Young people who tell their lives and culture via the Internet

In the post -calm summer afternoon in 2020, a calendar in a mosque in Cashmeer, the Indian, discovered the attention of Munir Ahmed Dar. A written poem appeared in Kashmiri, the language he speaks in the region.

To be surprised, he struggled to read it.

He made him wonder how his generation slowly drifted from their mother tongue, as other languages ​​such as English, Urdu and Hindi have become more prevalent.

With this awareness, the social media page – called Muneer speaking – to preserve and enhance the Kashmiri culture.

Five years later, his profile got more than 500 million appearances via Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

He says: “I want to tell stories about our places and history, our likes, folklore and hair.” “It comes to picking the way we lived, laughs, cooks and remember.”

Mr. DAR is among the emerging group of young content creators who use digital platforms to keep the Kashmir heritage fragments.

The region, divided between India and Pakistan, has been protected by decades of conflict, and has lost thousands of lives due to the rebellion.

In recent years, many young Kashmir – some have left to escape violence, while others search for better opportunities.

But now, a new generation changes the narration – highlighting art, traditions and daily life, beyond unrest and violence.

When Mr. Dar started his page on social media, the focus was on Kashmiri. But over the past five years, his work has expanded into a mixture of content, and includes pictures of ancient architecture, cultural traditions and stories behind local dishes.

In one of his famous videos, Mr. Dar Dar Al -Jaqi is shared about the structure of the area – such as how people once use eggs to help collect buildings together.

Meanwhile, the Instagram page, the Kashmir Museum, takes a wider archiving approach.

It is managed by the 33 -year -old journalist Mohamed Vaidal, who ignores, with a team of oral curators and historians, the artifacts and traditions that were ignored.

Videos of the vibrant mosque ceilings and hair decrease are distinguished as well as the illustrations that provide a quick and insight context.

Followers say that the page helps them see Kashmir’s history in a new light.

One of the followers commented: “Heritage is not only related to the major effects.”

Experts say that creators should remain accurate, especially with the history of the mouth that can lose details over time.

The height of the Kashmiri stories is presented as a “antibiotic product”, but the documents that were accelerated can purify the nuances, according to the author and researcher Khaled Bashir Ahmed.

To ensure originality, creators say they depend on researchers who check their content with the published sources, while preserving the original context.

On Instagram, the 31-year-old film director “Shallaa”, a page dedicated to the famous Bashmina scarfs in Kashmir (called Shalam)-a manual wool of soft wool in Himalayan and celebrates both heritage and luxury.

“Our shades are not only a texture,” he says, stressing that most of its subjects are elderly craftsmen, and they are dyed and woven every thread.

Its goal is to transform the narration by “taking the scarves beyond fashion and tourism” and presenting them as “examples of Kashmir’s history and its flexibility.”

“It is maps of touch, skill and generations. Every topic has a story.”

One of the joint video is widely displays spinning spinning on a traditional hand spinning where a popular song Kashmiri plays in the background. “I want people to see the story of an unknown Kashmiri woman with love,” says Mr. Adnan.

Not every memorization work is dangerous. Some young artists create content with a mockery.

For the 22 -year -old SEERAT HAFIZ, known online as Yikvot or Nun Chai with Jiya, Satire, Hatire and Furmor are the tools of selection. Her videos are a mixture of words and cultural comments and cover a set of topics from local literature to classic Kashmiri translations.

In single publications, virals are used to show “why reading original literature helps save the language.” Elsewhere, a man and a woman appears with a Kashmiri translation of Emily Bronte Watering’s height playing in the background.

“In some way, I document the ideas and emotions of the young Kashmiris,” says Ms. Hafez.

“We exchange languages, identities and platforms constantly, but we are still carrying the sadness of our history, even in our humor.”

But maintaining an online language is only part of the battle – Mr. Dar says that platforms still do not recognize Kashmiri as a regional language, which affects vision and access.

“I am forced to choose the” other language “option because Kashmiri is not listed on identification platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.” “It is treated like a language that has been forgotten.” BBC has reached the comment for the comment.

Since 2023, ADBI Markaz Kamraz has a campaign to add Kashmiri to Google’s translation.

They have sent official requests and thousands of emails, says its president, Mohamed Amin Bhatt, who is still optimistic.

BBC called Google to comment and you will update the story when answering.

Despite the challenges, this small group is determined to keep pace with their work.

From Mr. Dar to Mrs. Hafez, they insist that their work proves that the Kashmiri culture does not fade, but fights to remember it on its own conditions.

“People may one day forget my name,” says Mr. Dar.

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