In the quiet, mist-laden mornings of Kashmir, a distressing sight has become increasingly common—one that defies the traditional social contract of the region. As the first light hits the chinars, it is not the vibrant, muscular youth who are rushing to the marketplaces or orchards to secure the day’s bread. Instead, it is the septuagenarians. With trembling hands, weathered faces, and backs bent by decades of labor, these elderly men—who should rightfully be resting on prayer mats or sharing stories in the warmth of the hamam—are heading out to work.

Behind them, in the houses they continue to sweat for, lies a troubling reality: grown men in their late twenties and thirties, physically capable and mentally sharp, remain fast asleep or glued to digital screens. This is the silent epidemic of generational inertia, a social crisis that is eroding the foundation of the Kashmiri family structure and leaving an aging generation in a state of perpetual, silent suffering.

The inversion of the social........

© Greater Kashmir