Srinagar, May 26 -- Every Kashmiri home once pulsed with life-a warm, welcoming mehfil where stories flowed, hearts opened, and bonds deepened.

Picture a winter night, the kangri glowing, elders sharing waez, kids wide-eyed at tales of Raja Rasalu, friends laughing over nun chai and salted bread.

These weren't just cozy get-togethers. They were lifelines-our therapy, our history class, our support system.

Today, those mehfils are disappearing.

A combination of digital isolation, migration, instability, and shifting cultural values is steadily dissolving the communal fabric of Kashmiri society. In its place, we are witnessing a rise in individualism, loneliness, and emotional disconnect, especially among the youth.

The transformation ...