This book encompasses a preliminary reading of Sheikh Abdullah’s autobiography i.e. Aatish-e-Chinar with the aim of unravelling the notion of the nation it embodies. The autobiography captures the trajectories of the Kashmiri nation and nationalism and values that define it and the tendencies it is opposed to. The imagination of being national by Abdullah involved a simultaneous process of exalting certain attributes as national and others as non-national while placing himself at the centre of this historic nationalistic project. Sheikh Abdullah’s autobiography stands out for its national character and faith in secularism and multiculturalism, overriding the prevalent orthodoxies. The study is also important because it draws us to the national politics that made Abdullah think in terms of remaining independent of both India and Pakistan, which has undergone a transformation and change over time– the transformation of Jammu and Kashmir from a ‘nation’ to a ‘sub-nation’ as an administrative entity.

This book traces the roots of modern-day Kashmir and the role of Sheikh Abdullah in its making. As the most influential political figurehead in twentieth-century Kashmir, he played a crucial role in its transformation from a kingdom to a state in independent India. He was enigmatic and complex, to say the least. Following his meteoric rise, he dominated the political scene for more than 50 years, with enduring impact. The volume presents a keen analysis of pre-Independence events which led to the emergence of a controversial and confused identity of the region. It also looks at other major themes in the political life of Kashmir, including the formation of the Muslim Conference, the plebiscite movement and the Kashmir Accord. A major intervention in the political life of South Asia, this book presents an inside-view of the history of modern Kashmir through the life and times of Sheikh Abdullah. It will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of politics, history, and modern South Asia.

Many disenchanted Kashmiris continue to demand independence or freedom from India. Written by a leading authority on Kashmir’s troubled past, this book revisits the topic of independence for the region (also known as Jammu and Kashmir, or J&K), and explores exactly why this aspiration has never been fulfilled. In a rare India-Pakistan agreement, they concur that neither J&K, nor any part of it, can be independent. Charting a complex history and intense geo-political rivalry from Maharaja Hari Singh’s leadership in the mid-1920s to the present, this book offers an essential insight into the disputes that have shaped the region. As tensions continue to rise following government-imposed COVID-19 lockdowns, Snedden asks a vital question: what might independence look like and just how realistic is this aspiration?

DIARY OF AN ANAESTHESIOLOGIST is her autobiography; the story of a young lady, who took up a little known specialty against her wishes. It describes her early life, upbringing, training, frustrations, trials and tribulations against

Reminiscing events and circumstances that shaped the history of Poonch through the ages up to 1947-48. This book contains narratives of– • Invasions on Poonch & Invincibility of Poonch • Dynasties that ruled Poonch • Saga of the Dogra Dynasty of Poonch • Impromptu saving of Srinagar • Salvaging the ravaged and plundered Baramulla • Securing the beleagured Naushera and Jhangar • Recapture of the badly mauled, massacred Rajouri • Liberation of the besieged Poonch Saving Srinagar in the face of invaders and recapture of Baramulla, Uri enabled defeating the siege of Poonch. Link up with Poonch in 1948 was achieved only after recapture of Naushera, Jhangar and Rajouri. A thorough and a befitting account of Indian Armed Forces quickest reaction – The giant leap that saved Kashmir in 1947-48. A Well researched and lucidly written book!!

MJ Akbar is among those who have made a significant impact on Indian society by their writing, whether as authors or editors. Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the seminal newsmagazine, Sunday, in 1976 and The Telegraph in 1982, he revolutionized Indian journalism in the 1970s and 80s. In the 1990s he launched The Asian Age, a multi-edition daily that once again had substantive impact on the profession. He has also served as the Editorial Director of India Today, Headlines Today and as the editor of the Deccan Chronicle and the Sunday Guardian. MJ, as he is popularly known, first entered public life in 1989, when he was elected to the Lok Sabha. He went back to media in 1993 and returned to the political area in 2014, when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and became the party’s national spokesperson during the 2014 campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In July 2016, he was named the Minister of State for External Affairs by Prime Minister Modi. His seven books have achieved great international acclaim: India: The Siege Within; Nehru: The Making of India; Riot-after-Riot; Kashmir: Behind the Vale; The Shade of Swords: Jihad and the Conflict between Islam and Christianity, Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan and Blood Brothers, his only work of fiction. In addition, there have been four collections of his columns, reportage and essays.

Autobiography by a freedom fighter, politician, and former chief minister from Jammu and Kashmir.