Kashmir: Justice must be seen to be done

On July 23, Kashmiri-born journalist Basharat Peer took home the prestigious Crossword Book Award 2008 top prize for Non-Fiction (English). And with good reason.

His book Curfewed Night deftly interweaves the author's personal memoirs with a macro-level look at the situation in Kashmir, all in an effort to bring clarity to one of the world's most problematic hotspots (For more, see the video).

Here, he reveals how the Indian and state government in general, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in particular, have mismanaged and mishandled incidents in Kashmir, notably the Shopian rape and murder cases.

Peer acknowledges that thousands of solutions have been posed for the Kashmir problem, with little to show for it, but maintains that one positive step the government should take, is to ensure that "if there's a crime, there should be punishment. Just to have a semblance of law and order. To have justice be done and be seen to be done."

Don't miss more on Basharat Peer. See the video!

Video: Hitesh Harisinghani