Agony of Dal Lake

Book excerpt: Kashmir has been on the mind of Maharaj Kaul ever since the eruption of the civil war there in 1989, and it has been in his mind since his childhood, as he was born there. For him Kashmir is more than his birthplace, it is an irrigator of his consciousness. The author of the books The Light Through The Woods: Dreams Of Survival Of Human Soul In The Age Of Technology and Inclinations And Reality: The Search For The Absolute published last year examines the ongoing civil war in Kashmir over the last two decades that has wounded both the Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits in the spheres of personal, economic, social, and political lives and it has rendered the latter into refugees in their own nation, exiled from their home of 5,000 years. Thousands of Kashmiris have died, a lot more wounded; but the end is not even in sight. The soul of Kashmir is under pressure. The book explores the causes and history of Kashmir Problem and what its solution should be. It also celebrates some of its outstanding people and provides vignettes of some of its popular places, culture, life, and mystifying natural beauty. It is both a mourning over the tragedy of Kashmir and a celebration of its spiritual essence.