There are many books on Kashmir. But nearly all books are written by people who have some kind of bias, ideological, national or political. This is the sole reason why when we see a certain tone of message being constantly repeated throughout the book. Facts are used to paint a black & white picture. The truth is far from it, as always!
Most individuals tend up grow in certain way. We are at an age where we are protected by parents to an age where we want freedom to hang out with friends and dream endlessly about forging the dreams into reality.
Death of dreams is perhaps one of the few books which catches the entire story of J&K from a Kashmiri's perspective. It’s about a boy who grew up around Srinagar. The story is the journey of a boy named Firdous's story was no different except that in trying to achieve his dream, he grew and understood how lack of leadership and politics for personal gains has made the dreams into nightmare.
It marks his entire journey of what led him to join the terrorist organisation? His discovery of short-sighted and selfish politicians in India. An ISI who in the name of caring about people of Kashmir have one single aim, make India Unstable. Irrespective of what they say openly, they have no intentions of looking into the benefit of the people. How he got captured by the Indian Military and then the role of select officers of Indian military whose questions made him think of the choices he made.
It also highlights the different point of time when hurriyat had a mass following and when JKLF had a say in the state. The strengths and flaws of the organisations, and how they lost the plot.
This book has captured the atrocities that the people had to suffer at the hands of everyone including terrorists and the collateral damage at the hands of the army.
For anyone who has interest in the history of Jammu & Kashmir, Death of Dreams: A terrorist's tale by Aditya Sinha is a must read.
