Title: Shadows of Azadi
Editor: Manisha Sobhrajani
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Yoda Press
Cost: Rs 699

In Shadows of Azadi (Yoda Press), 18 women from Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh explore what Azadi means to them. For Shugufta Zahid, a poet and presenter at Radio Kashmir, Azadi (freedom) is getting rid of terrifying memories of crossfires and security checks — the swift rip of the grocery bags in the market by military forces. For author Neerja Mattoo, Azadi is no less than returning to Kashmiriyat, a peaceful way of life. This, she notes, once meant living in harmony in a multi-cultural state and opening up possibilities of aspirations for women. While the dreams of the writers differ, their longing for such a life and their desire to be able to unfix their gaze from the ground are echoed in all the stories.

Manisha Sobhrajani