Cafe culture gives youth to interact with Kashmir

By: Ieshan Bashir Wani

All these years, owing to the violence there was no space where they could sit and interact in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Now the cafes in Kashmir are helping youth to ideate and talk about several issues which were unspoken in the valley.

Violence had forced the shut down of cinemas and popular spots of recreation in Kashmir, where majority of the shops and others business establishments roll their shutters down with the sunset. If you are young it easy to get bored in the valley.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

With no places to interact, socialise and network, few youngsters in the valley have taken it up to themselves to lead the way.

Situated near the bank of Dal lake, Kamran Wani, with his cousin decided to open up a cafe where youth could network and share stories. A few years back, no such places existed in the valley but now debates on woman empowerment, feminism and patriarchy are common at this cafe.

"We have done 59 events that include seminars on feminism, sexism, patriarchy, poetry, etc and response has been amazing," says Kamran Wani.

He believes that there is potential for young people to open more cafes. "People come to the cafe to socialise more than eating food and this has forced many young entrepreneurs to come up with similar ideas," Kamran says.

Based on an American fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones, the story has been a success so far. "This is the first such cafe in entire India and the first theme based cafe in Kashmir valley," says Umar Imtiyaz, who is the co-owner of the cafe.

Similarly, inspired by the American diner aesthetic, Books N Bricks has become a famous spot for the young generation. Friends duo, Arsalan Sajad and Danish Zargar realised the need for space where youth can network in the absence of other activities.

"We don't have many places where people can sit and talk, mainly youth, where they can discuss ideas. Now, these cafes are becoming the hub of such activities," Arsalan says.