They narrated their moments in confinement. It has pain, sorrow and lessons for humanity. Kashmir’s Sahil Maqbool and Iftikar Gilani have similar stories about time spent in jail and, when they were set free, they reproduced their experiences in a diary that was narrated to book-lovers at the Jaipur Literature Festival on Friday.
The audience also heard Ardha Satya — untold stories of Naxalites — when journalist Rahul Pandit shared his writings on the subject with people while human rights activist Kavita Srivastava also gave her account on the subject. The stories highlight the plight of tribals and rights activists arrested in states like Chhattisgarh.
The journalist Gilani said his story was a lesson for people and he lauded the media and a section in the government who helped in his release. He said he was framed in serious cases and that his story was an example of how innocent people were booked. Kashmir’s Maqbool summed up his experiences in jail in a book titled Shabistan e Wazood. “It was a tough time for me while in jail. Even the high court quashed the detention order but i was booked with fresh detention orders four times. It shows how the police misused its powers in Kashmir,” he told this correspondent.