Khema Kaul’s Dardpur- A Realistic Tale of Inner Conviction and Inhumanity

Abstract

The book Dardpur by Khema Kaul is remarkable due to its deep moral relevance. The novel has a diverse cast of female characters, including Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmiri Pandits. Sudha has a portentous temperament; her presence is sensed throughout the narrative. Khema's technique is to have the characters drop tidbits of knowledge about the tragedy of Kashmiri Pandits to the reader. In the many events and occurrences, we are brought near to Sudha's awareness, and it is primarily through her thinking that we observe the whole scenario, including recurrent migrations, six hundred years of persecution, and the current heart-breaking tragedy of the Pandits.

Dardpur tackles the devastating impact of Islamic terrorism as well as the social and psychological ramifications of the Pandits' diaspora. Numerous individuals who weave in and out of the story provide 'reality' to the circumstance. The novelist's depiction of life exemplifies the reality of Kashmiri existence. In the work by Khema Kaul, we encounter disappointments, deceit, hatred, fury, sadness, and the danger of an old civilization. The present paper explores the inhuman and realistic themes expressed in the famous work of Khema Kaul.