WRITING RESISTANCE: A STUDY OF BASHARAT PEER’S CURFEWED NIGHT

The country of India celebrated the 67th year of independence in all its states, while Kashmir so called “crown of the nation” has been its consistent major dispute. Ever since Independence, the circumstances in the Kashmir valley have been problematic; and rapidly taking distorting shapes. In the past, there have been conflicts, clashes, violence, protests, etc. which are still ongoing, that resulted in the profuse bloodshed of innocents, civilians, militant/terrorists, and security forces etc. Such circumstances have triggered the war of resistance among the people of the state. This resistance movement came into being when the armed conflict burst out in late 20th century (1989), which alarmed the whole valley and gave a wakeup call to the people to resist brutalities of the Indian forces (as depicted in Peer’s Curfewed Night). In such resistance mostly youth were ubiquitously seen busy in insurgencies, made easy targets by army forces and militants/guerrillas, and were interrogated, put behind the bars, and even exterminated (Waheed in The Collaborator). In effect, India has proved to be exactly the kind of coloniser in the postcolonial period that it shook off the existential status of Kashmiris. The author portrays that after 1989, the culture of Kashmir has been in an absolute chaos, and people have been observing this culture of peace fluctuating into culture of piece/violence. The study will enhance the understanding of Kashmir not just as bollywood or mainstream media always project it as beautiful and peaceful valley without problem, but also how the same valley got trapped in unresolvable turmoil between civilians and military