The Dirty War In Kashmir
'Shujaat Bukhari was a deep professional, a powerful voice, and his death is a huge loss to the democratic ethos. This is a grave attack not only on press freedom but also an assault on voices of sanity and reason.' – Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, MLA, Kulgam, and CPI-M leader
Shujaat Bukhari was one of the most vital, balanced and well-informed voices in Kashmir. Perhaps for this reason, the 50-year-old journalist was shot dead by motorcycle-borne gunmen in Srinagar on the evening of June 14, 2018, as he was leaving the office of Rising Kashmir. A voice has been silenced. But before he was killed, Shujaat Bukhari documented for Frontline magazine the damage done to Kashmir. This book collects Shujaat Bukhari's reports from May 2017 to his assassination. He reflects here on the policies of the Indian state (including the impunity given to the army), the hate-filled politics of the Hindu Right (exemplified in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua), the alienation of the Kashmiri people, the protests of young people (and their use of social media) and the rise of a new kind of militant (such as Burhan Wani). These are detailed assessments, essential reading for anyone who wants to know about the old and new forces inside Kashmir. The pieces offer insights into the ways and means to bring about lasting peace in the valley – a cause for which Shujaat lived and died.
Here is a short video with excerpts of the book along with archival footage of the valley that brings to life the Kashmir that Shujaat Bukhari writes about in these Frontline reports.
Reviews
Bukhari discusse[s] the dangerous consequences of any attempt to abrogate Article 370 and 35A. Although he had written it before the abrogation, it remains relevant to today's scenario. Going through the reports of Shujaat Bukhari, we come to know how the scrapping of Articles 370 and 35A was in the air since BJP formed a coalition government with PDP in the state.
Anish Ankur, GroundXero
While he is critical of New Delhi, Bukhari does not spare the separatists either for their lack of acumen to engage in a dialogue process. The book achieves its goal of telling the stories of Kashmir and making readers across India understand why New Delhi should not deal with Kashmir with an iron fist.
Faisul Yaseen, The Hindu
