Postmemory Among the People of Kashmir Through the Novel “The Collaborator”

Abstract

Partition of India and Pakistan has provided a great legacy on the Indian Subcontinent. Since partition, the separation of two states has deeply wounded the people of Kashmir. The psychological and physical departure of the Kashmiris due to conflict has remained a dark historical event which has changed the social fabric and cultural values of the people practiced for centuries. War has captured the land since Independence, 1947. As the issue between Kashmir and Pakistan prevails for years together its impact has started to pass on from generation to generation. The saga of Kashmir carries mythological narration, the stories of war, conflict, loss of life, loss of home which passes along with the history of Kashmir. The people of Kashmir have experienced numerous psychological problems like anxiety, depression, suicides, loss of their home, loss of their loved once, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and so on. The depression that is in disguise is Post memory that passes through generation, which is traumatic and that appears in the form of stories which is inevitable in the life of Kashmiris. The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the traumatic experience of the people in Kashmir due to war and conflict. This paper examines the concept of Post memory, through the novel The Collaborator by Mizra Waheed. Finally, the article concludes, in light of the descriptive study, the people of Kashmir under goes serious traumatic experiences due to war and the memories narrated by their ancestors through stories for generations which made the future generation to be stuck in the past.