How Does Kaul Capture the Human Side of Kashmiri-Pandit Life? kashmirlife.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kashmirlife.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Manav Kaul's novel Rooh recounts his return to Kashmir, reflecting on home, identity, and belonging as a Kashmiri Pandit. Translated by Pooja Priyamvada, the book toggles between past and present, exploring the pain of uprootedness. Kaul's poetic prose contrasts an idealized past with today's strife-torn Kashmir. While nuanced and apolitical, the narrative lacks historical context and more developed perspectives from Kashmiri Muslims. Stylistically, Kaul's vivid sensory details come at the expense of plot momentum. Nevertheless, Rooh offers a nuanced portrayal of Kashmir's human costs and the Pandit experience, contributing to Kashmiri literature's complexity.