Srinagar, June 4 -- In the bylanes of Pulwama and the schoolyards of Sopore, something is slipping away. It's not just innocence or tradition. It's the sense of purpose our children once held onto.

Ask a teacher at a government school or a father running a shop downtown, and they'll tell you: the values that once shaped our youth are no longer strong. The world they grow up in now feels faster, noisier, and more hollow.

What's going wrong?

In Kashmir, growing up was never easy. But it used to be clearer. Families lived close, elders gave advice, and mosques, schools, and homes all pointed in one direction - toward becoming a good human being.

That meant kindness, honesty, struggle, and a sense that life had a greater meaning. Religion...