And the Jhelum Flows ----review

"And the Jhelum flows" --a book by Ramendra Kumar published by  Authors Ink publications deals with the happenings in Kashmir . It is an unbiased portrayal of the life and conditions  prevalent  in Kashmir . The good the bad and the ugly ---the good that was , the Bad that came in and the Ugly that is now prevailing .

The Good used be the days when The Emperor Jahangir had said

( Gar Firdaus Bar rue jaminast
haminasto haminasto  haminast "

 meaning if there is heaven on earh it is here it is here  it s hereAnd those days continued to decorate Kashmir till the 1980s there were no hindus or muslims there were only Kashmiris .

The book is written in the form of a travelogue with two journalists on a mission of making  a documentary about Kashmir

In their pursuit they meet many men and women who willingly tell them their own stories and the stories of others whom they knew  . These men and women had all suffered , lost their loved ones , faced atrocities and their hearts had become hardened with sadness some had contemplated  revenge some had lost hope . They had been tortured both by some Indians and by the Pakistani Jihadi's . They had been misguided into crossing over to Pakistan and becoming militants and they had repented their decision some had the courage to return to India , others were left behind to face discrimination and apartheid at the hands of the Pakistanis , these people who had crossed over to Pakistan had been tortured by some unscrupulous   Indians  and had in their fit of anger crossed the border only to find that the conditions were worse .

The book mentions incidents narrated first hand to them about how the militants in their attempt to malign the Indian army and police used to dress up as Indians and unleash a spate of torture on the innocent citizens who would start hating Indians . Though the Indians too were not all washed in milk . They too had their black sheep . This is why I say the book is an unbiased narration .

A touching incident narrated is of an Indian Soldier who saves a girl and after knowing him for some time the girl wishes to marry him --but he dies in combat .

I found the book so captivating that I read it in one go and if I continue to write I would go on filling pages after pages and yet not be able to stop .

So I now leave you to read the book yourself and give your verdict.

I would recommend this book solely because of two reasons first that it is unbiased ( as I have been saying all throughout ) and second that it deals with a very serious topic in the most genuine manner a it  shows real concern it empathizes with  an is  really concerned about the state of affairs , about the agony of the people of Kashmir and  it is really in search of a solution .

The book highlights the fact that the people of Kashmir want nothing other than peace and only peace " Sirf Aman"

The best thing which makes reading it interesting is the way all the material is presented in the form of interviews or self willing confessions and unburdening of their  hearts  by people .

The author Ramendra Kumar is an award inning writer with 28 books to his credit .and the publishers Authors Ink are a name that is now become a guarantee for providing good books . Priced at rupees One hundred and Ninety Five this book can be trusted with providing food for thought in a very captivating way .