On the morning of April 25, 2026, my grandmother, Zooni Begum, left this transient world at the age of over ninety. With her death, I saw much more than the departure of a loved one; I saw the end of an era whose ethos we seem to be forgetting in today’s world.

She did not receive any formal education. She had never attended a class nor had a certificate and she did not have a habit of reading books. However, she had wisdom that was beyond the reach of any educational institution. She created an environment that was disciplined, respectful and moral without being preached.
Her life has not been easy at all. At a young age, she suffered unimaginable grief, losing not only her husband, Late Abdul Satar Farhad but also four of her nine children. But hardship did not weaken her, it strengthened her resolve. With patience, resilience and deep faith, she raised her three sons and two daughters with dignity, never allowing circumstances to define their future.
Her children today stand as her greatest achievement.
One of my uncles, Gh Nabi Farhad, completed his B.Sc. from SP College Srinagar and later became a strong shoulder alongside my elder uncle, Ab Gani Farhad, in establishing the well-known dry fruits business, Farhad Brothers. My father, after completing his matriculation in 1975, chose responsibility over comfort and dedicated himself to farming when opportunities were scarce. But beyond education and profession lies something far more powerful and valuable, character.
She ensured that no laziness and idleness could find its way into her home and raised her children in such a manner that they would grow up in an environment with a deep sense of purpose, actively involved in farming and raising cattle in their free hours and in the process, learn to understand the value of hard work, discipline and self-reliance.
Nowadays when drug addiction is quietly destroying the lives of our youth, none of her sons came in contact with any form of nasha, including smoking. It certainly didn’t happen by coincidence but due to value and displined environment, she instilled in her home through her actions rather than words.
Her personal life in general reflected her inner fortitude. Early in the morning, she would rise to pray and begin her day by feeding to the birds. Afterward, she would prepare meals for her family members. Her home was always welcoming and anyone who visited her never went away without eating and drinking something. Her daughters carried forward her legacy and turned out to be women of simplicity, caring and grace with strong moral character.
And this brings us to a question we can no longer ignore.
Why, in an age of education, technology, awareness, and initiatives like the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, are our youth still becoming addicts?
Many times we think that only education is sufficient for us. Education sans value is like a lamp without any illumination, it’s there, yet doesn’t illuminate.
Our elders were not formally educated but had clarity of purpose. They lived modestly, kept themselves rooted spiritually and physically close to their families. They didn’t just instruct but demonstrated. They didn’t just preach but practiced.
Today, the situation is different. Parents are busy, families are distracted and moral guidance is often replaced by material comfort. We provide our children with everything but we deprive them from quality time and moral guidance which they need the most.
Although Campaigns like 100 days Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan are important in creating awareness and offering solutions but without strong families and value-based upbringing no campaign can succeed.
The fight against addiction does not begin in rehabilitation centers but begins at home on our dining table, in everyday conversations and in the silent actions of parents that children observe and imbibe.
My grandmother neither attended a seminar on drug awareness nor spoke about addiction as a social menace. But, through her life, she raised her children in such a way that many structured programs aspire to accomplish which speaks about her legacy untouched by any addiction.
As Kashmir is encountering the threat of drug abuse among its youth, maybe it's time to look back at our heritage and see if we can find solutions there.
Do we strive to create educated people or people of character?
It is after all, character rather than education that safeguards one from any downfall.
Even if my grandmother isn’t around anymore, her existence will always have an eternal legacy that is simple, powerful and timeless:
Values, when lived sincerely, can defeat even the strongest social evils.
May Allah grant her Jannat-ul-Firdous and may we not only remember values of our ancestors but live by them, so that the dream of a truly drug-free society becomes a reality.