Tabish Rafiq Mir

Background

About Tabish Rafiq Mir

Tabish Rafiq Mir is a writer photographer and illustrator residing in Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir where he produces political commentary and satire. After completing his studies in Civil Engineering in Chennai India in 2017 he began working as a journalist in Kashmir. His writings on the effects of armed conflict on human societies media ethics and erasure of cultures have been published in national and international publications including The Polis Project Akademi Mag Inverse Journal Free Press Kashmir Kashmir Life and Curator Mag. On his personal blog he has been publishing essays since 2017 a number of which have been reproduced and quoted extensively in journalistic and academic spheres including at Ashoka University in Delhi India and at the London School of Economics. Through self-publishing initiatives via his blog and social media Tabish has stimulated debate within a vibrant community of people and played an important role in discourses grounded in the right to defend oneself against the excesses of state authoritarianism. His essays on cultural appropriation paved the way for a refreshed approach to the subject in Kashmir. Currently he is a Gather Fellow 2023 has been offered the esteemed Guru Fellowship in Buffalo New York. Tabish is finalizing work on a book 'Parallel Parking in Downtown Srinagar' aimed at redirecting energies of a post-2019 Kashmir when the Indian state abrogated the article 350 and 35A of the constitution effectively nullifying the region’s autonomy. Additionally he is also tracing and translating some pivotal literary works of the Shia community in Kashmir rooted in the right to self-determination.