Bilal Bhat

Early life and education

He received his primary education from Al-huda Public School at Khayam, Srinagar. He finished his matriculation in 2005. In 2006, he joined SP school from where he received his high school graduation in medical science. He was involved in student activism since his high school days. He used to actively participate in extracurricular activities. Despite being newly introduced to the game, on 3 June 2006, he won silver (second position) during the open challenge J&K State Arm Wrestling Championship defeating former Arm Wrestling Champions. Following the same year, he represented J&K State by participating in The All India & South Asia Second- Division " R.W. Leybroune Callaghan Cup" 15’s Rugby Tournament held at Barabati Stadium Cuttack, Orissa between 4–10 August.

Bhat played the role of an actor in the international feature film Zero Bridge in 2007, based on Kashmir. He formed a student’s union in the year 2007. He finished his high school in 2007 and joined SP College in the year 2008. He became actively involved in students politics during the first year of his college during Amarnath land transfer controversy and became President of the Sp college students union in the same year. He organised a number of protests and demonstrations in the summer capital Lalchowk, Srinagar against the Indian forces for killing unarmed youth in the valley.

On the call of the Kashmir University students union in 2009, he organised a massive students rally in Lalchowk against the Shopian double murder and rape. During the same year he had to dissolve his union following the infamous ragging incident owing to his union’s involvement in which he along with his two friends were named for the incident. Later on, the union resumed in the year 2010 during Kashmir unrest. In the same year he formed an apex body of students which was an amalgam of various college student unions to protest against, torture, arrests and the killings of youth, mostly students who fell to the bullets of security forces in 2010 unrest. During his college days he actively participated and organised a number of youth conventions based on social work, environment and human rights. He made a big contribution towards social service by involving youth in the social services. He also participated in environmental drives. He finished his BSC in 2011.

Journalism

In 2010 a delegation of journalist including India's renowned journalist Prem Shankar Jah visited Bhat's home as a part of delegation to meet and interact with youth leaders in kashmir who were leading protests. After taking inspiration from Prem Shankar to give a vent for voices in Kashmir, Bhat developed a flair for journalism. He joined Kashmir University in 2012 and did his masters in mass communication and journalism. During his university days he was actively involved with student politics. As a journalist he started working with The Counsellor Magazine since 2012 and still contributes to this monthly magazine. He also wrote for the Kashmir's leading dallies like Rising Kashmir and Greater Kashmir. He was working as a feature writer in Greater Kashmir from June 2013 to April 2014. His features are mostly based on conflict. He has also contributed to India’s leading daily Hindustan Times and Pakistan’s Express Tribune (an organ of The New York Times). Besides this his works were also published in Kashmir Dispatch, The Citizen and IndiaTomorrow.net. He has received a number of awards; on 8 November 2014, he was conferred with international bravery award for saving precious lives during devastating floods in Kashmir.

Bhat writes on diverse issues be it social, environmental, sports or political issues but human rights and investigative reporting is his key area of interest. He is also known for his interviews with leading personalities of Kashmir in The Counsellor Magazine. In December 2014, he joined English fortnightly newspaper The Milli Gazette as a reporter. On 30 April 2015, he organised seminar on prolonged illegal detentions of political prisoners at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi and conferred JNU students union on behalf of Jammu and Kashmir Youth Civil Society (JKYCS) for advocating freedom of speech and expression in the campus. He is the contributor of brief profiles of the book the stalwarts which is about the leaders associated with Mushawarat. He also worked with The Milli Gazette which is based in Delh He is the present Chairman of the JKYCS and currently working as a freelance journalist and an activist in Kashmir .