Books
THOSE WHO
STAYED
THE SIKHS OF KASHMIR
By Bupinder Singh Bali
One fine day, while taking class, Bupinder gets a phone call that disrupts his life. As Kashmir simmers with tension and minorities face increasing threats, he finds himself in a dilemma: stay in his homeland or seek refuge elsewhere.
With his personal life in turmoil, he navigates the complexities of identity, survival, and the quest for a secure future. In Those Who Stayed, the author weaves his personal life story with the problems his community is facing.
In this docu-memoir, using a deft mix of research, reportage, documented and oral history, survivor testimonies and personal anecdotes, the author paints a vivid portrait of the Kashmiri Sikh community—a micro-minority facing existential threats in a conflict-ridden region.
From the horrors of Partition and the Kabali raids of 1947 to the targeted killings in Chithisinghpora and Mehjoor Nagar, from the three decades of unrest to the abrogation of Article 370, this book offers a rare glimpse into a community’s struggle for social, cultural and economic survival, exploring themes that are deeply troubling.
Those Who Stayed is a poignant exploration of the Sikhs of Kashmir, their past, present and uncertain future, offering a deeply human perspective on a people often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
