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Other than dwindling natural splendour, this place also harbours another kind of affluence that often goes unnoticed. It’s the immense financial and social capital held by Kashmir’s own privileged class. From powerful business families and real estate moguls to successful professionals and entrepreneurs, both within Kashmir and across the globe, the potential for collective transformation is enormous.
But the question is—are we thinking big enough?What if the affluent of Kashmir, the custodians of fortune, come together not just as individual benefactors, but as a united force for social change? What if the rich don’t just give in isolation, but collaborate on a vision rooted in long-term, organized and strategic philanthropy? Imagine a shared mission where Kashmir’s wealth is not only counted in numbers, but in impact. Not haphazard acts of scanty charity, but some structured large-scale joint ventures for the good of all. Like hospitals that don’t just heal but revolutionize care.
Schools that don’t just teach but awaken. Scholarships that are not just aid but a life-changer. Projects that are not seasonal but sustainable.
Of course, we Kashmiris are no strangers to generosity. There’s a deep-rooted tradition of giving through waqf, zakaat, and countless unpublicized personal donations. But much of this giving remains fragmented and reactive.
There is a need to think bigger, to transform financial privilege of our rich class into focused and collective action.A single wealthy individual can provide temporary relief to a small number of families. But ten such individuals, working together, can create institutions, infrastructures and systems that serve generations.
For instance, from building numerous care networks and mental health centres to supporting widows, orphans and destitute seniors—Kashmir has countless needs that require more than short-term help. They require vision. And vision demands unity.
Instead of duplicating few efforts, the wealthy class can pool more funds and ideas into a common trust or platform. Collective philanthropy can reduce wastage, maximize outreach and ensure that no major social issue is left untouched due to lack of coordination.No one understands Kashmir’s unique socio-cultural fabric better than its own people.
Our rich class knows the pain points : healthcare gaps, educational needs, unemployment, neglected elders, social insecurities and much more. By leading from within, they can nail down solutions grounded in compassion and cultural relevance.When giving becomes organized through transparent systems, documented outcomes and community involvement, it builds public trust.
It also encourages more people to join in, making philanthropy a collective movement, not a private exercise. Rather than leaving behind monuments or private estates, big mansions or lavish weddings, Kashmir’s wealthy can co-create legacies that breathe—institutions that serve, initiatives that grow and lives that change. That is the true measure of legacy; true measure of social responsibility that goes beyond the disguise of tax evasion; and acts of wealth multiplying, luxurious lifestyle and shallow self-aggrandizement.
For sure, there is no absence of wealth in Kashmir. Rich class here is extremely rich. But are they relevant as well?!! For that, they need to give away for the place and its people.
Kashmir doesn’t need a thousand scattered acts of kindness. It needs a few bold, united steps towards rebuilding the soul of this land—through education, health, environmental protection and dignity for the forgotten.Let those who hold privilege think over it as a powerful opportunity.
Your success and fortune isn’t accidental. It carries with it a responsibility to those who didn’t get the same chances. The land that gave you identity, roots and recognition now calls upon you—not just to give, but to give together.
Moving from wealth to welfare, it has to become the New Nobility.Imagine a united Kashmiri Wealth Collective! A platform where prominent affluent families and individuals co-invest in human development, create endowments for public service and build models of care that are studied and replicated. A trust that works beyond politics, religion and status.
A pure commitment to Kashmir and Kashmiris.The world always watches how the rich live. Let Kashmir show them how the rich give—not alone, but arm in arm.
Because when the fortunate rise together, they don’t just lift themselves. They lift a people. They lift a place.
And they lift a future. The post A Call to Kashmir’s Rich Class appeared first on Greater Kashmir..
