Book #5: Curfewed Night

"Curfewed Night", by Basharat Peer

W. H. Auden's poem "Partition", speaking of how Sir Cyril Radcliffe was sent
to fix the border between India and Pakistan in 1947.

Unbiased at least he was when he arrived on his mission,
Having never set eyes on the land he was called to partition
Between two peoples fanatically at odds,
With their different diets and incompatible gods.
“Time,” they had briefed him in London, "is short. It’s too late
For mutual reconciliation or rational debate:
The only solution now lies in separation.”

Ever since we got here I've been intrigued by Partition and India's Independence from Britain in 1947. I, of course, will never fully understand the full implications that event had on the country, but I'm doing my best to at least appreciate the impact it had on individuals and their families. In essence, India and Pakistan used to be one big country, but when Britain gave India independence, the country's Muslims feared Hindu domination. They, therefore, insisted on creating their own state: enter the Partition. The country split into the "muslim" section (Pakistan) and "Hindu" section (India). I apologize if this is a gross over-simplification - just trying to bring out the most important points. In any case, anywhere from 1 to 7 million people died during this conflict - it is the main event in India's 20th century history.

Kashmir was (and remains to be) the most largely contested area between Pakistan and India. Before Partition it was a "princely state", which basically means it could exist autonomously apart from British rule as long as its rulers followed certain rules. After Partition, things became confusing. The state of Kashmir was basically split right down the middle during Partition. It was ruled by a Hindu king, but had a predominantly Muslim population. For a while complete independence was considered, but BOTH Pakistan and India had particular reasons for wanting Kashmir to remain part of their country. And so, it has been a contentious place ever since.

Three border wars have been fought between Pakistan and India since Partition, the most recent beginning in 1989 (with insurgent Kashmiris calling for independence) and continuing into 2002-3. President Clinton called Kashmir "the most dangerous place on earth". The Indian military has been extremely brutal, and MANY Kashmiris - both militants and civilians - have died during this conflict.

I really liked "Curfewed Night". It's written from the perspective of a man who grew up in Kashmir, left for higher education, and then came back with a new perspective. In order to really understand what had happened while he was away, he sought our stories and learned people's suffering. While it was hard to read, it was enriching and helped me grasp the situation and history behind the conflict.

Best Part = we're going there this summer! (don't worry, the conflict is almost non-existent right now!)

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**My goal for the year is to read 30 books...and as you can see,this is only #5. I'd best get moving! Hopefully as school is finishing up I'll be able to find more focused reading time. :)