Silence is fast spreading across Kashmir countryside, where laughter once filled the air. The young have moved to Srinagar, Delhi, or the Gulf, leaving behind homes that feel empty. Migration that once promised hope now feels like loss.

Every year, thousands of young people leave rural Kashmir to find work and stability. Official data shows that this shift from villages to cities has grown sharply in the past decade. Farming, once the pride of the valley, is losing its strength. Unpredictable weather, falling profits, and weak market support have made agriculture a struggle. Many no longer see a future in the fields their families once cherished.

The signs are hard to miss. New houses stay locked through winter. Apple boxes lie untouched beside broken carts. Lanes that once rang with children's voices now fall silent. Village life is slowing down. Festivals, weddings, and local markets grow smaller each year.

This change runs deeper than economics. It is reshaping community itself. Villages were once places of shared work and friendship, where neighbours built together and celebrated together. When the young leave, they take away energy, stories, and the sense of belonging that kept these places alive. The old remain, tending their fields alone, watching their villages fade into memory.

Women carry much of the burden. They manage homes, farms, and children while men work far from home. Money comes back through remittances, but families grow apart. Many live between two worlds, uncertain where they truly belong.

Government programs promise rural development, but most fail to touch the core issues: weak irrigation, few small industries, and poor access to credit. Without real reform, migration will continue to drain the countryside of its youth and its vitality.

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