‘Lal Chowk’

Joydip Ghosal

Lal Chowk’, the Story of the Ongoing Conflict between New Delhi and Kashmir (Speaking Tiger) by Dharmesh Chaubey encompassed recent history as well as numerous stories of discontent and torture and of course muffled voices. All the pains and cries remained subdued under the humongous weight of jingoism.

This living and comprehensive document tried to view Kashmir from the perspective of Kashmiriyat with its fearless depiction of the terrifying reality of the land. With utmost honesty, he showcased Kashmir not merely as a piece of land but had tried to delve deeper into the cause of the sob and agony of the people cutting across different sections of society. Everyone had their own opinion about Kashmir. These opinions often excluded the Kashmiris. Used as a convenient ruse Kashmir was used to spread communal discord. Sources of information were so filtered that it was hard for an average Indian to comprehend what an average Kashmiri felt. In this book, the author tried to look at the politics of optics. This book tried to offer a multiplicity of reality that was kept hidden in the heart simmering discontent. He discussed how the people of Jammu and Kashmir perceived Kashmir and how Kashmir was viewed in New Delhi. This book also threw light on the human rights situation in Kashmir and it contained a detailed discussion on the condition of women in conflict. Apart from that, this book tried to document the situation that prevailed after the abrogation of Article 370. This book also contained detailed interviews with the leaders of mainstream political parties.

This book was originally written in Hindi. The author Rohin Kumar is an eminent journalist who has written for The Telegraph, Asia Democracy Chronicles, and Al Jazeera. The translator Dharmesh Chaubey is a queer poet, activist and translator from Allahabad. Placing Kashmiris at the centre of the narrative this incisive book raised certain pertinent questions regarding elusive normalcy and identity. Manoj Kumar Jha had written the foreword. According to him, this book had tried to capture the essence of Kashmir. As a non-partisan account this book has done a commendable job in trying to capture multiple perspectives on Jammu and Kashmir. Through a meticulously built narrative, it placed Kashmiris at the centre. The author intimately conversed with Kashmiris from all walks of life- parents seeking justice for the dead, security personnel who justified their excesses, and youths who resorted to stone pelting. This book deftly peeled off the layers like human rights abuses and increasing militarisation in the valley. This book is an intrepid depiction of harsh truth. Sensationalist coverage of Kashmir helped the author understand more about how not to report than how to report. The book brought out the human aspect of Kashmir in people’s consciousness and produced a constructive discourse.

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 35, Feb 23 - March 1, 2025