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haifay's review
5.0
Books like this are rare, simply because they are almost impossible to write. When articulating one's world takes the form of resistance, Farah Bashir writes this memoir of growing up in Kashmir with so much grit and insight.
She gathers scattered memories of her teenage self living under military siege in Kashmir, navigating her life in a war. Somewhere along, you meet the twelve-year-old looking for some resemblances of normalcy in the lanes and alleys of downtown Srinagar, near the windows of her house where her Bobeh sat gazing at the streets, listening to pop music on banned radio stations.
Most importantly, she is resilient in revisiting these memories, often laden with deep traumas, documenting the changes in her realities - both internal and external. In that way, 'Rumour of Spring' is also about a way of life that doesn't exist in Kashmir anymore. Even when woven with the anxieties and horrors of death, torture, disappearances, this recollection of a young woman spells out the existence of the ordinary and mundane despite conflict or war.
As the mainstream media is ridden with repeated narratives that dehumanise Kashmiris and discredit their movement, this memoir fills a crucial void. It needs to be read over and over again.
She gathers scattered memories of her teenage self living under military siege in Kashmir, navigating her life in a war. Somewhere along, you meet the twelve-year-old looking for some resemblances of normalcy in the lanes and alleys of downtown Srinagar, near the windows of her house where her Bobeh sat gazing at the streets, listening to pop music on banned radio stations.
Most importantly, she is resilient in revisiting these memories, often laden with deep traumas, documenting the changes in her realities - both internal and external. In that way, 'Rumour of Spring' is also about a way of life that doesn't exist in Kashmir anymore. Even when woven with the anxieties and horrors of death, torture, disappearances, this recollection of a young woman spells out the existence of the ordinary and mundane despite conflict or war.
As the mainstream media is ridden with repeated narratives that dehumanise Kashmiris and discredit their movement, this memoir fills a crucial void. It needs to be read over and over again.
tejaswini30's review
5.0
It's more than an year now of living with restrictions due to Covid-19. This has been a traumatizing event for most of us even if the effects are not visible in its entirety. But we still had the internet to keep us busy, the privilege of calling anyone and everyone from our phone; even watch them through video calls to feel that they are physically with us for the moment. We also had the privilege of roaming around in our own house, walking to the stores to get whatever our palate craved to eat, pursue our hobbies to make up for the lost social life.
A lot of the privileged folks have equated our restricted lockdown years with living in Kashmir under military control. Farah Bashir's memoir is a much needed reality check for us to bust that myth and there cannot be a better time to read this book with the recent scrapping of section 370 by the Indian Government.
To continuously live under siege of the military is disproportionately more traumatic and disturbing than living under a lockdown due to a pandemic. Instead of equating these two situations as similar it is important to compare it the other way round for us to make an attempt to understand the brutal and controlling conditions people in Kashmir are living in.
Every sentence in the book embeds the trauma that people under military control live with. Every experience, otherwise normal for anyone living in a no-military control zone, reeks of the unending trauma of life under a siege. Every aspect of daily life is affected or rather in control of the unrest due to the state control.
This is an absolutely essential read!
A lot of the privileged folks have equated our restricted lockdown years with living in Kashmir under military control. Farah Bashir's memoir is a much needed reality check for us to bust that myth and there cannot be a better time to read this book with the recent scrapping of section 370 by the Indian Government.
To continuously live under siege of the military is disproportionately more traumatic and disturbing than living under a lockdown due to a pandemic. Instead of equating these two situations as similar it is important to compare it the other way round for us to make an attempt to understand the brutal and controlling conditions people in Kashmir are living in.
Every sentence in the book embeds the trauma that people under military control live with. Every experience, otherwise normal for anyone living in a no-military control zone, reeks of the unending trauma of life under a siege. Every aspect of daily life is affected or rather in control of the unrest due to the state control.
This is an absolutely essential read!
kehwa's review
3.0
The memoir revolves around the funeral of the writer's grandmother, Bobeh and weaves a picture of life in Kashmir in 1990s. It is a painful account that oscillates between the present and how an action, a person or a habit is tied to harrowing memories in the past. It is a retelling of the painful changes in Kashmir and the lives of Kashmiris through the curious eyes of an innocent and observant narrator. The memoir charts the course of the narrator's own anxiety and depression and how it is tied with her gruesome surroundings.
The anxiety and the pain suffered by the writer was palpable through her writing. Once started with it, it was difficult for me to put down this terrifying account of life in Kashmir.
The anxiety and the pain suffered by the writer was palpable through her writing. Once started with it, it was difficult for me to put down this terrifying account of life in Kashmir.
stellarlies's review
5.0
Told through smaller veins from the main story of the author's grandmother, Farah recounts her childhood in Kashmir.
This is such a heavy read but it's one of those books where I'm glad the author's voice came through. I'm glad this story came to being and the book landed in my hands
This is such a heavy read but it's one of those books where I'm glad the author's voice came through. I'm glad this story came to being and the book landed in my hands
whatposhreads's review
4.0
Some books just leave you in awe & this is one of them.
Curfews have a whole new meaning since I've read this. It did make me feel disturbed & sad reading this but I cannot imagine what it must have been like for her
Yet instead of anger & frustration, she writes about it from a point of view of a girl growing up in Kashmir - her growing up in Kashmir.
The stories seamlessly go back& forth from the present incident to backstories of horror, loss & trauma.
The year she mentions that changed her life forever coincidentally is the year I was born & that made me think even though we were born in the same country how different our lives have been.
The freedom that we take for granted- like having lights on after nightfall, or an anxiety attack every time your family member is late to return home or even education.
Very proud of this work and recommend reading it even if you don't know the present or past status of Kashmir.
Curfews have a whole new meaning since I've read this. It did make me feel disturbed & sad reading this but I cannot imagine what it must have been like for her
Yet instead of anger & frustration, she writes about it from a point of view of a girl growing up in Kashmir - her growing up in Kashmir.
The stories seamlessly go back& forth from the present incident to backstories of horror, loss & trauma.
The year she mentions that changed her life forever coincidentally is the year I was born & that made me think even though we were born in the same country how different our lives have been.
The freedom that we take for granted- like having lights on after nightfall, or an anxiety attack every time your family member is late to return home or even education.
Very proud of this work and recommend reading it even if you don't know the present or past status of Kashmir.
maahi's review
4.0
Written with simplicity & brutal honestly, Rumours of Spring is a heartbreaking memoir of growing up in Kashmir. Although somewhat unfocused & disorganised, it paints a poignant image of living in constant terror. Had me in tears. Definitely recommend.