Window to Gilgit-Baltistan

By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook A Shina Poet’s poignant reflection on changing family values and the fading culture of filial devotion The poetry of Murad Ali Shabon , the emerging Shina poet of Bagrote Valley, Gilgit, is remarkable not merely for its linguistic beauty or emotional depth, but for the manner in which it captures the changing psychology of society. His verses often seem to hold a mirror before the community, compelling it to look at itself—its changing relationships, altered priorities and, above all, the erosion of values that once constituted the moral foundation of traditional mountain society. One such composition, recently shared by Bagrote Valley, Gilgit , is a deeply moving lament over the changing relationship between married sons and their ageing parents. Beneath its seemingly simple narrative lies a much larger social commentary: the transformatio...

By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook   Al-Waiz Fida Ali Eisar: The Passing of an Era “Death is truly death when an entire age mourns the departed; otherwise, hundreds of people pass away every day.” These poignant words, shared by Israr Osho Thang in his Facebook post of 8 September 2026 , acquire profound significance following the passing of Al-Waiz Fida Ali Eisar , whose death has cast a deep shadow over the intellectual, religious and cultural circles of Gilgit-Baltistan. The sentiment was echoed in a moving condolence message on the same day by Ghulam Abbas, General Secretary, Halqa Arbab-e-Zaoq, Gilgit . Such tributes signify more than personal grief. They reflect the collective sorrow of a society that recognises, in the departure of a distinguished scholar, the loss of a custodian of knowledge, wisdom, tradition and collective memory. De...

By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook A recent Facebook post by Bol Hunza , dated 4 September 2026 , has drawn attention to what is being described as a worrying increase in cancer cases in Gilgit district. The post voices a concern increasingly being heard within local communities: that cancer appears to be affecting an unusually large number of families, while the underlying reasons remain insufficiently understood. Whether the perceived increase reflects a genuine rise in incidence, improved detection and reporting, population changes, or a combination of several factors is a question that cannot be answered through anecdotal observations alone . What is urgently required, therefore, is systematic data collection, epidemiological investigation and scientifically sound research. A Concern That Cannot Be Ignored The observation that “almost every hou...

By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook THERE are people who visit a place for a few days, admire its scenery, take photographs and return home with pleasant memories. There are others who enter a community not merely as visitors, but as students of its people, culture, language and way of life —and, in the process, become so deeply attached to it that the distinction between an outsider and an insider begins to disappear. When Anthropology Became a Bond of the Heart Monica, an anthropologist from Germany, appears to belong to the latter and rather rare category. Nearly three decades ago, some 28 years back, Monica came to Bagrote Valley in connection with her anthropological research. What began as academic fieldwork gradually developed into something much deeper. She did not remain a distant observer of the community. She lived among the people, int...

By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook A video circulating on social media on 3 September 2026 from Nasirabad in Hunza  has brought an intriguing agricultural experiment into the public spotlight: the cultivation of hop ( Humulus lupulus ) , particularly its tender young shoots, which are reportedly harvested initially as a vegetable, while subsequent growth is being explored for use in making a green-tea-like beverage. If the observations being reported are substantiated through scientific trials, this could prove to be an interesting addition to the agricultural possibilities of Gilgit-Baltistan. It becomes ascertainable that “Hop Shoot plant”  means  Humulus lupulus , which is actually a large perennial climbing vine , not a small vegetable plant. Reportedly it can be propagated from cuttings as well. Vine length: commonly 4–7 metres...

By  Syed Shamsuddin Follow on X Facebook THERE was a time—not very long ago—when Gilgit-Baltistan was a land almost entirely untouched by vehicular traffic . Until the 1960s, motor vehicles were virtually absent from most parts of the region. The valleys, mountain slopes, rivers, streams and settlements existed in an extraordinarily pristine state. The silence of the mountains was broken principally by the sound of flowing water, birdsong, livestock, the movement of people on foot, and the occasional traditional means of transport. The landscape was not merely beautiful; it was ecologically quieter, cleaner and far less disturbed by human activity . Today, that world has changed dramatically. The expansion of roads, the arrival of motor vehicles, increasing tourism, rapid urbanisation and growing dependence on private transport have brought enormous econ...

By  Syed Shamsuddin Oral Historians: The Living Archives of Gilgit-Baltistan History does not survive only in books, official records and archival documents. In societies where written records are limited, fragmented or absent, it also survives in the memories, narratives and lived experiences of people who inherit and transmit knowledge from one generation to another. Such individuals may aptly be described as oral historians, oral tradition-bearers or folk historians . They are, in effect, the living archives of their communities. This is particularly true of Gilgit-Baltistan , where a considerable part of the region’s social and cultural history has been preserved through oral traditions. Elderly men and women in its villages and valleys may possess extensive knowledge of ancestral migrations and settlements, customary laws, clan and kinship relations, irrigation systems, agricultural practices, grazing routes, traditional medicines...