Of Occupation and Resistance  (English, Paperback, Fahad Shah)

Of Occupation and Resistance is a political study of the situation in Kashmir, edited by Fahad Shah.

Summary of the Book

Kashmir, it is a land craved by Kings, desired by monarchs and dreamed about by emperors. It maintains a stalwart image as the muse of poets from time immemorial, and it continues to arouse strong emotions even to this day. Ever since the Partition of India, it has been the centre of the territorial disputes of India and Pakistan. This land, once prized for its beauty and riches, is now filled with soldiers and guns. Yet, it is possible to get too caught up in the political trauma to forget the beauty beneath the façade. There is a stern tenacity in the blood of Kashmiris, exemplified by their refusal to stand down despite the crippling political chaos. In this book, Fahad Shah combines several personal accounts of life in Kashmir, making a blend that is at once moving and eye-opening. He paints a picture through the stories of Kashmiris as they live under political oppression, of a schoolgirl as she continuously has to deal with the fear of daily “crackdowns”, of a gravedigger as he goes about his task – at once too unnerving and melancholic as he buries maimed youths. From the story of a boy trying to stifle his grief and protest through music, to that of mother as she stands in wait for her son who was forced into disappearance, these accounts plunge readers into the abyssal trauma that haunts Kashmiris in their every waking hour. In doing so, it tells the story of the most sought-after prize India has to offer.

About Fahad Shah

Fahad Shah is an Indian writer and journalist based in Kashmir. Currently the Editor-In-Chief and founder of The Kashmir Walla magazine, he has been prominently featured in several national and international publications.

Shah was one of the finalists for South Asia's Manthan Award in 2011 for his contribution in media.