What to read after Fractured Shadows?

The book is dedicated to all Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus who did not forsake their humanity during the partition of India and saved the lives of those who prayed differently even at the cost of their own lives.

There is no vanity greater than the spiritual arrogance of the virtuous. A single unseasonal shower and the buried seeds of weeds spring to life to mock at your pseudo status of saintliness. It is not easy to keep spiritual chastity unsullied in a world where everything but truth prevails.

Peshawar remains forever the burial ground of empires, armies and ambitions of those that wanted to grow rich at the expense of the EARTH. It will hold aloft only the Stoopas of harbingers of peace and goodwill for fellow humans. Buddha, the mendicant, towers over the landscape enriching the heritage of humanity and the bones of conquerors have enriched the fertile soil of unconquerable Peshawar. The Black Hole is a historical reminder and warning to all future imperialists.

It is only in our era that truth is a piece of merchandise that has a limited shelf life as on a departmental store shelf. Falsehood has a rich, fancy wardrobe and need not wear the same ensemble twice. Eternal awareness is the only armor for a seeker of emancipation from the karmic cycle. My book “FS” is just like music, a catharsis that brings out my repressed feelings and memories into consciousness – a cleansing of my soul.

“Fitrat ke Maqasid ki Karta hai Nigehbani, Ya Banda-e-Sehrai Ya Mard – e-Kuhistani”

The man of the desert or of the mountains are chosen by Nature, for her aims to attain

Regarding Afghanistan, Iqbal’s intuition about future-gazing was more insightful than his historical analysis of eras of antiquity.

His Marde Kohistani often ran the gauntlets that history since Alexander’s invasion of India threw at him. Armies down the ages have been using the mountainous terrain for onward passage to plunder the prosperous peoples that lay beyond their passes. Fierce tribes, residing these inhospitable hills, given to warring among themselves in normal times were quick to sink their differences and vanquish any intruder daring to force their way through the countryside. Their ruthless tactics were more than a match for any invader.

Greeks, Mughals, British, Russians and Americans have tested and tasted Afghan zest for fight and indomitable will to conquer their adversaries on home ground.

So far, the tribes were able to scatter their foes and get back to their traditional infighting.

American exodus is trying out the Marde-Kohistani by running a different gauntlet. Afghans are forced out of their citadels and fastnesses by internal foes of the same religious persuasion and scattered all over the world as refugees.

Till yesterday, contingents of the most powerful, militarized nations won over the trust of 40 Million to step out of their traditional feudal order and join the comity of nations as a nascent modern state.

For more than a decade fiercely independent people of Afghanistan reposed faith in the sincerity of their liberators, only to realize the extent of perfidious trap sprung upon them by the occupation armies out of sheer self-interest and preservation instinct.

Reprisals visited on the betrayers may not be fast but have no doubt they will be furious. For an Afghan revenge and honor killing are non-negotiable.

All this was avoidable till early July and August 2021 saw the most shameful capitulation by the mightiest military on this planet so far.

The inevitable has to run its course and Marde Kohistani has to be its chosen instrument albeit from other locations. A similar scenario and fate was faced by me in another era and century in the month of August 1947 with an uncanny resemblance to Afghan betrayal when I fled Lahore.

NANAK DEV JEE very wisely exhorted to respect SHABAD (word) and avoid mutilations leading to warfare.