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In the summer of 2020, Muneer Ahmad Dar encountered a calendar in an Indian-administered Kashmir mosque that sparked a revelation: a poem in Kashmiri, the region’s native tongue, proved surprisingly difficult for him to read.
This prompted him to reflect on how his generation had gradually distanced itself from its linguistic heritage, as English, Urdu, and Hindi gained prominence.
Driven by this realization, he launched a social media initiative called Muneer Speaks, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Kashmiri culture.
Five years later, his online presence has garnered over 500 million impressions across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
“I aim to share narratives about our locales and histories, our proverbs, folklore, and poetry,” he explains. “It’s about capturing our collective experiences – how we’ve lived, laughed, cooked, and remembered.”
Mr. Dar is part of a burgeoning cohort of young content creators leveraging digital platforms to safeguard aspects of Kashmir’s heritage.
The region, contested between India and Pakistan, has endured decades of conflict, resulting in significant loss of life due to insurgency.
In recent years, many young individuals have departed Kashmir, seeking refuge from violence or pursuing enhanced opportunities elsewhere.
However, a new generation is now reshaping the narrative by highlighting the region’s art, traditions, and everyday life, moving beyond the unrest and violence.
Initially focused on the Kashmiri language, Mr. Dar’s social media page has expanded to encompass photographs of historical architecture, cultural traditions, and the stories behind local culinary specialties.
In one popular video, he shares intriguing facts about the region’s architecture, such as the historical use of eggs as a binding agent in construction.
Meanwhile, the Instagram page, Museum of Kashmir, adopts a broader approach to archiving the region’s heritage.
Led by journalist Muhammad Faysal, 33, the page collaborates with curators and oral historians to document Kashmir’s often-overlooked artifacts and traditions.
Videos showcasing vibrant mosque ceilings and poetry recitals are accompanied by captions offering concise, insightful context.
Followers express that the page provides a fresh perspective on Kashmir’s history.
As one follower commented, “Heritage isn’t solely about grand monuments but also about the items people carried when they left their homes – books, shawls, and family recipes.”
Experts emphasize the importance of accuracy for content creators, particularly when dealing with oral histories that may become distorted over time.
Author and researcher Khalid Bashir Ahmad notes that while the surge in Kashmiri storytelling offers a “vital counter-narrative,” rushed documentation can obscure important nuances.
To ensure authenticity, creators report that they consult with researchers who verify their content against published sources, while maintaining the original context.
On Instagram, filmmaker Sheikh Adnan, 31, runs ‘Shawlwala,’ a page dedicated to Kashmir’s iconic Pashmina scarves, handwoven from the fine wool of Himalayan goats and celebrated as both heritage and luxury.
“Our shawls are more than just fabric,” he asserts, emphasizing that his subjects are primarily elderly artisans who spin, dye, and weave each thread.
His aim is to reshape the narrative by “taking the scarves beyond fashion and tourism” and presenting them as “examples of Kashmir’s history and resilience.”
“They are maps of touch, skill, and generations. Every thread carries a story.”
One widely shared video features a woman spinning yarn on a traditional hand spindle as a Kashmiri folk song plays in the background. “I want people to see the story of an unsung Kashmiri woman spinning thread with love,” Mr. Adnan says.
Not all preservation efforts are serious; some young artists are incorporating sarcasm into their content.
For Seerat Hafiz, 22, known online as Yikvot or Nun Chai with Jiya, satire and humor are the tools of choice. Her videos blend wordplay with cultural commentary, addressing topics ranging from local literature to Kashmiri translations of English classics.
In one post, she employs viral memes to illustrate “why reading native literature helps save the language.” In another, an illustration of a man and woman appears with a Kashmiri translation of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights playing in the background.
“In a way, I’m documenting the thoughts and emotions of young Kashmiris,” Ms. Hafiz says.
“We are constantly switching languages, identities, platforms, but we still carry the grief of our history, even in our humor.”
However, preserving a language online is only part of the struggle. Mr. Dar notes that platforms still fail to recognize Kashmiri as a regional language, hindering visibility and reach.
“I’m forced to choose the ‘other language’ option because Kashmiri isn’t listed on Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram,” Mr. Dar says. “It treats it like a language that’s been forgotten.” The BBC has reached out to Meta for comment.
Since 2023, the literary group Adbi Markaz Kamraz has been campaigning to add Kashmiri to Google Translate.
They have submitted formal requests and sent thousands of emails, according to president Mohammed Amin Bhat, who remains optimistic.
The BBC has contacted Google for comment and will update the story upon receiving a response.
Despite the challenges, this young group remains committed to their work.
From Mr. Dar to Ms. Hafiz, they insist that their work demonstrates that Kashmiri culture is not fading but rather striving to be remembered on its own terms.
“Perhaps one day people will forget my name,” says Mr. Dar, “but if they remember a single Kashmiri story that I helped keep alive, then my work will have meaning.”
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