On May 20, 2013, Assam-born journalist-traveller Sabir Hussain embarked on a solo ride from Vaishali on Delhi-UP border to Turtuk via Ambala, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Jammu, Rajouri, Shopian, Srinagar, Sonamarg and Ladakh.
A die-hard biker's enduring journey from the national capital region to the northernmost point on the LoC forms the plot of a new book which not only provides a glimpse of the pristine beauty of Kashmir but also talks about its people, politics, culture and cuisine.
On May 20, 2013, Assam-born journalist-traveller Sabir Hussain embarked on a solo ride from Vaishali on Delhi-UP border to Turtuk via Ambala, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Jammu, Rajouri, Shopian, Srinagar, Sonamarg and Ladakh.
The total distance was 1,600 km one way and he had for company his Suzuki 150cc Fiero, loaded with saddlebags and a few packets containing tools, spare parts, shoes and water bottles.
Travelling on a shoestring budget through the historic Mughal Road, bereft of any fancy travel accouterments, living in nondescript hotels and homes of friends, Hussain traversed on breathtaking and often dangerous roads.
And in his book "Battlefields & Paradise", published by Westland, Hussain also talks about the politics of Kashmir, straight from the mouths of ordinary people with extraordinary resilience and hope in their hearts.
"Kashmir's complex politics has ensured that there will be no quick end to the continuing imbroglio.
"Divergent opinions, with a bloodied history spanning almost six decades, has driven a deep schism in the state's politics it's a constant tussle between political parties who are poised on two extreme sides of the spectrum, as hawks and dives or hardliners and moderates having appropriated their respective constituencies, and content with what they call a continuing battle to reclaim Kashmir," he writes.
But for the average Kashmiri, peace is yet to come and remains as elusive as the sun during the harsh winters, he says.
"In recent times, a couple of interlocutors from Delhi had arrived in the state to engage with political parties, but alas, little or nothing came of it save loud TV debates on sundry news channels. And with the Pakistani army intent on fishing in troubled waters, peace and normalcy is still a mirage in the Valley," he writes. (MORE)
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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