Shanti Swarup Ambardar was sixteen and living near Srinagar when, in quick succession, armed tribesmen invaded from Pakistan, the maharaja fled and Indian troops were airlifted to the Kashmir valley. This dramatic account of his memories of that turbulent time was written specifically for this website. It reflects on the popular politics of that time, the role of the left within the Kashmiri nationalist movement and the remarkable home guard and militia raised to defend the Kashmiri capital from the tribal army.
A fuller account of Shanti Swarup Ambardar's life, personal and political, appears in his long awaited memoir, Days of Destiny. UPDATE : Sadly, Professor Ambardar died in Delhi on 16th April 2016. |