Today, I came across something that deeply disturbed me. A paddy field in Kashmir had been set on fire, destroying a crop that someone had worked hard to grow throughout the year. For a farmer, a paddy field is not just a piece of land. It represents months of hard work, patience, investment, hope and the expectation of a good harvest. It is painful to imagine that after putting in so much effort, someone may have to watch everything turn into ashes within a few minutes.

This incident made me think about something much bigger than a burnt field. What is happening to our society? Kashmir has always been known for its warmth, hospitality, neighbourly relations and the spirit of helping one another. We grew up seeing people stand beside their neighbours during difficult times. When someone faced a problem, others would come forward to help. When there was happiness, it was shared, and when there was sorrow, people stood together. But somewhere along the way, these relationships seem to be changing.
Today, we sometimes see neighbours becoming enemies, friends turning against friends and small disagreements developing into long-lasting disputes. In some villages, people who once stood together are now divided because of personal differences, jealousy, land disputes, misunderstandings or old grudges. Instead of wishing for another person's success, some people find satisfaction in seeing that person suffer.
There is a Kashmiri proverb, “Aakis Dazan Daid, Baikhh Wichnawan Aathii.” Our elders did not create such sayings without reason. They reflected the realities they had witnessed in society. But when we look around today, we need to ask ourselves whether we are forgetting the values that once held our communities together.
A farmer does not grow paddy in a single day. It takes months of hard work to prepare the land, plant the crop, protect it, wait for it to mature and finally bring it home. Behind every field there is a family's effort and expectation. When a crop is destroyed, it is not simply a financial loss. The farmer loses months of labour, a source of income and perhaps a part of the food that would have supported the family.
If someone has a disagreement with another person, there are many ways to resolve it. People can sit together, talk to each other, involve elders or approach the appropriate authorities. But destroying someone's property or livelihood can never be a solution. A personal dispute should never become a reason to destroy another person's hard work.
We often speak proudly about Kashmiriyat. We remember our elders, our traditions, our hospitality and the way communities once stood together. But Kashmiriyat cannot remain only a word that we use in speeches or social media posts. It has to be reflected in our actions. It means respecting our neighbour, protecting another person's property, helping someone in difficulty and choosing humanity even when we have disagreements.
Perhaps it is time for all of us to look within ourselves. Are we really carrying forward the Kashmiriyat that our elders left for us, or are we slowly losing it? What will we teach our children if they grow up seeing neighbours fighting, friends becoming enemies and someone's hard work being destroyed because of personal hatred?
We do not have to agree with everyone. Differences will always exist in society. People will have different opinions, interests and choices. But disagreement does not have to become hatred, and competition does not have to become jealousy. We can disagree and still respect each other. We can have differences and still protect each other's rights.
A paddy field takes months to grow, but it can be reduced to ashes within minutes. Let us not allow our anger, jealousy and personal disputes to become stronger than our humanity.
If we cannot respect and protect the hard work of our own neighbours, then we need to seriously ask ourselves what has happened to the Kashmiriyat we are so proud of.
Because when a paddy field burns, only the crop does not burn. A little part of our humanity burns with it.

Email:--------------------------------khandanishashraf506@gmail.com