Opinion | Akeel Tantray: A Sign of Kashmir’s Changing Times

From a time when people had to hide their choices, even in the smallest aspects of life, to a time when young individuals like Akeel Tantray are willing to stand up and lead openly, the journey has not been easy. I have seen both phases closely. And perhaps that is why this change feels real.

Not going too far back in time, I often think about the years between 2010 and 2016. I was young, but aware enough to understand what was unfolding around me. And I say this with full clarity: in those days, even the slightest inclination towards India could invite trouble in Kashmir. I remember it vividly. My father, who was part of essential services, had to leave for duty on foot, often in worn-out clothes. Not by choice, but by compulsion. Well-dressed men were easy targets. I have seen groups of misguided youth stop people, grab them by the collar, and say, “CXE GACKHA DUTY TI BEII LAAGAKH NEII PALLOV, TI ESSI MANGWA AAZADI” (You will go to duty, wear good clothes, and we will keep demanding Azaadi?) That was the atmosphere. Student spaces were not insulated from this. There was a form of student politics in educational institutions, but it revolved around disruption rather than dialogue. Conversations were not about careers, policy, or reform. They were about when to assemble, where to protest, and how to escalate. In such an environment, associating oneself with any nationalistic student organisation, especially something like ABVP, was almost unthinkable. You simply didn’t do it. But here’s what stands out today. The ground has shifted. Over the past few years, there has been a visible change in how students engage, organise, and express themselves. Among the many indicators of this shift is the growing footprint of ABVP in Kashmir. What was once absent is now present. What once seemed impossible is now being attempted openly. Membership is rising, activities are becoming visible, and conversations on campuses are slowly expanding beyond the narrow confines of the past. And in the middle of this emerging space, certain individuals have begun to stand out. In today’s article, I want to focus on one such figure, a young face who has come to represent this changing dynamic in a Muslim-majority region: Akeel Tantray.

In the quiet corners of Kupwara, close to the Line of Control, a young boy from a middle-class family has steadily carved his way into national conversations. Akeel Tantray, who today serves as a National Executive Council Member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, represents a shift that many would have once thought unlikely in Kashmir. His journey is not just about an individual rise, but about the gradual rooting of an organisation in a region where such space did not exist earlier. To expand the footprint of ABVP in Kashmir is no small task. It demands not just organisational effort, but personal conviction, resilience, and the ability to navigate a complex social landscape. Let us take a closer look at his journey, and what his work signifies in the larger context of a changing Kashmir.

As I began to look deeper into his journey, what struck me first was how familiar parts of it felt. In many ways, it mirrors what many of us silently experienced while growing up here. Akeel Tantray’s story does not begin with positions or recognition. It begins in a time when even a small expression of identity could not be made openly. As a schoolboy, he is said to have kept a small tricolour in his room, but like many others of that time, he could not bring himself to express that sentiment outside. I can relate to that hesitation. It wasn’t always about what you believed in, but whether you could afford to say it aloud. What he chose to do later is what sets him apart.

After 2019, when the atmosphere began to shift, Akeel did not remain a silent observer. He stepped into a space that was still uncertain and largely untested. Joining ABVP at a time when its presence in Kashmir was minimal, he became part of a small group trying to build something from the ground up. From what I understand, it wasn’t an easy beginning. There were no large gatherings, no open acceptance, and certainly no immediate support. Outreach often started quietly. Conversations were held carefully. In many cases, the identity of the organisation was not even revealed in the first interaction. Trust had to be built first, step by step. Over time, that effort began to show results.

What started with a handful of members gradually expanded into a network across colleges and universities. Today, ABVP has a visible presence in institutions like Kashmir University and other campuses, with increasing student participation. The numbers themselves tell a story, but what matters more is the shift behind those numbers. I see this not just as organisational growth, but as a sign of changing confidence among students. Akeel’s role in this has been both organisational and personal. On one hand, he has been involved in mobilising students, raising issues related to academics, examinations, and campus concerns. On the other, he has had to carry the weight of being a visible face in a space where visibility itself can invite scrutiny.

There are accounts of him working without much public visibility, even keeping a low profile in his own locality. Moving carefully, staying cautious, yet continuing his work. That balance between conviction and caution is something only someone from here can truly understand. And perhaps that is why his journey stands out. When I look at it, I don’t just see an individual rising within a student organisation. I see a reflection of a broader shift, where a section of Kashmiri youth is beginning to engage differently, speak differently, and organise differently. Akeel Tantray, in that sense, is not just a name in the news right now. He represents a phase that is still unfolding.

When I look at it in a broader context, I do not see Akeel Tantray merely leading a student organisation. I see a reflection of a larger shift taking place among the youth of Kashmir. A change that is political, social, and even psychological in many ways. There was a time when even admitting that you worked in the government sector could invite hostility. Today, the same land is witnessing young students openly associating with a student wing ideologically linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. That contrast, in itself, tells a story. What stands out to me is that this shift is not just about ideology. It is also about engagement. In his interaction with ThePrint, Akeel Tantray speaks about mobilising students, raising their issues, and involving them in meaningful activities. That approach perhaps explains why more young people are willing to step forward today.

I also came across their plan to plant ten thousand trees across Kashmir. At one level, it is an environmental initiative. At another, it signals an attempt to root student engagement in constructive work. And that is where the real change lies. I find myself thinking that Akeel may not be an exception for long. There are many more young voices across Kashmir, in different fields and spaces, waiting for the right moment, the right environment, to step forward. From a time when expression was suppressed to a time when participation is becoming visible, Kashmir seems to be moving, slowly but surely, in a new direction. And for the first time in a long while, it feels like a change that is being embraced, not imposed.

Email: soulofkashmir1@gmail.com