India, Feb. 13 -- In Stories From A Kargili Kitchen, Yash Saxena reimagines Kargil as a land that is ever-evolving yet perennially frozen in time. It was once frequented by Silk Route traders but now lies still - movement slowly replaced by inactivity. It has evolved over the years, yet remains constricted by an identity shaped almost entirely by the conflict synonymous with its name.

The conflict which gave Kargil visibility also distanced it from India's cultural centre. Its geographical location created an emotional distance so vast that most Indians don't identify with the district at all. It is a land of paradox - at once mainstream and fringe. Saxena observes: "India is a constant and Kargil brings a variable that doesn't fit the m...