Kashmir: Paradise in Flames

Description:

The theme of this book is that Kashmir has essentially been the epicentre of Hindu culture for the last five thousand years. Each city, village, river-rivulet-lake, and mountain in Kashmir has a deep imprint of Hindutva. The advent of Islam is like an adulteration in an epic. Once the adulteration is removed, the pure epic emerges. The book provides an outline of the history of Kashmir since the 14th century, as well as the chronological description of the events, beginning with the partition of India in 1947, that led to the large-scale exodus of Hindus from Kashmir during 1989-1990. The book depicts the distress story of the days when the country was partitioned. What happened at that time? How did the matter reach United Nations in 1948? How was the article 370 included in the Constitution of India in 1949? What happened in 1950? What was the Delhi Agreement of 1952 about? What order came in 1954? What were the characteristics of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir that was adopted in 1956? All these issues will become clear as one goes through this book. What is the fundamental problem of Kashmir? Is there any solution to that problem? If yes, then what is that solution? This book is about answers to these questions too. Some of the main suggestions like repealing of Article 370, have been acted upon by the Government in the last few years, though 30 years after the publication of the original book (Kashmir Jhulasta Swarg: December 1990)

subjects: Kashmir,  Partition of India,  Article 370,  Terrorism in Kashmir,  Hindu exodus from Kashmir

People: Mohammad Ali Jinnah,  Jawahar Lal Nehru,  Sardar Patel,  Lord Mountbatten,  Raja Hari Singh,  Sheikh Abdullah

Places: Kashmir,  Pakistan,  Delhi,  Srinagar

Times: This book offers a thrilling account of events that took place between India and Pakistan in 1947-48. How Kashmir was attacked under the command of the Pakistan army officers; how Maharaja Hari Singh was forced to seek assistance from India; how dramatically the ‘Instrument of Accession’ for merger of Kashmir in India got signed overnight; and how the Indian Air Force reached Srinagar Airport in the nick of the time and saved Srinagar from getting out of the hands of India. Along with describing the events of 1947-48,  this book especially highlights the role of the top leaders of the time: Jinnah,  Nehru,  Patel,  Raja Hari Singh,  Sheikh Abdullah,  and Mountbatten.