ours, known for warmth, respect and tradition, this change is painful. The family system that once protected our elders is collapsing. Extended families are breaking apart, and joint households are giving way to separate lives.

Grandparents, who once sat at the center of every gathering, now sit in silence. Some are gently ignored. Others are sent to age-old homes-an idea once unthinkable in Kashmiri culture.

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The reasons are complex. Young people are buried in screens, busy schedules, and the distractions of a digital world. Parents are dealing with their own stress: economic pressures, intergenerational conflicts, or family disputes. In many homes, the respect for age and experience has quietly faded, replaced by impatience or indifference.

This shift isn't just social, it's emotional. It is turning proud elders into lonely figures. According to some reports, the number of abandoned parents is rising in Kashmir. These aren't strangers. These are people who once walked us to school, shared stories by the fire, and held our hands through life's first lessons.

They don't need much. Just a little time. A cup of noon chai shared at dusk. A short talk. A memory revisited. When we take time to listen, we're not just comforting them, we're preserving the emotional fabric of our families. Their words carry quiet truths. Their silence carries pain.

In today's Kashmir, where much is uncertain, one thing shouldn't be: how we treat those who came before us. A society that forgets its elders forgets its roots.

Sincerely,

Ayaan Saroori

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