Srinagar, April 14 -- Growing up, my childhood was mostly scarred by turmoil and conflict. The turbulence of those years made it impossible to rely solely on school for an all-around education - I badly needed someone to guide me through.

The guidance finally came from my uncle, Raja Tasleem Abbass. When I was in sixth grade, my uncle started taking regular two-hour classes for my cousins and I, where he helped us brush up on our writing skills and taught us the basics of English Grammar. These teaching duties he placed upon himself beyond his long and exhausting hours at court.

My uncle was deeply passionate about teaching and equally worried about our education. He considered education to be a formative part of one's moral compass and...