Ramadan has passed, and Eid is over. What remains should be more than memory. It should be a lesson in how public life can be made more humane, more local, and more meaningful.
In Kashmir, public Iftar gatherings became part of the season. There is nothing wrong with that in principle. Such events can serve a purpose when they are used wisely. They can bring people together. They can create space for goodwill. They can remind the state that public life is built not only through policy, but through presence and trust.
The real issue is not the Iftar itself. The real issue is how it was used. Public spending should have gone beyond large gatherings attended mainly by those who could afford their own meals. It should have focused on social connection. It should have brought into the room those who stay closest to the people. Local public representatives at mohalla level. Community volunteers. Teachers. Religious voices. Youth workers. People who know the street, the household, and the struggle.
That would have made the event more than a ceremonial meal. It would have turned it into a bridge. A bridge between the administration and the neighborhoods it serves. A bridge between authority and trust. A bridge between public money and public purpose.
Ramadan already carries a strong culture of charity. Families help families. Mosques help neighborhoods. Local networks quietly support the poor, the orphaned, and those living on the edge. The state should not try to replace that spirit with optics. It should strengthen it with purpose.
That means better choices. If the goal is bonding, invite those who can deepen it. If the goal is welfare, reach those who need help most. If the goal is public trust, then public money must create real contact, not just a visible event.
There is no harm in hospitality. In fact, it is welcome. But hospitality without social depth becomes routine. It looks good for a day and is forgotten the next. Public spending must do more. It must leave behind warmth, connection, and trust.
That is the standard people expect. That is the standard public institutions should meet. If Iftar events are to continue, they should be designed around inclusion, not display. They should reflect the spirit of Ramadan, not the logic of optics. They should bring together the state and the people in a way that feels local, sincere, and useful. That is how public money earns respect. That is how a simple gathering becomes a meaningful act.
