A young writer’s take on Article 370

Ambika Sharma

Ayanna Kohli’s passion for writing and her curiosity to delve into the lives of Kashmiri community, as narrated by her father, who is a senior defence official, inspired her to pen down her first book “In the times of Article 370”. 

Ayanna Kohli is a young writer whose first book is due to be released on September 19. Hailing from Solan, she is a student of Lotus Valley International School, Noida, where she also edits the school magazine. An ardent reader, the writer in her found expression in this captivating book, which narrates the story of a soldier, as he goes through the rigours of his challenging job in the valley. She intricately weaves a tale combining fiction and real-life incidents based on her interactions with a host of people in this strife-torn terrain.

Sharing a few moments with The Tribune, Ayanna revealed the fine nuances of her maiden venture as a writer. “My interest in writing this book started with the captivating stories my father used to tell me ever since I was a child. Every night, before I would go to sleep, he’d regale me with more of his exploits and I couldn’t wait to hear more. My father has been an immense inspiration to me and I was keen on conveying to the world the rigours of life faced in these unstable terror-afflicted harsh areas.”

Sharing a penchant to travel, the young writer satiated her curiosity by talking to a host of people in the valley from various walks of life. “All these encounters have shown me humanity’s strength and grandeur and some of these experiences of interaction were uniquely unbelievable. The incidents that many of these extraordinary people narrated to me have influenced my thought process and personality.”

Immensely inspired by people whom she met during her several visits to the state, Kohli compiled her experiences in this book as an apt way to present to the world how people in the valley want to overcome adversity and achieve something meaningful in their lives. 

“We know travel changes a person — both their inner being and their outlook towards life. I wish to share these experiences encompassing various interesting dynamics and transitions that I was told about. However, I think, the underlying reason for all these incidents to happen in the first place was the desire to stand up and do what is right,” says Kohli.

She said: “Most of the people I talk about in this book have an inherent desire to achieve victory and passion to overcome adversity. They have encouraged and motivated me. There are thousands of opportunities behind a dark tunnel. I talk about these challenges and opportunities as I walk you through a journey of a soldier in Kashmir.”

Being the lone child of her parents, she has also found inspiration in her mother Mukta Kohli. Excited about her first experiment as a writer, she strongly feels aspiring soldiers, IAS aspirants and journalists should specially spare some time to peruse through the book, as it elucidates on the ground reality in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

With the scrapping of Article 370 becoming a hotly debated issue in the country, it was not difficult to find a publisher especially after the book found positive testimonials from renowned journalists.

Most of the people I talk about in this book have an inherent desire to achieve victory and passion to overcome adversity. They have encouraged and motivated me. There are thousands of opportunities behind a dark tunnel. I talk about these challenges and opportunities as I walk you through a journey of a soldier in Kashmir. Ayanna Kohli, Author of ‘In the times of Article 370’