3 Review(s)

These narrative recounts a deeply personal experience during the 1947 Partition of India—a time of immense human tragedy. Millions were uprooted, with countless lives lost to hunger, violence, and plunder. In October 1947, Pakistan launched an assault on the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, deploying raiders and Razakars—demobilized Muslim soldiers and bandits—lured by promises of loot and violence against Hindus. Pakistani officers, disguised to evade detection, led this brutal offensive. This triggered the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India and the swift deployment of Indian forces, who halted the raiders at Baramulla. However, a portion of the region—now Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir—was seized. India’s resolve to reclaim this territory endures. This book chronicles one family's ordeal. The father was fatally shot during their escape from Mirpur, and the elder son went missing. After 13 perilous days, the mother, daughter, and two sons reached Lahore, aided by a disguised Pakistani officer. In a refugee camp, they adopted a boy, later named Prakash who was united with his parents eight years later. Vijay, miraculously was found after nine months in Ambala. Years later, Vijay (Guddu)—Chief Engineer in Srinagar—was forced to flee again due to militancy. This story honours my mother's resilience and enduring spirit.