I have not read a more thorough description of the 1947 Qabali Raid than what Shanti Swarup Ambardar has given in his book, Day of Destiny, A Memoir, published in 2014. He was in Srinagar at that time and closely followed the raid. He even interviewed some survivors of the St. Joseph’s Convent and the Mission Hospital at Baramulla, which bore the brunt of the attack at Baramulla.
I am attaching here below the entire chapter of Ambardar’s book, ‘Qabails’ at the Door, 13 pages long.
I strongly recommend KP’s to read Shanti Swarup Ambardar’s book Days of Destiny, as it reflects on their or their relatives’ lives before and after their tragic forced diaspora from Kashmir. It will make them re-absorb the veil of the rich cultural tapestry they lived under, their serene and nuanced existence in the land of their forefathers and gods. Others should read it to understand why Kashmiri Pandits are so pained to leave their motherland, when other people in history who were also forced to undergo that have borne it relatively calmly. The book’s 565 pages may daunt some, but they should then think of it to be two books on Kashmiri Pandits’ culture and ethos. The fateful tragedy of Kashmiri Pandits as narrated in this book moves you deeply.
- Read my complete review of the book:
Book Review : Days of Destiny by S.S. Ambardar – Maharaj Kaul | Kaul’s Corner
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2. The following link will take you to the book website where you will find a tab to order the book, the author’s bio, some chapters of the book, etc.
https://ambardar.wixsite.com/ambardar/excerpt
- The most important part of this posting, Ambardar book’s, 13 pages long chapter on the Qabali Raid of Oct. 22, 1947, “ ‘Qabails’ at the Door” is in the following link:
Maharaj Kaul
Suffern, New York, October 31, 2020
maharaj.kaul@yahoo.com
