Srinagar, June 14 -- June 15 is marked around the world as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It's a day of reflection, not just about data or policy but about something much deeper. How we treat the people who once held our hands through life's first steps.

In Kashmir, that question cuts especially deep. Ours was never just a place of natural beauty; it was a place of values. We called it "Peer Waer," the garden of saints. A land where elders were not merely tolerated, they were treasured. They led prayers, broke bread, settled disputes. Their presence brought calm and clarity. But if we're honest with ourselves today, can we still say the same?

We are watching a silent crisis unfold. Elder abuse is happening here. Not always in the form...