Book Review: Kashmir by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

Book: Kashmir (the partition trilogy)

Author: Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

Genre: History/Politics (a blend of creative nonfiction and fiction)

Publisher: Harper Collins India

Pages: 294

Price: ₹ 324 (on Amazon. Kindle version available)

Kashmir by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is the conclusion to the Partition trilogy. The preceding titles are Hyderabad and Lahore, and although it has some references of Lahore, you can read it as a standalone novel. 

It captures the final parts of the period of partition and its aftereffects (From October 1947 to December 1948). The delay and dilemma of accession, the confusion and politics, the havoc it caused among common people. It is a smart blend of creative nonfiction and fiction. You will find real people like Maharaja Hari Singh (the ruler of Kashmir), Nehru, Sardar Patel, VP Menon, Lord Mountbatten, Jinnah, Liyaquat Ali, Indira Gandhi etc. And then there are some fictional characters (common people) like Zooni ―a Kashmiri young woman, her husband Masud Ahmed, Koko Jan ―Masud Ahmed's first wife, Jugnu ―a young boy, Margot Parr ―an American journalist etc.  

'The crisp autumnal air smells spicy sweet. The land is dressed in red, gold, mauve. The men in lorries, ancient trucks, juddering buses, lying on the roofs, sitting on the engines, hanging on to the mudguards, armed with rifles, daggers, axes widen their eyes and begin to sniff like hounds. They register the change…..

But this, this earth dressed as a bride and smelling like a houri, intimate, inviting, this is what they have been promised? The fertile valley of Kashmir, bounteous and beautiful?’

This is the opening paragraph of the book. And then it goes on to tell the story of Kashmir's ―a princely state like ― accession to India. From two angles: one, the political―military angle, the other is the social angle. Political angle, which is creative nonfiction, is obviously informative and straightforward, but the fictional (which might be real in many ways) angle is an imaginative take on history. I liked reading the latter section more (as I, as a reader, like fiction more than nonfiction, however creative). It tells about the common people who were subjected to heartbreaking atrocities and terrifying situations. 

‘The Chinar trees had turned russet, living up to their name (Chinar is a word of Persian origin, which means 'What a fire!’), setting the whole of Kashmir ablaze. This year though the metaphorical fire ―which had greeted invading Persians the autumn they entered India, duping them into thinking they were riding into a blaze ―was literally raging in the state.’

Zooni is an interesting character. Her relationship with Koko Jan ―her saut, her bonding with Jugnu, her overall personality catches your attention.  

It is my first book by the author and her writing is very neat and taut. The chapters are short which makes the book easy to read. The writing captures the beauty of the surroundings without being too descriptive, which creates lovely imagery. 

This book is informative, very well researched and interesting, and it could be enlightening for those who want to know more about the partition and the history of India. 

‘The invaders always arrived in Kashmir and never left. Some stayed as lambs, others as wolves. It is for a shepherd, however, to ensure that his sheep can graze safely.’

You should read this book if you like History, Politics, historical fiction and enjoy nonfiction. You'll like it.

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