Book: Undaunted: Lt Ummer Fayaz of Kashmir
Author: bhaavna aroar
Publisher: Westland books
Pages: 232
inam ul rehman
“I am writing a book on Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz,” says bhaavna arora to a bookstore owner at the Srinagar airport to see his reaction. “Yes, I have heard of him,” says the owner. “But you know,” continues he, “there was an innocent shepherd boy who was killed by the forces yesterday. He was mistaken for a terrorist. I am pretty sure no one will write a book on him.”
It is these honest conversations that the author peppers on her eponymous book. Written in an interesting, absorbing way with parallel tracks the book crafts the story of a young Ummer, who was sure he is safe among his people even after being commissioned lieutenant of the 2 Rajputana Rifles.
From an early age, Ummer was groomed by his father to think and be different from his peers. The protagonist lives up to this grooming. Not just because he joined as an army officer when the predominant sentiment, as per the author, is against the army, but because he was able to improvise a few things when questioned about it. It was because of Ummer that Muslim cadets in the National Defence Academy were given permission to offer Friday congregation namaz, a first of its kind. He also took a firm stand when others in the NDA were flexible.
The author keeps you immersed in her narrative while taking you through a complex conflict called Kashmir. It’s here she comes to know indigenous army men have to often align with the sentiments of the locals for the safety of their families. It is the same place where army personnel have to whitewash the rebellious graffiti regularly because “We don’t want an Indian leaving this territory feeling that Kashmir is not a part of India. If we let that happen, then what is the point of our presence here.”
The author’s journey to uncork Ummer takes her to the school where he studied, his friends, girlfriend, and the post he manned. Lt Ummer studied in Jawhar Navodaya Vidyaalaya, Aishmuqum, Anantnag, where the author meets his juniors and asks them about the deceased person. “He joined the army, the society here did not accept him,” say students to her. The author notes some even didn’t consider him a martyr and others questioned his Kashmiri identity! When she prods them who killed Lt Ummer the students in an oxymoronic way says, “Of course, the army killed him because he was a Kashmiri.” The students even advise her to drop the idea of writing the book on the deceased army man and instead write on Burhan Wani. When she counters them that he was a terrorist the students are quick to equate Burhan Wani with Bhagat Singh!
She keeps on hearing weird answers about who killed the young lieutenant. Someone said he was slain by the DSP because he had an affair with his daughter!
Her chapters on Lt Ummer’s training days in the NDA are riveting. She presents NDA as a place where young cadets enjoy, become tough, firm, reasonable, and ultimately trained to become leaders.
She gets perplexed to see an overwhelming armed presence in the Valley, though she acknowledges its necessity. As the book tries to find answers to why Lt Ummer was killed by his own people, bhaavna, tires to uncork many layers beneath a complex society where she encounters intelligent and informed people with oxymoronic answers at times.
Why was Lt Ummer killed? Was it jealousy, hatred, or militants not wanting a Kashmiri guy to inspire other Kashmiris to join the army. The family of Ummer refuses to divulge the name of the killers. The author comes face to face to this situation many a time during her stay in Kashmir where people talk but refuse to divulge any details. “The people of Kashmir,” writes bhaavna, “I realised had been trained a little too well to keep secrets. (W)hen it came to making a choice it was always better to support your own people. that was the predicament of being a Kashmiri.”
As the author of the book bhaavna does not preach any solution. She tries to be honest to both sides, and this honesty is reflected in the book. Her sarcasm on hearing Kashmiris support toward militants is biting. Throughout her research, Kashmiris implore her to write the truth.
In fact, bhaavna’s book is filled with many quotable quotes that resonate with readers. Take what Dr Joseph working for the army has to say before he leaves the armed forces: “This problem (Kashmir) will not end. No real victory is achieved even by victors of a war. There is only the stench of death.” Then Dr Joseph utters what most people never dare to say. “This war”, he says to the author “is in the minds of the people. One has to change their minds.”
From former Northern army commander, GoC 15 corps, to army majors to former commissioner police, Delhi has written blurbs praising the book which also means that they concur with what the writer has written about the Kashmir situation.
Surprisingly this book has not found many takers in this part of the world, partly because released in 2019, Kashmir at that time was tense as two nuclear powers were involved in an aerial dogfight, and five months later Articles 370 and 35A were read down, followed by coronavirus.
Drawbacks: There are no pictures of Lt Ummer Fayaz used in the book! Not even of his schooldays, and NDA. The author erroneously states that the Quran mentions triple talaq, and then goes on to add “whenever there is a talaq, heaven weeps and the earth bursts.” Both statements have no standings in the Quran. She also translates the name Ummer as age, which is wrong. Ummer was the name of the second Khalifah of the Islamic Kingdom, and the name represents life.
If you are wondering why I haven’t put caps to her initials that is how she puts it, perhaps her allegiance to feminism where many authors do the same.
Pic courtesy: From author's social media page.
