The Valley of Red Snow

by Jitendra Dixit

On 5 August 2019, Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gave Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) special status, was abrogated. J&K was now a union territory. This landmark event in the history of Kashmir was preceded by a series of political and social events over the seven decades since Independence. What forces led to the abrogation? What were its consequences on the people of J&K? What was their reaction to it? And most importantly, what does the future hold? Written by veteran journalist Jitendra Dixit, Valley of Red Snow seeks to answer these questions and presents an unprejudiced, non-judgmental and comprehensive story of how Kashmir is changing after one of the biggest government decisions in the history of independent India. This book narrates the events from the years preceding the historic event, the immediate situation in Kashmir at the time of the abrogation and presents voices of various stakeholders in the Valley with extensive interviews. It chronicles the momentous events in the Valley in the last decade as witnessed by the author from ground zero and others insights on the 'New Kashmir'. A must-read for those interested in the future of J&K.

272 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2022

Reviews

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Valley of Red Snow: Kashmir Beyond 370, authored by eminent Senior Broadcast Journalist – Jitendra Dixit, is a collection of thoughts and an overview of the developments in the Kashmir Valley post the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian constitution.

[Akash Balwante · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s must read book for the rest of Indians who are really interested in Kashmir valley and Kashmiri people’s lives. Author is successfully managed to showcase both perspective about Kashmir which we have read so far.

[Niket Kolhe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has good non partial insights of the Kashmir situation.

[The Bookosophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is the Hindi translation of ‘Valley of Red Snow’. As the name suggests, this book is all about the story of Kashmir, before and after the abrogation of Article 370 on 5th August 2019 of the Indian Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. It describes the situation of the state, before the general election of J&K state in 2014, the hung mandate, the formation of an unusual alliance between PDP and BJP, and the circumstances that further increase the unrest in the state. It narrates important contemporary events and their impact on the valley during the last decade like the encounter of a young terrorist Burhan Wani, the evolvement of stone pelting groups, the Pulwama attack, and the Indian counter-attack, which the author witnessed on the soil of Kashmir. The book is not a fiction story but based upon the real circumstances faced by Mr. Jitendra Dixit himself during his reporting period in J&K in the last decades, and the several interviews of various stakeholders in the valley.
Author Jitendra Dixit tried his best to pen down an unbiased story, covering all aspects of different stakeholders of the state. After reading it, we may understand Kashmir, Article 370, and the impact of the abrogation of the article in a better way. It is written in an easy and comfortable language, that anyone can understand. I would recommend every Indian to read it, irrespective of their view on the subject matter, to understand the actual issue of Kashmir and the pain and agony of the Kashmiris.