A saga of resistance, dignity, and communal brotherhood during the Dogra Raj in Kashmir

I. Setting the Stage: Kashmir Under Dogra Rule

The story opens in the 1930s during the oppressive Dogra rule in princely Kashmir. At the once-mystical Pari Mahal on the Zabarwan hills, a grotesque celebration unfolds—Dogra royals and their allied landlords revel in alcohol, music, and underaged girls kidnapped from poor Kashmiri families. These girls, forced to dance through the night, are either murdered at dawn or sold into brothels across Punjab and Lahore. The Maharajas exploit not just the economy and land, but the very bodies of Kashmiri women, especially Muslims and lower castes. Against this backdrop of decay and humiliation, the story introduces its heroes—the Robin Hoods of Kashmir.

II. The Three Robin Hoods

Three men from different faiths, backgrounds, and scars of the same brutality rise in defiance.

1. Usman Chash (Muslim)

A strong, loud, and daring figure from Saraf Kadal in downtown Srinagar. Son of a butcher, his father was tortured—half-fried in oil and then hung from a pole in the middle of Jhelum for selling beef. Usman inherits the pain and rage of his father. He is known for bold robberies, horse-riding escapes, and for taunting the police before every heist.

2. Madahv Koul alias Madhav Bisht (Lower-caste Kashmiri Pandit)

Originally from Mattan, now living in Srinagar’s maze-like alleys. Known for his intelligence and mischief, especially his talent for mimicry—he imitates the mew of a cat to confuse guards during stealth missions. His family lost their land due to unpaid revenue, pushing them into abject poverty. In one legendary act, he humiliates a Pandit Dogra inspector by blowing ants into his bed through a bamboo pipe, stealing his uniform, and hanging it on a rope across the river with a mocking note:
“This is Madhav. You couldn’t catch me. I even stole your skin.”

3. Layaq Singh (Kashmiri Sikh)

A poetic soul from a humble shawl-weaving family. Layaq’s father toiled endlessly, but was crushed under the debt of traders (Maliks) who controlled the industry. His sisters were taken away by Dogra soldiers and sold to brothels to pay off revenue debts. Known for his calm demeanor, Layaq refuses to steal from those he respects—especially the revered Sufi woman Dei’d.

III. Dei’d and Zooni: Women of Silence and Strength

Dei’d ("Grandmother")

A mystical and Sufi lady of unknown origin. She is called “Dei’d” by all, but her name, caste, and religion are unknown—perhaps sacred because of that very mystery. She embodies spiritual resistance and holds immense respect across communities.

Zooni

A young girl under Dei’d’s care, not her biological daughter but her shadow. Zooni was rescued from a brothel after her mother, sold to sex traffickers in Punjab, left her behind. Zooni’s life reflects the anguish of Kashmiri girls—exploited, commodified, and remembered only as “Kashmir ki Kali”—a phrase that romanticizes their beauty while erasing their pain. Zooni’s bond with Usman is quiet but deepening. She becomes a symbolic and emotional core of the novel.

IV. Resistance, Memory, and Mission

The three Robin Hoods first meet during a night pilgrimage when most devotees have left. Hidden in the silence of the temple courtyard, they discover one another’s identities and share their stories—each heavy with injustice, caste humiliation, and familial suffering. This becomes the moral foundation for their united resistance.

They carry out a number of iconic heists:

1. Robbing Documents of Debt:
   900 Kashmiri families are on the verge of eviction due to unpaid debts to a Pandit landlord allied with the Dogra administration. The trio steals the property records and burns them publicly in Lal Chowk—liberating the people.
2. Grain Robbery During Drought:
   As people eat dogs, frogs, and even dead bodies to survive a government-engineered famine, the Robin Hoods rob hoarded grain from government godowns and distribute it among the starving poor.

V. The Sacred and the Secret: The Cave Refuge

The Dogra administration declares a manhunt. To save the trio, Dei’d takes them to the caves inhabited by the Kumhar (Potter) tribe. Here, among nature and ancestral silence, they reflect, recover, and find temporary peace. Dei’d dies here—quietly, as if she had returned to her origin. It is revealed she too may have been one of the women once exploited and discarded, surviving only to shelter others like Zooni.

VI. The Tragedy of Sacrifice

Madhav falls gravely ill and visits a Hakeem in the city for herbal medicine. This draws attention. To protect him, Usman and Layaq visit the Hakeem on his behalf. During their return, chased by police, Layaq falls into the freezing river. He dies from hypothermia in Usman’s arms. Days later, Madhav too passes away, asking Usman to carry his ashes to Punjab.

VII. Love, Legacy, and Leaving Kashmir

Usman, now broken and hunted, leaves Kashmir with Zooni. Their bond—kindled silently during visits to Dei’d’s house—now blooms into a tender relationship. In Punjab, they begin a modest life, a symbolic act of starting anew amidst ashes.

VIII. Kashmir Rises

As their chapter closes, another begins in Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah and his National Conference initiate a political awakening against Dogra misrule. The people’s demand for “Land to the Tiller” shakes the regime. The spirit of the Robin Hoods lives on—not in violence, but in resistance rooted in dignity, communal unity, and memory.

Themes and Tone

Robin Hoods in Kashmir is a novel of poetic insurgency. It blends folklore with fact, romance with rebellion. Through interfaith brotherhood, the haunting condition of Kashmiri women, the moral defiance of the oppressed, and the mysticism of Sufi traditions, it narrates a story forgotten in textbooks—but living in whispers, hills, and rivers of the Valley

Next Chapter: Chapter Plan