Diksha Dwivedi was eight when the Kargil war happened. When Pakistan launched a surprise attack on India from the Ladakh region in May 1999. Diksha's father, Major CB Dwivedi, was a martyr in the war. Growing up, she always felt that while certain soldiers were lauded time and again, others were completely forgotten even in commemorative events like the Kargil Vijay Diwas. In 2015, she wrote an article on her father titled, 'The Kargil War Hero Nobody Told You About'. And this led to her writing a full-fledged book, Letters From Kargil, where she tells the stories of soldiers fighting the war through the letters and diaries of her father and of others who fought there.
/shethepeople/media/post_attachments/WeSPoh5MQrGcAQGg7XpK.jpg "publive-image")
Pic Credit: Amazon.co.in
Diksha, the co-founder of the story-telling website Akkar Bakkar says, "I often felt that the human side of the soldiers didn't come to the fore. And so, when I was approached with the idea of writing this book, I took it up without thinking twice."
It was tough to convince people to send her their letters and for her, the process was both cathartic and emotionally exhausting.
The writer got in touch with scores of other families through the army headquarters and even put her full-time job on hold just to be able to write this book. It was tough to convince people to send her their letters and for her, the process was both cathartic and emotionally exhausting.
"Writing has always been a therapeutic exercise for me. But working on this book and looking at the letters made me realize that soldiers had a very similar way of thinking. They didn't talk about the war often and asked about their families and kids. Being in touch with their near and dear ones helped them go on with their day and not give up when our country's borders were likely to be compromised," she adds.
Many have told the author that they couldn't believe they were so ignorant about the war.
The book has struck a chord with the audience and the reactions have been overwhelming, to say the least. Many have told the author that they couldn't believe they were so ignorant about the war.
Diksha is currently working on her second book based on her journey as a woman founder. She says, "If you have the knowledge, you should just put it out there."
Love books? Join the SheThePeople Book Club. Click Here
Also Read: Books by Women Authors that Defined 2017
Follow Us/shethepeople/media/agency_attachments/iUYfaBbcMozaYLoGnoov.png)
