The current ongoing social media ban in Kashmir is only adding more fuel to the fire. The place is already a barren land of people trying to live a normal life. The government has now imposed a ban on around 22 websites including Facebook and Whatsapp, owing to the fact that ‘anti-government’ organisations were using them to carry out illegal activities.  However, there are two sides to every coin and while on this side, we are trying to curb terrorism in the state, on the other hand, and we forget that the people who are living in that horror also have these mediums to express what and how they feel.

© Twitter

Since necessity is the mother of all invention, a young 16-year-old boy has ended the woes of this endless social media exhaustion. Zeyan Shafiq from the Anantang district has come up with ‘Kashbook’, an exclusive social media platform for people living in the Valley. 

© Kashbook

Kashbook came into existence in 2013 but has suddenly gained tremendous popularity amongst citizens there. It already has an Android app and soon an iOS app is also going to be launched. The website does not require a VPN and is hence easily accessible. In a place which is finding its own voice, Kashbook is a blessing in disguise. 

© Facebook

Zeyan fears its ban but is currently overwhelmed with the love that his site is garnering, as all of it is in the larger interest of the public. This is totally along the lines of the ‘Make in India’ scheme that our PM seems to endorse ardently and it is something to be proud of.