Postbox Kashmir by Divya Arya

Postbox Kashmir by Divya Arya

Do only Muslims live in Kashmir?

Why do girls in Kashmir do stone pelting?

Whom do they want freedom from?

Can you imagine being confined to the four walls of your home with no internet, no social media?

Are Kashmiris really invisible to the rest of the country?

These are some of the questions two teenagers--Saumya in Delhi and Duaa in Kashmir--asked through letters they exchanged over almost three years.

Framing these letters is the detailed history and commentary provided by Divya Arya, a BBC journalist who asked them to be pen pals, which places their conversations against the backdrop of the political history and turbulent present of Kashmir and India. Postbox Kashmir takes on the challenging task of attempting to portray life in Kashmir from the perspective of the young minds growing inside it and providing a context of understanding for the young generation watching it from the outside.

An engrossing non-fiction for teens on the history and present of a little known part of India, as seen through the letters of two teenagers.