From Sweden With Love For Kashmir

By Peerzada Mohsin Shafi

In her kitchen in Stockholm, Nehabiho watches her children scramble to finish breakfast. Their laughter bounces off the walls, filling the sunlit room.

She calls out to them in Kashmiri:“Naeer gass khudayas Hawaal.”

The words, ordinary in their daily life, carry the spirit of a homeland thousands of miles away.

These simple phrases have become rare in a valley where English and Urdu dominate.

But here, in her Swedish home, Kashmiri lives in full voice.

Nehabiho, the woman behind the Instagram handle @nehabiho, has built a space that is both intimate and expansive.

Born in Kashmir, she now lives with her husband and two children in Sweden. Her content is neither flashy nor trend-driven. Instead, it thrives on authenticity, simplicity, and a deep connection to her roots.

Every post is an invitation: to pause, reflect, and consider how life in Kashmir and Sweden intersect, contrast, and inform one another.

Her videos capture small, ordinary moments that feel extraordinary because of the thought she invests in them.

Children's laughter, family rituals, and walks through Swedish parks carry larger meaning.

Kashmir lives in her voice, in the traditions she maintains, and in the language she speaks at home.

Unlike many Kashmiris who hesitate or avoid speaking their mother tongue, Nehabiho's choice to speak Kashmiri is an act of defiance.

It is a form of preservation, storytelling, and cultural assertion. She shows that language is not only a way to communicate but a vessel for identity, memory, and pride.

Education forms a recurring theme in her reflections.

Swedish schools, she observes, focus on child-centric learning, fostering creativity, exploration, and emotional growth. Homework exists, but it is balanced with play and curiosity.

Kashmir's system, by contrast, often emphasizes rote memorization, heavy workloads, and peer pressure.

Through her videos, Nehabiho prompts parents and educators to reconsider the emotional well-being of children and the long-term impact of the ways they are taught.

Beyond schools, Nehabiho notices the subtler aspects of daily life.

She highlights the orderliness of Swedish public spaces, the care people take in maintaining cleanliness, and the sense of responsibility toward the environment.

In one video about garbage disposal, she draws a clear contrast with the state of streets and public areas in parts of Kashmir.

Her point is not to scold but to inspire reflection, showing how small habits can contribute to a more harmonious and organized community.

Healthcare receives similar attention. In a video about child vaccinations, she shows Swedish nurses kneeling to comfort children, offering reassurance before administering shots.

The scene emphasizes compassion as part of care, something that often feels absent in the hurried, impersonal clinics she remembers in Kashmir.

Through these observations, Nehabiho suggests that empathy and kindness are as essential to medical care as the clinical process itself.

Her commitment to Kashmiri traditions is present in every aspect of her life. The morning farewell to her children, expressed in a traditional phrase, is a small ritual that keeps her culture alive.

These moments are active preservation. They remind viewers, especially in Kashmir, that heritage is sustained through practice.

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