16 June 2016

Review #458: Tears of Jhelum by Anita Krishan



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“Onnai je kore ar onnai je sohe, tobo ghrina jeno tare trino somo dohe."

Translated version: "Those who commit injustice and those who forbear it, Let them blaze like hay in the fire of your indignation."


----Rabindranath Tagore



Anita Krishan, an Indian author, has penned a gripping yet emotional bookTears of Jhelum that narrates the story of a Kashmiri man who tries to protect his family as well as himself while turning a blind eye to the crime happening around him, but when his act of turning a blind eye comes haunting to him, he realizes that he has committed a grave mistake in order to save himself from the inevitable death.


Synopsis:

Kashmir has long seen years of strife and turmoil, and Wali Mohammad Khan has been a silent witness to it all.The violence that terrorism unleashed in the valley was every bit as senseless as the men who propagated it with manic intensity, but Wali managed to create a seemingly normal life for himself and his family, naively believing that the madness beyond would never touch him or the ones he loved.

But all illusions are fragile, and Wali's get shattered when ghost from his past returns to bring the violence and the insanity of terrorism right into his home, threatening everything and everyone he holds dear in his life.

'Tears of Jhelum' is a sensitive and poignant narrative of one of the victims of terrorism, whose heartbreaking stories are otherwise lost forever behind the smokescreen of apathy and indifference.



Wali Mohammad Khan is a respectable Kashmiri Muslim in his society. He has a beautiful obeying and loyal wife and one educated son and an intelligent daughter, who happens to be the apple of Wali's eyes. For years, Wali and his family has not only turned a blind eye to the violence happening on the valleys, especially with the Kashmiri Pandits and how they were tortured and thrown out of their homeland. Wali and his family has felt lucky to survive the torture and the death but has experienced everything even beyond the protected walls of their house with a garden of apple orchard. Although peace is not life long, as past comes knocking at the door step of Wali and it is when he realizes that this is a real test to protect his family at any cost. But can he protect his family when the whole Kashmir is burning under the name of terrorism, freedom and religion?

I went on a week-long trip to the very same valley where this story is set, yes, that's right, I went to Kashmir and that means, I had to purchase some Kashmiri fiction that will evoke the sense of that location strikingly. Hence Tears of Jhelum came on my way which I feel honored to have read this heart-touching yet frightening book that depicts the honesty in the land of beauty and blood. Kashmir is known by many names, some call it the 'Paradise' or the 'Heaven', but along with its thousand year old eye-catching beauty runs the brutal political as well as freedom struggle parallelly where bloodshed turned the green, white and the pristine blue landscape of Kashmir into dark red.

Anita Krishan, the Indian author, has successfully delivered the vision of Kashmir as well as the violence with her simplicity in the way of presenting this story. The writing style is absolutely easy to comprehend with and has been inspired by reality with a flavor of expressiveness. The dialogues are often inspired by the local Kashmiri dialect, although the author has favorably penned about the definitions and the translations of those local words and sentences into English, as a whole, the narration is powerful and engaging enough to keep the readers glued to the pages of this book till the very end. The story flows in a steady pace, although often it diverts its normal pace to being bit slow as the author has intricately laid out some of the scenes as well as the history of Kashmir into her story line.

The characters are extremely well-developed and the author has managed to bring out the realism through their demeanor. The commonness and simplicity is strikingly depicted through the demeanor of each and every character, thus making them relatable in the eyes of the readers. The central character, Wali, through whose eyes the readers get to see the story, is a simple religious man whereas a dedicated father and a caring husband, for whom his family's safety matters the most above all, although he follows the preaching of the almighty by his heart. But when some of the characters from the book mistake those wise words of Allah and turn them into something criminal, than Wali realizes that even he would pay a heavy price if he doesn't stop those characters from doing what they think is right. Wali is like an epitome for all those human beings who try to escape negativity through a shortcut, and especially for those who turn their heads away from the crime. The supporting characters are also well-etched out and will keep the readers interest focused into the story.

Wali's story brings out the pain of every Kashmiri who have lived and survived through the periods of brutal freedom struggle, and have somehow lost something or someone precious because of the war and the violence. The author aptly captures the strong sense of love towards one's homeland through this story. Not only that the author also manages to bring out the seeds and the curses of the terrorism all in the name of Jihad, Allah and Koran.

The author's description about Kashmir is not only evocative but also vivid and extremely lively as she paints a picturesque and serene landscape of white snow-capped mountains surrounded by many hues of green flora and the pristine blue waters of Jhelum. Yes the readers who want to experience Kashmir for the very first time, must grab a copy of this book, as while reading they will be easily transported to this magical paradise of nature's beauty through their minds' eyes and they are bound to feel the aura and the flair of Kashmir with the author's carefully chosen words.

Overall, this is a thought-provoking yet sorrowful story of a simple family that is set against the quaint backdrop of Kashmir.

Verdict: Must read if you are a fan of historical fiction.
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Author Info:
Anita Krishan was born in Shimla. After earning her master’s degree in English Literature in 1976, Anita moved on to create a career in imparting knowledge in English Literature to young learners. Anita discovered her passion for writing after her children left to pursue their own careers and lives. Her first book, Running Up The Hill, published in 2007, is a sensitive portrayal of love and adventures shared between a young girl and her pet dog. Tears of Jhelum, her second book, is a depiction of difficulties faced by the common man in today’s world that is so terribly shattered by terrorism and unrest.
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