Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Oct 27: Karol Dasgupta, author, and founder of Tellmeyourstory.biz said that women in Kashmir should come forward, cross the barriers and speak for their rights
She says that Kashmiris, particularly women, should embrace this platform to connect with the people and should not conform to media pressure or wait for others to write their stories.
Karol has produced a wide range of works, including academic nonfiction and relationship dramas. She has published a lot of work with Rupa, Westland Books, and Niyogi Publishers. The platform tellmeyourstory.biz, which Karol founded, is used to establish and carry out educational initiatives that encourage community engagement and positive behavioral changes for inclusion and diversity.
On the sidelines of the Kumaon Literary Festival that was hosted at the SKICC in Srinagar, Karol spoke to Excelsior.
Q. How important is this festival to writers like you?
Karol Dasgupta (KD): This festival is crucial to me because the way the media or movies portray Kashmir is not a true representation of the valley. Although movies like Notebook are excellent because they feature Kashmir as a character. Whenever we discuss Kashmir, we constantly mention other movies that depict the conflict in Kashmir. However, Kashmir is poetry, and by being a part of that poetry, I am able to learn a lot. I write about mythology, and Kashmir has a lot of mountains, as well as a diverse environment and population, all of which can be used as inspiration. Hindu mythology has specific ways that we depict our gods and goddesses, and the landscape I see here complements those ways.
Q. How will this event benefit upcoming writers?
KD: I was explaining to many aspiring authors in attendance that I run a platform called tellmeyourstory.biz that focuses on new voices and that Kashmiri scholars or writers ought to participate in as many initiatives as they can so that the public may hear the authentic Kashmiri voice. They should not stop where the media tells them to stop or let others tell their stories.
Even though there have been several films about Kashmir, hardly any Kashmiri authors were involved-not even 5 percent. Where is the representation? If Kashmir is to be a character in a book or a movie, I am not talking about representation from a political standpoint; rather, I am talking about representation from a broad standpoint. Who else is better at telling the stories of women than a woman? Women need to speak up since a man cannot see into their hearts. The only person who can see Kashmir as a character is Kashmiri, and he is the best at it.
Q. How can emerging writers address the fact that politics has traditionally dominated Kashmiri literature?
KD: Politics is present everywhere, but in some locations, it is more prominent because some people profit from it. We must realize that every location conjures up different emotions, and for every Indian, Kashmir evokes strong feelings. I am Bengali, I reside in Mumbai, and even though I have visited Kashmir thrice, the place still evokes strong feelings in me thanks to novels, stories, history, and movies. On one hand, it is crucial for Kashmiris to share their own stories so that the emotion we see as paramount has its own place and speaker. Others should not inform us about the events in Kashmir and instruct us on how to interpret them.
Q. Can a writer be neutral in a place like Kashmir?
KD: There is nothing like neutrality in writing, and every person has a unique way of viewing the world. If something happens in my family, I will be unable to maintain neutrality. My family and I moved here as refugees from Bangladesh during the partition. My mother and sisters have an enduring fear because of my family history, and I am powerless to change that worry. As a result, they will discuss partition in a certain manner. On the other hand, my grandfather often told me tales about the country’s culture and ethos but never about how he left, since he did not want me to have any bad feelings for Bangladesh, where he was born. Diversity is the beauty of writing, and without hearing from other perspectives, we would not be able to comprehend a subject in its entirety.
Q. What advice would you give to Kashmir’s aspiring female writers?
KD: Come out and write, please. If you are just getting started, you might not be approved by one of the A-list publishers, but there are plenty of internet publishers working just like I am at tellmeyourstory.com to promote fresh voices. If you are a researcher or a storyteller in any other capacity, please get out there and spend some of your days telling people that you have something to say. Whatever it says, your voice matters. I have no doubt that the voices that are not coming from Kashmir for a variety of reasons cannot be silenced. It is like the wind that cannot be stopped from blowing forever.
Q. How are women’s struggles in Kashmir different from those in other places?
KD: Women face numerous obstacles as they grow up, both in society and in their own minds. They receive conditioning and instructions on how to speak or behave. I am from Kolkata, which is known for being a liberated environment, yet it took me a long time to work up the guts to tell people they couldn’t treat me this way. They receive less exposure to the outer world, and vice versa. They will inevitably experience several limitations within their own minds before anything else. I believe that our upbringing would have been different if movies like Thapad had been released when we were children. When we were young and impressionable, we would have known what to protest about. I think women in Kashmir should tear down barriers and speak up for their rights.
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