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 there.
I am attaching here 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.
