This Shift In Thinking Could Make Kashmiri Families Crisis-Proof

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Representational Photo

In most Kashmiri homes, one person, usually the father, carries the weight of the entire family's finances. His job or small business keeps the household running, pays for school, and covers emergencies.

When the income is steady, so is the peace at home. But when something interrupts that flow, like a health issue, job loss, or even seasonal business slowdown, the cracks show quickly.

The system depends on one person not faltering. That's a heavy burden.

Most families rely on what's called active income. You work, you earn. Miss a day, and you lose money. Stop working, and the money stops too.

In Kashmir, over 90% of people think of income this way. It's common and deeply rooted, but also risky. One accident, one illness, and everything can fall apart.

Read Also Letter to Editor: 20 Years On, Rural Kashmir's Digital Workers Still Wait Why We Keep Misreading Kashmir's Festival Economy

There's a quieter, often overlooked path: passive income.

This is the money that comes in without daily work. It could be rent from a room you lease out, interest from savings, dividends from stocks, or returns from mutual funds. You don't need to clock in or run a shop. Your money does the work.

Let's put numbers to it. If you invest ₹1 crore and earn 12% yearly, you get about ₹1 lakh a month.

That's income without stress. That covers groceries, electricity, school fees, and maybe even a family trip, without tapping into your savings or borrowing money.

Building this kind of income takes time. It starts with saving, small amounts, early on. Then comes investing. Not in one place, but spread across different types: some safe, some that grow over time.

Even a monthly SIP of ₹5,000 can grow into something meaningful if started early and kept steady. It's not about becoming rich quickly. It's about building a cushion that gives you peace.

Social pressure makes this harder. In Kashmir, like elsewhere, people sometimes spend to be seen: lavish weddings, expensive clothes, the newest phones. These choices chip away at savings and delay real security. It's hard to say no to what everyone else seems to be doing. But smart planning means thinking long-term, not living for weekend applause.

This isn't just about money. It's about mental health, too. When income comes from more than one source, families feel safer. Children can focus on school, not worry about whether fees will be paid. Couples argue less. Parents sleep better.

What Kashmir needs is more talk about this. In schools, in local mosques, in community halls-conversations about money that go beyond how to earn, and into how to save and grow it.

Financial literacy isn't a luxury. It's protection. It can turn households from vulnerable to stable, from worried to prepared.

If we start small, stay consistent, and avoid unnecessary splurging, we can create a generation that doesn't just work hard, but also works smart.

In a place where uncertainty is common, passive income might be the significant solution we've been missing.

MENAFN11062025000215011059ID1109659378