Intellectualism, which was once a defining trait of the Kashmiri society, is now and has been going through a rapid decline for decades now. Our homeland once known for its academic, literary, and philosophical riches is now witnessing an erosion of intellectual engagement, critical thinking, and academic rigor. Several reasons have been attributed to this problem through various capacities and angles, these include diminishing reading culture, the dominance of rote learning, the rise of digital distractions, and most importantly stagnation of intellectual discourse. The philosophical and academic environment in Kashmir is deteriorating at an alarming rate, leaving a void that affects not just education but also the broader socio-political landscape. This is an attempt to look deeper into “The Demise of Intellectualism in Kashmir”.
Erosion of Reading Culture
A culture thrives intellectually on the habit of reading vast amounts of literature, not limited to formal curriculum, yet in Kashmir the reading habits have taken a downturn for the worse and there is no end to this in sight. Langate (2023) attributes this decline to the excessive focus on job-oriented education, in which students prioritize exam-specific content over broader development and engagement with literature and a diverse set of disciplines. The advent of the age of information has also played a role as social media further exacerbates this issue, attention is diverted from books to shallow digital content. As a result, reading for leisure, and personal growth is disappearing rapidly, which in turn leads to a superficial understanding of the world around us and ultimately ourselves.
Historically, press and literary circles have played a huge role in shaping public discourse and encouraging intellectual thoughts in the masses not only the academia (Khan, 1978). During, the early 20th century newspapers and magazines published in Serrnagar served as platforms for intellectual engagements, giving rise to a culture of debate and discussion. Literary forums and academic discourse once thrived allowing individuals from all walks of life to engage with a diverse set of ideas. However, contemporary Kashmir lacks such spaces leading to a vacuum of space to express ideas.
Rote Learning, Political Turmoil, and Critical Thinking
Kashmir’s education system, much like the rest of the subcontinent places an extreme emphasis on rote memorization rather than fostering analytical thinking and skills. This approach discourages the students from questioning narratives and engaging in independent thought. Islam (2023) points out that the education system has put textbooks above thinking independently, critically, and asking questions. Without exposure to diverse ideas and critical debates, the young Kashmir is left ill-equipped to address complex socio-political and philosophical questions.
Moreover, the impact of political turmoil in the valley for the last 80 years, also needs to be considered. Studies indicate that despite free education policies, literacy rates in Kashmir remain lower compared to the national average (Ganie & Din, 2015). The insurgency of the 1990s resulted in the destruction of hundreds of schools, teacher shortages, and declining student enrolment numbers, particularly among boys. The prolonged instability has also been a barrier to the proposed educational reforms, as successive governments have failed to implement policies that give importance to thinking rather than rote learning. Devdas (2023) refers to the state of education as a “slippery slope” where efforts to improve the system are superficial and fail to address the issue’s underlying causes, these causes vary from underinvestment to political interference.
Historically the education system has struggled to keep pace with the everchanging social-political reality of the valley. The Educational Reorganization Committee of 1938 recommended a lot of reforms to the education system, but most of these recommendations were just recommendations that were never really implemented (Khan, 1978). Despite the efforts to modernize the education system, the issues persist to this day, hindering growth. The lack of emphasis on philosophy, critical thinking and has led to an ecosystem where we have a lot of degree holders but not critical thinkers, leaving Kashmir not able to generate and consume meaningful knowledge.
Digital Distractions and Intellectual Passiveness
The rise of social media and digital entertainment has undermined the intellectual pursuits of the valley, while digital platforms provide access to information, they also encourage passive consumption rather than engagement with ideas. Khan (2024) notes that young people increasingly prefer short-form content over in-depth analysis of the subject matter, leading to a fragmented understanding of the topic at hand. Instead of engaging in meaningful conversations and refined literature many now engage with viral trends and algorithm-driven content, whose main motive is to entertain rather than to educate.
This shift is particularly detrimental because it gives rise to pseudo-intellectualism. As Islam (2023) argues without the patience to engage with complex arguments and long-form reading, Kashmir’s youth will lack the skills to make well-informed decision-making and social progress. The over-dependence on digital platforms for ready-made hollow knowledge often has its narratives to push and distorted information to spread. Furthermore, digital literacy is not adequately worked upon in schools, colleges, and universities, leaving individuals from all walks of life vulnerable to ideological manipulation and propaganda rather than fostering their ability to critically access information.
Voids in Public Discourse
Kashmir has also suffered from the lack of rigorous public discourse. As Sultan (2024) argues intellectual debates in the region have been stifled through a lack of pluralistic ideals and due to a strong presence of ideological rigidity not only in the general public but also in media and academia. Khan (2024) critiques the state of journalism in the region, highlighting how media outlets often focus more on sensationalism and screen worthiness of a story as a movie producer would. Similarly, academic institutions have failed to foster an environment where open-ended inquiry and intellectual risk-taking are encouraged. Kashmir’s thinking ability has continued to deteriorate, and the lack of incentives for original research, underfunding of academic projects and systems, and suppression of dissenting voices all contribute to an environment where intellectual stagnation is omnipresent and decline is in process.
Band-Aids and Surgeries
There isn’t a single idea or a method that can mend all the problems in a single go. While technology cannot be ignored, digital literacy programs can help individuals young and old to identify the differences between credible sources from misinformation and propaganda (Khan, 2024). Moving away from rote learning towards inquiry-based and discussion-driven pedagogy is essential (Ganie & Din, 2015). Schools, universities, and community organizations must actively promote reading through book clubs, literary festivals, and improved library access (Langate, 2023). Writers, academics, and thought leaders must actively mentor and inspire young minds (Islam, 2023). These are some of the ideas that have been put forward by various individuals from different walks of life, but rest assured this is not a said-and-done thing continual effort is needed to transform our homeland into the melting pot of knowledge and abode of dialogue and discourse that it once was. Otherwise, the demise of intellectualism and intellectuals in they may not remain metaphorical it will soon transition to an irreversible reality-an epitaph to what once was.
