Srinagar: A 16-year-old boy has come up with a ‘social networking site’ called KashBook after the state government imposed a ban on social media in Kashmir Valley.
Zeyan Shafiq, a resident of Anantnag, developed and launched the social networking platform within a week after the government banned 22 social media services including Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter.
The young software enthusiast completed his class 10 exams recently. Along with his friend, Uzair Jan, 19, Zeyan came up with KashBook.
The app was first launched in 2013 but was re-launched by Zeyan after the ban. Zeyan has said that within days of re-launch of the app, the site has more than 1,000 users who are satisfied with its features.
“The government has blocked access to all the social networks and they are blocking VPNs too. If they block complete access to social media, how will people from Kashmir stay connected? KashBook is the answer to social media gag,” Zeyan said.
Zeyan and Uzair Jan developed a mobile optimised website and mobile apps for Google Play store and App Store. The duo aims to pursue computer engineering in the future.
Many people here have defied the ban and are accessing the blocked websites by using a virtual private network. But these teens claim that their app does not require a VPN.
The duo claimed that through the app, they will focus and promote goods and services made in Kashmir. “Our effort inspires others to invent and develop new things which can serve as tools for the betterment of Kashmir in a positive way,” said Zeyan.
He said he started learning HTML tags by himself at the age of 11. He also tried his hand on computer languages such as C++ and Java. “On the portal, you can add people and chat with them, post messages along with many features which one finds in other social media websites. There is also a market for buying and selling,” he added.
Anantnag boy launches social networking site
