Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir was expected to accede to Pakistan during the partition in 1947, as Kashmir was a Muslim-majority princely state. But Hari Singh dreamt of a Switzerland-like status for his Himalayan kingdom. Meanwhile, popular leader Sheikh Abdullah rallied for freedom, and Poonchis in western Jammu revolted, telegramming Jinnah for help. Soon fearsome kabailis were carving a swath of savagery and destruction through the kingdom towards Srinagar. At our Online Talk, historical fiction writer Manreet Sodhi Someshwar talks about the effect of these political machinations on ordinary Kashmiris , as the first Indo-Pak war began.

About the speaker

Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is an award-winning and bestselling writer of nine books, including the Mehrunisa series, the critically-acclaimed The Long Walk Home and The Radiance of a Thousand Suns, and most recently, The Partition Trilogy. Hailed as 'a star on the literary horizon' by Khushwant Singh and garnering endorsements from Gulzar for two of her books, Manreet lives in New York City with her husband, daughter and cat. She has spoken at the KHAKI Online Talks earlier.