Islamabad: As sub-zero temperatures sweep the Kashmir Valley, hundreds of homeless people endure freezing nights on pavements and bus stands, wrapped in torn blankets and plastic sheets a painful reflection of the ongoing suffering and neglect faced by the people of Kashmir.
According to Kashmir media reports, frozen nights expose India’s apathy toward Kashmir’s homeless, as hundreds of vulnerable people are left to survive sub-zero temperatures on streets, bus stands and hospital corridors.
With little access to shelter or adequate relief, men, women and the elderly endure the harsh winter wrapped in torn blankets and plastic sheets, reflecting a deep humanitarian crisis and persistent neglect in the region.
Report added that Kashmir has no functional homeless shelter, leaving elderly, mentally ill, and impoverished people exposed to brutal winter cold.
Social Welfare officials admit there is no plan to address the crisis, with past rehabilitation efforts abandoned and proposed facilities failing to serve the homeless, a situation activists describe as a serious humanitarian lapse.
The Indian Supreme Court has ordered the establishment of winter shelters for the homeless, yet authorities in the occupied territory have failed to open a single facility.
In Srinagar and other towns, homeless people are forced to huddle near closed shops and abandoned buildings, lighting small fires from trash to survive the night.
Doctors warn that prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures can cause hypothermia, frostbite, and untreated respiratory illnesses, particularly among those already malnourished or struggling with substance dependence.
Legal experts say the lack of shelters violates Article 21, which guarantees the right to life and dignity, and note that the homeless remain invisible in official records, with deaths and illnesses going unreported.
‘This is not just administrative apathy; it is a moral collapse,’ said a Srinagar-based social activist who feeds the homeless. ‘People are freezing on pavements while authorities look the other way. Governance has gone into hibernation.’
As the Valley endures the harshest phase of winter, the continued neglect of the homeless highlights the administration’s disconnect from reality, even as claims of ‘good governance’ are publicly projected.