When humanity rose against the floodwaters in Srinagar

In September 2014, when devastating floods drowned much of Kashmir, our hillside neighbourhood of Ishber in Srinagar stood above the water and quietly became a lifeline.

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As people — locals, families, even tourists — fled rising waters, Ishber opened its arms. Homes turned into shelters. Kitchens became community centres. Tahri was cooked in large pots and shared freely. Buckets of clean water were carried to the stranded. No one waited for any orders by the authorities or anyone else, people simply acted, moved by humanity.

What moved me most was how everything came from within. Women brought diapers, medicines, and baby food from their own homes to a health centre where pregnant women and children had gathered. There were no cameras, no attention, just compassion.

Worried tourists were calmed with cups of kahwa, given warm bedding and kind words by strangers who treated them like family. In every lane, generosity lived quietly.

One moment still stays with me. As the men in our family gathered food from houses, my aunt hesitated. “We must think of ourselves too,” she said.  Just human instinct, nothing weird here. My cousin gently handed her double the cost of what was taken and replied, “Keep this. Once things settle, I’ll get you more. But today I’ll fast and won’t let another child sleep hungry and afraid.”

That hill wasn’t just spared by the floods; it rose above them in spirit. Ishber reminded everyone that in the darkest times, humanity shines its brightest.

Irtiza Yousuf, Srinagar