A VIVID FICTIONAL ACCOUNT OF INSURGENCY IN KASHMIR

Book Review: 'The Lamentations of a Sombre Sky' by Manan Kapoor

Many fictional stories that foray into the insurgency years in Kashmir, and how it affected the lives of the common people have been written, but these are mostly by Kashmiri authors. But nowadays many Non-Kashmiri authors are also delving into this genre. One such author, Manan Kapoor comes up with the book “The Lamentations of a Sombre Sky”, which is set in the backdrop of the armed insurgency in Kashmir, and how it affected the lives of the protagonists Inayat, Gul and Aaqib.
The storyline follows the protagonist Inayat, who finds solace in the company of Gul, a Kashmiri Pandit girl, and Aaqib, son of an Imam. The period is the 1980’s and 1990’s, when Kashmir is in the throes of insurgency and the exodus. Her father Maqbool is an alcoholic poet and her mother Wahida is of a sanguine disposition. They spend their days listening to The Doors in Gul’s backyard and attending Shakes-Peer’s English lessons at the school. However, as they leave behind their childhood, they realize that the future holds things for them that they had never imagined. Inayat witnesses the echoing of the machine guns, the wails of her loved ones, bereavement engulfing Kashmir, and is left with a bequeathed silence. The story tells the story of her skirmish with life and her perseverance in dark times.
The book, though has tried to portray authentically the ground situation in Kashmir during the times when words like ‘militancy’, ‘azaadi’ and ‘plebiscite’ seared the volatile air of Kashmir, but some of the narratives need more comprehensive research drawn from realistic accounts. The characters are explored in depth, and the readers can emotionally connect with them. The writing style is elegant, with the use of exquisite phrases and suave words. However, at some places, especially in the starting chapters, the prose stumbles instead of soars. However, the readers will get engrossed in the story after a few chapters, and it seems the author has also written this part with a more matured understanding of the narrative.
In the book, Kashmir also comes out as a protagonist, with its different shades, and it changes mellifluously like the changing seasons and situations in Kashmir. One revels in the beautiful landscapes of Kashmir- the tranquil snow, the verdant mountains, snow-covered branches of trees, the rustic shades of autumn, and the pristine rivers and lakes. The deployment of army vehicles and bunkers, and how these have encroached upon the natural beauty of Kashmir has also been detailed well. Also, some of the Kashmiri phrases and the Kashmiri linguistic intricacies, like speaking Shakespeare as Shakes-Peer, have been brought out by the author really well.
This is a book which has its heart in the right place, but a more detailed research could’ve been undertaken to improve on the narrative. The Kashmiri pandit exodus; the human rights exploitations on the Kashmiris, mostly by the terrorists; and the measures taken by the Indian army against Pakistan-sponsored proxy war have been detailed realistically. This book should be read because of an engaging cast of characters that grapples with their inner conflicts, and also the wider Kashmir conflict; and tries to gather their life during the insurgency. Also, this book tries to evoke the distinctive place and culture of Kashmir, and manages to do it reasonably well.