Madhosh Balhami: Poet of Perseverance
He was born in 1966 and is better known as Madhosh Balhami in his region.
Bhat started saying poems after losing his parents and soon turned to point natural, spiritual, and political topics in his poems.
He is especially famous for elegies written for the funeral of Kashmiris who lost their lives in the confrontations with Indian military forces.
In mid-March 2018, Madhosh Balhami lost some 800 pages of his poems that he had said during some 30 years. The loss came in a fire that erupted after Indian soldiers and Kashmiri opposition engaged in an armed confrontation in his neighborhood.
If printed, his poems could have been some six volumes. Only 20% of his poems are now available thanks to copies that he had given to friends.
He describes losing the house and library as losing his paradise that has left behind a deep wound in his spirit.
The poet has built a new small house with the help of local people and his friends
Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since their partition in 1947. Both countries claim all of Kashmir and have fought three wars over the territory.
