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By: Dr. Sadaf Munshi “The Return of the Kashmiri Pandit” – this phrase has come to sound like that famous 1985 horror movie-cum-black comedy The Return of the Living Dead. Given that we Kashmiris are so hypersensitive that a slight tinge of satire may stoke unwanted emotions, I hope being candid does not lead to…
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It is time to deliver duties rather than clamor over assignments After the months’ long haggling between the members of the newly formed alliance partnership of the Jammu & Kashmir state government and the sensation around the oath-taking ceremony, the news in the last couple days has focused on to the drama over the portfolio…
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Dr. Sadaf Munshi About a year and a half ago, in August 2013, I was in Srinagar for another yearly visit to Kashmir. During one of those days, an unidentifiable insect bit my mother-in-law in her eye-lid. We thought it was a spider or something but could not say for sure. At night, she had…
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It was summer 2007. I was in Kashmir with my two-year old son. I had decided to get his khatanhaal (‘circumcision’) done in Srinagar (and not in the United States) due to some scheduling issues and the nervousness of dealing with any aftercare on my own, this being my first child. As I had little…
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I stand by the roadside Waiting for something Or perhaps nothing? A man walks past, Limping towards me With a burning cigarette In his left hand I move aside in a jiffy And notice a little boy Pretending to be a puppy dog “Wow wow”, he frolics On the concrete pavement As his mother turns…
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Every time I listen to Narendra Modi, I feel like: Satyanaas! BeDa-gharq! Jaltu-Jalaaltu, aayi balaa ko Taal tu! Much of the elections drama back home this time around. You won’t beleive I was so curious to hear about the latest news today that while taking a five-minute break during my three-hour long teaching today, I…
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Ah, the poverty of the written word! It does not carry the punctuations Nor gestures or embellishments Of a spoken utterance Listen to the silence! I went sleepless and troubled Hiding under my pallid skin As a thick blanket of darkness Enveloped the starless night This is no dream, my love For dreams have no…
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Given the touch-me-not attitude one experiences in Kashmir, I have observed that many rational voices steer clear of indulging in talking about controversial topics, especially those related to religion and politics. Several months ago during my annual visit to Kashmir, I had expressed an objection to the extensive use of loud speakers for broadcasting religious…
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Every year the people of the Kashmiri Pandit (KP) and Kashmiri Muslim (KM) communities commemorate the month of January 1990 for the beginning of an era of two structurally different but extremely bitter and painful experiences: the “exodus” of the former facilitated by an atmosphere of immense fear and terror and the beginning of the…
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By: Dr. Sadaf Munshi Every year the people of the Kashmiri Pandit (KP) and Kashmiri Muslim (KM) communities commemorate the month of January 1990 for the beginning of an era of two structurally different but extremely bitter and painful experiences: the “exodus” of the former facilitated by an atmosphere of immense fear and terror and…
SADAF MUNSHI
Linguist, Writer, Multi-disciplinary Artist
Working across various disciplines and art forms, Sadaf Munshi’s creative expressions find a niche in the magical world of word, color and music. Her inspiration comes from everyday encounters with people, objects and environment, and her motivation is a continued urge to connect with them. A documentary linguist, creative writer, poet, musican and visual artist, her expressions have different forms and varied colors.
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