This is the story of a region in conflict, told through the story of a single terror attack. Based upon personal interviews with the protagonists, police charge sheets, and other evidence, "As Far As The Saffron Fields" (HarperCollins) is a definitive book on the February 14, 2019 Pulwama suicide attack on a CRPF convoy that claimed the lives of 40 paramilitary troopers. It was the deadliest terror attack on the security forces since 1989. "Here is an account that would negate many narratives build around the deadly Pulwama attack. The book also highlights the involvement of proscribed outfits sponsored by Pakistan and their role in creating an eco-system for terrorism to flourish," says its author, IPS officer Danesh Rana, currently posted as the ADGP in Jammu and Kashmir.

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The breakthrough in the case has its genesis in the killing, in March 2019, of two militants during a siege at a house in Nowgam, on the outskirts of Srinagar. One of them was known simply as 'Idrees Bhai'. The encounter was forgotten for the most part, until investigators came upon a mangled phone that had been destroyed by Idrees Bhai. When the Samsung smartphone began to reveal its secrets, investigators realized they had hit upon a mother lode. For, Idrees Bhai was none other than Umar Farooq Alvi, the mastermind of the Pulwama attack. Danesh Rana meticulously pieces together the conspiracy behind the attack. Based upon personal interviews with the protagonists, police charge sheets and other evidence, he breaks down the modern face of militancy in Kashmir, fuelled by highly radicalized young Kashmiris who are playing in the hands of terrorist organizations and often falling victims to the cycle of violence and bloodshed.

The modern face of militancy in Kashmir is fuelled by highly radicalized young Kashmiris who are playing in the hands of terrorist organizations and often falling victims to the cycle of violence and bloodshed. (Representational Image) | Pixabay

Piecing together the stories of several actors — from Umar the dreaded terrorist to Insha, the love of his life; from Adil Dar, the man who rammed a van full of explosives into the CRPF bus to Head Constable Jaimal Singh, the driver of that ill-fated bus — "As Far as the Saffron Fields" is a definitive book on the Pulwama attack, going where no book on the Kashmir conflict has gone before. "This is the definitive book on the Pulwama conspiracy, the one that gives the full story – from how the conspiracy was hatched and carried out, to its investigation, the cracking of the case and the filing of the charge sheet. Through it all, the book provides rare insights into the current reality of militancy in Kashmir. The fact that it has been written by a serving IPS officer lends further credibility to the narrative," says HarperCollins Executive Editor Swati Chopra. Rana's previous book, "Red Maize" (2015), was awarded the Tata Literature Live First Book Award For Fiction. (IANS/SP)

(Keywords: Pulwama attack, Kashmir, India, conspiracy, book, author, militants, bus, CRPF, explosives, conflict, officer.)