BOOKS & PUBLICATIONS
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The Divine And The Destiny Meenakshi Raina |
Author: Meenakshi Raina Where to Buy: |
Book Review |
“The Divine And The Destiny” takes you back in a point in time in the valley of Kashmir when peace persisted, and confronts a scenario where peace gives way to distress, misery and agony for thousands of innocent people. It portrays the shredding away of a social fabric and the pain of being uprooted from the land of ancestors. A story of past 23-years in exile has been wisely divided into two parts with eleven chapters in totality. The narration is too good for a debut author, so powerful that it takes your mind on a virtual tour to visualize the scenes as they proceed. The language used is simple and that makes it easy to connect with the story. The character of Shereen is very inspiring, through her journey of life, the novel presents a search into human sufferings and the struggle one goes through in course of survival amidst of plethora of disturbing events. It reveals the deep emotional linkages, and love for ones origins, the native ethos and homeland. The forced mass exodus of 1990, as described in the story makes one realize the plight of Kashmiri Pandit community who left behind their belongings both movable and immovable in Kashmir and sought refuge in other parts of the country. A well crafted end, couldn’t have been anything better given the fact that, there is still a question mark to the honorable return and resettlement of KP’s in the Kashmir Valley even after an elapse of long 23 years of wait. The novel is revealing in its context of socio-political harshness and exposes to the barbaric domains of exodus and loss of cultural heritage. The story presents a finest quality of expression, thoughtful and challenging to readers. A courageous effort by the author to bring forth this forgotten story of exile known to the audience and with no doubts she has succeeded in it. Overall, a captivating novel, with its mesmerizing cover, “The Divine And The Destiny” is a must read for all. |
Author's Note |
The valley of Kashmir, surrounded by the vast Himalayas has been a place of saints, sages and scholars. Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) - the Hindus of Kashmir are the original natives of the valley. I always thought that Kashmiri Pandits were fortunate to belong to a place where God created beauty to perfection, a place that is no less than heaven on Earth. Since many centuries Kashmiri Pandits have been subject to persecution and the year 1989 saw the extreme of it with growing number of brutal and barbaric killings of innocent Kashmiri Pandits. Their bodies bore the marks of torture, burn injuries, and many were mutilated. There was a rise in kidnappings and merciless killings. The women were stripped and molested. Many bodies were found with the eyes gouged out, fingers broken and even signs of being hanged. Apart from the militants, many of these killings were carried out by people known to the victim and his family members. Threatening letters asking KPs to leave Kashmir were pasted at their doors. Full page advertisements were published in the local newspapers which asked KPs to leave Kashmir. All these killings created fear within the Kashmiri Pandit community and gradually most of them left their land of ancestors and took refuge in Jammu and other parts of India.
Since 1990, the Kashmiri Pandit community has been living in exile on being uprooted from their homeland. More than 400,000 Kashmiri Pandits who left the valley at gun point have been scattered all over India and most of them are still living in Jammu. They are the citizens of India, but the irony is that they were forced to leave their homeland and live in exile in their own country I have been a witness to this historical tragedy of mass exodus. After the turmoil in the valley, I completed my graduation from camp college Jammu in a very tough phase and later did my post-graduation in Management Studies from University of Mumbai in 1997. I saw the struggle of my parents after they were forced to leave their home in Kashmir. The emotional and psychological impact of exodus on them was irreversible. After my marriage, I migrated to Canada in the year 2001 and over the last twenty three years, I never went back to my homeland – Kashmir. The past is buried somewhere in my heart yet it is unforgettable. Everyone completes the journey of life in a different way; for some, there is nothing to worry about and for others, there are no words to describe their worries. The Divine And The Destiny - is my debut novel. Twenty-three years back the seeds of this story were laid in my mind by my grandmother. I still can’t forget the fear that I saw on her face when she arrived at Jammu on January 20, 1990 and I was in Jammu at that time. She, along with other family members was forced to abandon her house and had to escape from the valley in order to save her life. My grandmother narrated me what had happened on the night of January 19, 1990 which I have portrayed in the first chapter -The Night. I would compare my journey as an author to a deep meditation where I had to be one with the cause. While writing my book, I have re-lived the tragedy of exodus, which is full of noxious memories, terror and trauma. My personal experiences, combined with my imagination have created this touching story of upheaval. The Divine And The Destiny - reflects the pain of separation from the homeland, a human struggle for existence and survival, and a courageous journey against all odds. It is the story of Shereen, a young Kashmiri Pandit girl, and her family. Like the other Kashmiri Pandit families, they were forced to leave their home without warning one night. The threat was unavoidable. Where would they go? What would they do? In a blink of an eye, they were made homeless. The novel confronts us with the terrifying decisions we are forced to make when ordinary life changes overnight. When faced with unavoidable threats, one needs to make tough choices to protect oneself and the loved ones. It is an emotionally riveting story of one family that encountered unimaginable threats that changed their lives - forever. This book will stir your minds, touch your soul and connect you to human sufferings. I am thankful to God, that he gave me a great opportunity to be an instrument in bringing this story of exile known to the world. The Divine And The Destiny - is an attempt to go beyond what has been documented in the books of History. Excerpt from the book: |
About the Author |
Meenakshi Rain was born in Jammu but lived her childhood years in Kashmir Valley. She did her schooling from Kashmir and migrated to Jammu after the turmoil in the valley in the year 1990. She did her graduation in science from Camp College, Jammu and her post-graduation, Master of Management Studies (M.M.S) from University of Mumbai in the year 1997. She qualified the UGC, NET (National Educational Test) for Lectureship in the year 2000 and also worked as a lecturer at Govt. S.P.M.R College of Commerce, Jammu. After her marriage, she moved to Delhi and worked as a lecturer in a management institute. She migrated to Canada in the year 2001, and lives with her husband in Toronto, Canada. She belongs to an educated Kashmiri Pandit family; her father Shri. Janki Nath Bhat is a retired engineer and her mother Smt. Usha Kashkari, a retired professor. Since her childhood, writing poems has been her passion both in Hindi and English languages. |
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