3 Review(s)

Dealing with frontline experiences and rich cultural insights, Island Of Blood: Frontline Reports From Sri Lanka, Afghanistan And Other South Asian Flashpoints is the first book written by renowned journalist Anita Pratap. Summary Of The Book A journalist is known by the story that they write and very often it is these stories that push them to the world of fame. Stories from Sri Lanka during the civil war and her access to V. Prabhakaran propelled Anita Pratap from the status of a regional correspondent to an internationally known reporter. Her access to V. Prabhakaran, the mysterious and much dreaded LTTE leader, formed the crux of Island Of Blood: Frontline Reports From Sri Lanka, Afghanistan And Other South Asian Flashpoints. Getting into the mind of the one of the most important men in the history of LTTE was not mere news, but was highly important information that played a crucial role in shaping the Indian government’s role in the civil war. Not narrated in a chronological manner, Anita’s story begins in November 1987, when she takes a trip with the LTTE men from Vavuniya to Jaffna, to meet Prabhakaran. Escaping Indian patrols and bullets, jumping barricades in a peasant sari, Pratap combines her perseverance and strength to finally reach her goal. The story now goes into flashback mode and details her younger days, when she had covered the 1983 anti-Tamil riots in Colombo that eventually led her into the world of the Sri Lankan conflict. Among the many militant outfits that exist in Madras, Pratap is particularly keen to meet V. Prabhakaran. However, destiny had other plans when Prabhakaran himself chooses the author among many other press representatives at a press conference. As the bond of trust and communication deepens between the two, the author witnesses the transformation of Prabhakaran from a simple and reluctant civilian, to one of the most important and dreaded men. The author’s insights into the mind of Prabhakaran and how suicide bombers with vials of cyanide killed Ranasinghe Premadasa and Rajiv Gandhi are highly engaging and enthralling. This book also talks about Anita Pratap’s coverage of Afghanistan where she discovers frightening stories of women who live under the fanatical rule of the Taliban. In Bangladesh, she experienced a cyclone and how it ripped apart homes and lives in the country. In Kashmir, she was a silent witness to the effects of war on the lives of children who were emotionally and physically crippled for life as a result of the war. About Anita Pratap Anita Pratap is an Indian writer and journalist. She was among the first journalists to interview LTTE chief Prabhakaran in 1983. Another book by her is called Unsung. Anita Pratap began her career with The Indian Express. She has also worked with India Today and TIME magazine. She worked as a television journalist with CNN. For her contributions she has been awarded many times. Some of her awards include the George Polk Award, the Eminent Indian Award, the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Media Person, the Noble Laureate as Media Citizen by Karmaveer Puraskaar among others. Anita Pratap first married Pratap Chandran, a senior reporter at The Indian Express. They had a son, but soon divorced. She is currently married to Arne Roy Walther.