At a time when most people speak with pessimism about the condition of women in South Asia, the Indian Ambassador to Germany, Sujatha Singh is proud of women in her country. Ronaq Zahoor talked to her on the sidelines of  the ‘Days of India’ conference at the University of Hamburg.

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Paradise has colours of its own, bright and rare! Kashmir has been called the paradise on earth so it sure does have colours. But what kind of colours are these? Conflict has ridden this place and the minds of its people into shades of anger, frustration and hopelessness. From nature’s golden greens to the black, grey and red shades of conflict, the paradise has had a paradigm shift.

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A few weeks back, the government of Jammu and Kashmir issued an order asking all telecommunications operators to do whatever is necessary to block the blasphemous film ‘Innocence of Muslims,’ even if it required blocking Facebook and YouTube completely.

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Most of the women in Indian administered Kashmir never think of choosing theatre as a career option. Even if they want to be a part of theatre, the conservative set-up forces them to opt for a more “decent” career choice. In a place where no woman has ever dared to work for theatre, Ifra Kak took the first step. Born and brought up in Jammu, Ifra is the daughter of Mushtaq Kak, a well known theatre actor and director.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s time to party. Our blogger Ronaq Zahoor is celebrating Eid ul Zuha, which literally means the “Festival of sacrifice.” Ronaq’s been busy cooking for the feast , so we asked her to send us the recipe for Rogan Josh, a tasty mutton preparation from her birthplace, Kashmir. Enjoy!

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There is always a first time for everything that happens to us. There is something special about the first experience. The case was not different with my first day in Germany. I had never travelled to a foreign country before. When I landed in Germany the feeling was mixed. I was missing home, I was worried, but at the same time the thought of meeting new people and learning new things brought some relief.

It was a cold morning on October 1, when I arrived at Frankfurt international airport. I felt dead tired. I completed the formalities at the airport, collected my luggage and started looking for the way to the train station. I had to catch a train to Cologne and then to Bonn. I was worried, but didn’t want to give this impression to the people around.

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“I was born and brought up in Sopore, 50 kilometers from Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. I am reserved, a little laid-back and an abstract thinker.”

Ronaq Zahoor, the latest addition to the Women Talk Online team, talks about her life in Kashmir, the conflict, the dangers and her love for writing.

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