Saturday, November 22, 2008

Curfewed Night

"We, of all nations of the world, have never been a conquering race,and that blessing is on our head.." - Swami Vivekananda

"...Gawakadal bridge in Srinagar, Kashmir, where, on January 20, 1990, the Indian paramilitary troops of the Central Reserve Police Force opened fire on a group of unarmed Kashmiri protesters, including women and children. At least 50 people were killed..." - Wikipedia

Curfewed night is one of the most disturbing work of non fiction I have read. Peer's writing shows Pankaj Mishra's influence and is part memoir and part a "Butter chicken in Kashmir at Wartime". You can hear the gunfire on every page, only to be broken by the silence of the "martyr graveyards" that are filled with the war dead, and the despair of the families whose lives have been destroyed during the conflict.
A good example of the life this book talks about can be seen here
Must read !