By Wasik Murtaza
The recent fashion show in Gulmarg, held on March 7 during the holy month of Ramadan, has rightfully angered many people in Jammu and Kashmir. The event, showcasing ski-wear designs by Shivan & Narresh, felt like a clear insult to our cultural and religious values.
What in the valley has made the situation worse is the response from the ruling party Jammu & Kashmir National Conference and its Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. When the outrage was spread he immediately aside his government from this event, saying him and his party has no knowledge about it. But this claim is hard to believe because his sons Zahir & Zamir were present in the Fashion Show.
How can such an event take place in Gulmarg — a heavily monitored area — without the authorities knowing?
A Misleading Statement by Omar Abdullah
Omar Abdullah’s statement seems more like an excuse than the truth. If his government didn’t know about the fashion show, it shows incompetence. If the Omar-led JKNC knew and kept themselves silent. It shows they didn’t care about the public sentiments and the people of Kashmir deserves honesty not just empty words.
The fact that the Chief Minister’s sons were seen at the event adds to the confusion. If this was truly an event the government disapproved of, why were his family members part of the audience? It raises valid concerns about whether the JKNC government is hiding the full story.
Attack on Our Culture
Hosting a fashion show during Ramadan — a month of spirituality, is more than just poor timing. It seems to be a deliberate attempt to hurt Kashmiri sentiments. This is just the first time but we’ve seen such events being pushed under the banner of “tourism promotion.” Before as well. These actions seem less about boosting tourism and more about erasing our culture and traditions.
Kashmiriyat — our unique identity — is built on peace, spirituality, and strong cultural roots. Events like this chip away at those foundations. They turn sacred spaces like Gulmarg into mere backdrops for flashy shows that have no connection to our way of life.
Killing Serenity and Spirituality.
Gulmarg is famous for its beauty and serenity. It is a place where people find peace not a venue to host vulguraty and nudity. It is not for semi-nude events which destroys the essence of this pious place. By allowing such events intentionally or unintentionally, this will not change the fact that under the governance of JKNC such event has disturbed the spirit of what Gulmarg represents.
Let’s be clear, this was not just a fashion show, it was a part of bigger conspiracy to hurt the feeling of kashmiris by trying to kill its culture. This fashion speaks volumes of how Kashmiri Culture was side-lined. Calling it “modernization”doesn’t change the fact that it’s a direct attack on our tradition.
Kashmiris Must Speak Up
The people of Kashmir cannot stay silent while their culture and tradition are under the threat. The JKNC government, whether through neglect or intent, has allowed this to happen. Leaders must be held responsible — not just for this event, but for every time they fail to protect our culture.
Kashmir’s identity is not something to be tampered with. If we don’t act now, more such events will follow, and piece by piece, our culture will be erased.
It’s time to demand answers from the sitting Chief Minister who is misleading the mandate that people gave him, It is time to protect our culture, and identity. And time to remind those in power that Kashmiriyat is not up for sale.