On visiting Kashmir for the first time, Mughal emperor Jahangir is said to have recited the couplet “If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this”, assigning the status of “paradise on earth” to the valley. For years now, movies and literature have continued to mould Kashmir within this touristy gaze. I call this phenomenon “The Kashmir ki Kali syndrome”. Kashmiris have had to condition themselves out of this pop culture imagery by writing about their own real-life experiences in the form of fiction, non-fiction and memoirs. The valley has been a conflict zone since India gained independence in 1947—after the abrogation of Article 370, which granted the erstwhile state its special status and the power to define its domicile rules, and a near-complete internet shutdown (both in 2019), the future of the press has now been called into question after pro-government journalists and police officers stormed the independent press club yesterday, later pulling down its shutters.
In light of these developments, it has become all the more important for the citizens of Kashmir to put down their lived experiences in writing in order to maintain autonomy over their narratives. Below, we spotlight some important works of fiction that poignantly capture the betrayals, the losses and the withering, yet enchanting allure of Kashmir by those who call it home.
The Saga of Satisar by Chandrakanta, translated by Ranjana Kaul
Borrowing its title from folklore found in the 16th-century text Neelmat Purana, this novel takes on the task of encapsulating Kashmir’s history from the mythical period to the 21st century with a focus on Kashmiri Pandits. The Saga of Satisar tells the story of the upheaval of Kashmir’s political history that sent ripples across many lives, including the strong-willed and rebellious protagonist, Katya. It is a cultural and sociological magnum opus on Kashmir with a feminist bend. Written by Chandrakanta, a renowned Hindi novelist from Kashmir, it was first published in Hindi as Katha Satisar and was translated by Ranjana Kaul in 2018.
Gul Gulshan Gulfam by Pran Kishore, translated by Shafi Shauq
Following the success of the beloved drama Gul, Gulshan, Gulfam, which aired on Doordarshan in the late 1980s-90s, writer Pran Kishore turned the series into a novel as he felt that the 45-episode run didn’t do justice to the sprawling, epic story he had in mind. The book was later translated from Kashmiri to English by Shafi Shauq. The novel tells the story of Kashmir’s turmoil, its declining economy and its endangered tourism industry in the '90s through the lives of the hanji (boatmen) community. The story of three houseboats on Dal Lake named Gul, Gulshan and Gulfam, owned by Malla Khaliq and his family, touches upon themes relevant to Kashmir—language, culture and generational differences.
The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed
A young Kashmiri boy living in a village near the border is tasked with a job by an Indian army officer. He has to make trips to a pass used by infiltrators and bring back the identity cards and weapons of the militants shot dead while crossing the border from Pakistan to India. This debut novel by Mirza Waheed crushingly captures the physical and mental isolation endured by Kashmiris, and presents vivid descriptions of loneliness in a terrifying conflict zone. Surrounded by loss and absence after many from his generation have either moved to the city or fled across the border, Waheed’s protagonist continues his monologue day after day, wondering if he'll meet his friends again and if he will eventually be the one to collect their identity cards. The novel brought a sharp and bold voice in the world of Kashmiri fiction and is an unputdownable read.
The Garden of Solitude by Siddhartha Gigoo
The Garden of Solitude, Siddhartha Gigoo’s debut novel, narrates the story of a young Kashmiri Pandit, Sridar, who grows up during the early turbulence of the ‘80s and forsakes his home as Kashmiri Pandits are forced to leave the valley in the ‘90s. Sridar loses years in Jammu post-exile and his experiences of finding his footing in a familiar yet altered land as well as coming to terms with the tragedy that shook three generations, are poignantly captured. The anguish, the alienation and the endless despair of Kashmiri Pandits living in camps are narrated with a searing quietude and is one of the earliest accounts by a Kashmiri who lost his childhood to the conflict.
The Plague Upon Us by Shabir Ahmad Mir
This Rashomon-esque debut novel revolves around the lives of four childhood friends—Oubaid Pohal (son of a shepherd) who is the protagonist, Sabia, daughter of a Puj (butcher) family, Tufail Zaeldar (son of a land-owing family) and Muzaffar, a murdered journalist’s son who becomes a militant. The prose is piercing, haunting and visual. It is the kind of book that can make you stay up all night reading and leave you gasping for air in-between. Shabir Ahmad Mir’s prose has an evocative quality to it—the kind that reminds you of someone narrating a story to you in your childhood. Except, this story is about a plague of grief, trauma and suffering endured by Kashmiris for decades. His words have an urgency to them, as if something, anything, could happen before he finishes writing a sentence.
A Bit of Everything by Sandeep Raina
Rahul, a literature professor, and his wife Doora live in the peaceful Varmull neighbourhood in Kashmir in the ‘80s. They have every conceivable comfort of small-town life—books to read, students to teach, kahwa to drink, walls to paint, a roof over their head, the valley’s myriad seasons, cosmopolitan neighbours, a garden to grow flowers and fruit trees in. That is until they have to leave their home in the dead of the night and struggle to survive in Delhi’s oppressive heat in a rented barsati. Rahul tries to outrun his trauma, memories, landlord and relatives and ends up in London, only to have his past catch up with him during a terrorist attack there. Sandeep Raina’s moving debut has the sensibility of a seasoned writer and the nuances of a Kashmiri who has lost his home and continues to search for its remnants in history and the present.
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