I became conscious of my surroundings in the early 1970s and was fortunate to witness the gradual technological transformation of Kashmir. Looking back today, it is astonishing to see how rapidly life has evolved—from an era of horse-drawn transport, and kerosene lamps to one dominated by smartphones, artificial intelligence and instant global connectivity. A witness to a tech transformation from Industry 2.0 to Industry 5.0.

One of my earliest memories is of my father’s old canvas-mounted Willys Jeep. Winters in Kashmir were unforgiving, and starting the diesel engine was no easy task. On freezing mornings, a small fire had to be lit beneath the fuel tank to warm the diesel before the engine would respond. Even then, the battery would often fail, requiring the engine to be manually cranked with a metal handle inserted through the front grille. It was a left-hand-drive vehicle—a rarity that fascinated us as children. Looking back, those mechanical rituals seem almost unimaginable in today’s age of push-button ignition and electric vehicles.

Going to school was an adventure in itself. After walking nearly 400 metres from our home in Natipora to the main road, we would wait for a horse-drawn tonga. It accommodated six or seven passengers, and despite its leisurely pace, it was the most dependable mode of public transport. As children, we often felt sorry for the exhausted horse, whose back bore visible whip marks inflicted by the driver to keep it moving. The roads of Srinagar were dotted with horse dung, yet they were remarkably peaceful—free from traffic jams, noise and pollution.

The tonga would drop us near Hazuribagh, from where we walked another kilometre to Tyndale Biscoe School. Those walks remain among my fondest childhood memories. There were few motor vehicles on the roads, and owning a bicycle was considered a matter of prestige. I vividly........

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