Kasheer: A Diabolical Betrayal of Kashmiri Hindus – Review

Author: Sahana Vijayakumar

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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I first picked up a copy of Kasheer; I felt she promised to reveal Kashmir's history that I believed to be often neglected. Sahana Vijayakumar's story, which merges fiction with painstakingly researched historical detail, drew me in right at the outset. Here's my experience of the book:

A Journey Through Multiple Voices

The multi-narrative style of the book was the most overwhelming to me. Rather than viewing it as a linear story from a single point-of-view from a perspective of one character to another, it was akin to me moving across the minds of different characters-each woven into the fabric of Kashmir in a different manner. By the time I reached the final chapters, I was fortunate enough to align with Narendra, the curious researcher in the book who curiosities about history seemed much akin to mine. Sometimes the shifting of voices felt a bit much, but in the end, it gave me a broader understanding of the different human experiences in a still tragic chapter of history.

Blurring the Lines Between Fiction and Reality

I found this most admirable, that Vijayakumar did not shy away from the brutal reality of the 1990 exodus of the Kashmiri Pandit. Even if the circumstance has been fictionalized, the elucidation shows that it has been researched with such minute granularity that one simply cannot escape the feelings of historical truths in any of the pages. I had a particular problem with the betrayal and the convoluted motives behind the same. The author removes all manipulations and self-interest for mass displacement, confronting mainstream beliefs that made me sort of rethink what I had thought I had originally thought about the events.

Deeply Researched and Authentically Told

I appreciated Vijayakumar's conducting of researches with immense broadness to substantiate her story. For an admirer of historical fidelity, such diligence added much to the means of compellingness of the story. The inclusion of cultural particulars-such as a discussion of the evolution of religious practices and the symbolic basis for some traditions-constructed increased background complexity to enable me to appreciate the seismic shift that occurred in Kashmir over the years. .

Personal Reflections on Identity and Belonging

Reading Kasheer made me think more broadly about identity and belonging. It felt very personal as I connected to the characters' struggles in negotiating their cultural identify in times of political and social upheaval. I started wondering about how the historical narratives are formed and who get to tell these stories. While touching the themes of identity, this book provoked my thoughts on the notions of nationalism and collective memory in a particularly contrasting self-perception of Kashmiri Muslims and Hindus.

A Few Challenges Along the Way

I do have to say that this book was at times confusing enough that I had to work extra hard to figure things out. While I appreciated the depth it tried to bring in, there were moments when I yearned for a more straightforward narrative. This little hiccup did not diminish the impact of the story; rather, it made the reader aware of the complexities behind the historical events it tries to portray.

Final Thoughts

Kasheer isn't a novel so much as a gripping rumination of a painful yet relatively ignored chapter in Indian history. It was an eye-opener for me and a reminder of the anguish of a community that has been pressed into exile. The combination of fact and fiction, supported by the author's consummate research, yields a piece that is as thought-provoking as it is emotionally charged.

In my opinion, Kasheer, as a major literary work, makes a major attempt to educate and prick our consciences into kindly remembering and reconsidering the historical realities we have made our past. I would highly recommend this book to anybody interested in a deeper, intricate understanding of Kashmir history.