Malik’s inspiring journey: From reviving satirical magazine to qualifying KAS

Kulgam, Nov 3: Shakir Hussain Malik’s story is a compelling blend of literary pursuits, helming plays and achieving success in civil services.

Malik, a resident of Noubugh Kund, an outlying village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district had several achievements to his name before he cleared the coveted Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS), the results of which were announced on October 30.

Since his childhood, Malik had a penchant for writing, which he nurtured further upon joining the prestigious St Stephen’s college in Delhi.

“I got a host of opportunities to pursue my passion on the campus,” said Malik as relatives and friends gathered at his residence to congratulate him.

Malik along with his two new friends—Usman Zaffar and Vikram Grewal— decided to revive the Kooler Talk, the college’s defunct satirical magazine.

The campus magazine, according to Malik, was founded by veteran politician and writer Mani Shankar Aiyer, but had been defunct for the last several years.

“With the support of management, we restarted the magazine and got an overwhelming response from our young campus readers,” said Malik.

Malik’s story, inspired by Orwell’s Animal Farm elicited widespread acclaim from both the students and the faculty.

“The idea actually came from the monkeys that frequently roam around campus”, he said. “I then tried to weave that imagery with the essence of Animal Farm”. Malik also won prizes for writing short stories and poems. Moreover, he wrote and co-helmed a play—Paris—on the campus.

However, at this point, Malik’s friend Vikram, who was his senior, cleared UPSC, inspiring him to pursue a career in civil services.

“I made my first attempt for KAS in 2019, but could not make it to the final list,” said Malik.

He said that for some time he lost his interest due to the protracted and frequent internet outages, but he tried again and finally cleared it.

“I will continue to write and convey my feelings through dark humor and other satirical genres,”he said.