We are like thoughts, you should have thought us

By Dileep Kumar Kaul

Who does not know about the Scindia dynasty of Gwalior? Madhao Rao Scindia of our times, died in an air crash. In the beginning of twentieth century Maharaja Madhao Rao Scindia-I died in Paris. He had only one man by his side in whose lap he breathed his last. This man was a Kashmiri Pandit. Colonel (Sir) Kailash Nath Haksar.

There is a Kashmiri idiom ‘Mecchi Noon Dyuni’ i.e. to salt somebody's oil so that he is totally incapacitated. There is a technique in Agriculture called 'Bauthra technique'. This technique which enables one to make saline and barren soils fit for agriculture, is approved by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. And who invented this technique? The famous botanist Dr Kailas Nath Kaul.

These and such many other achievements of Kashmiri Pandits are given in the four volumes of the work 'Kashmiri Panditon Ke Anmol Ratna' written by Dr B.N. Sharga. It is a collection of biographies of eighty Kashmiri Pandits who made exemplary contributions to the whole nation in general and the community in particular for about last three centuries. Dr Sharga has taken pains to research, through the history of these families, when did they migrate from Kashmir and where does their progeny live now.

This work is of utmost importance in contemporary times when the coming generations face the danger of forgetting their history and the foundations laid by their fore fathers. It is only a part of an exiled community which thinks about the self esteem and ethos of the community. Dr Sharga through this work has given a message to the coming generations that these 80 Kashmiri Pandits lived a life of activity and had a remarkable influence on Indian society but never forgot their KP identity. Yes! we are the people in whose serene and consoling laps Kings breathed their last and whose hands made berren lands of the country grow flowers and crops, and a lot more. We have no reason to feel disappointed but have to understand that there is nothing that we cannot do.

The book makes it clear that there were two centres of Kashmiri Pandit activity where KP migrants resided. One was Sitaram Bazar of Delhi and the other Kashmiri Mohalla of Lucknow. Kashmiri Pandits were scattered all over India but these were the most important places from where they made their mark. The Kashmiri Pandits are known as the people who like white collar jobs. But in these four volumes one is astonished to note that there was not even a single aspect of life in which they did not excel. KPs were poets, intellectuals, social reformers, doctors, warriors, scientists, artists and what not. One feels happy to note that the forefathers of all these eminent personalities migrated from the very familiar areas of Srinagar city and other parts of Kashmir from which the contemporary community of KPs was forced to run away.

The contribution of famous Prem Adeeb to the beginning of Indian Cinema cannot be ignored. His forefathers migrated from Kanya Kadal area of Srinagar city. The immortal Chandra Mohan Wattal of 'Pukar' fame began the star tradition in Indian cinema. But it is not mentioned that the famous role of King Akbar played by Prithvi Raj Kapoor in 'Mughal-e-Azam' was at first given to Chandramohan, who left the world leaving the film halfway.

Do you know who was 'Kulbhushan Nath Pandit'. Yes! everybody knows Rajkumar, his dialogue delivery and acting. His forefathers had migrated from Karwani Mohalla which is near Fateh Kadal in Srinagar city.

The personalities like R.N. Kaw (the founder of RAW) and General T.N. Raina (GoC-in-C) need no introduction. The predecessors of R.N. Kaw migrated in 18th century from Zaindar Mohalla of Srinagar city and those of General Raina migrated from Habba Kadal. These personalities can be put as ideals before our children so that they feel associated with their roots and the place of origin. Eminent Kashmiri Pandit ladies are also put forward. These include Sheela Kaul, Dr Jagat Mohini and all time great saints like Lal Ded and Roop Bhawani.

Beginning the work with Lal Ded would have given a different meaning to the whole work. But an important personality like Padmawati Fotedar alias 'Nun' has been excluded. Padmawati Fotedar, mother of Pt. Shivnarain Fotedar, was the first KP lady to become a teacher. She remembered the name of every girl in her classes and would rush to their homes if they would not attend the school even for a day. One very conspicuously feels the absence of Hakeem Sham Lal Bhat, the legendary practitioner of Unani medicine, who could cure the ills of those who would come disappointed from every doctor.

The social changes in KP community, which took place from time to time have also been underlined. The divide in KP community when Pt. Bishan Narain Dhar from Kashmiri Mohalla, Lucknow went to England to study law has been vividly explained. Pt. Dhar was ostracised but he fought back along with like minded KPs. But this anecdote has been repeated in many other biographies in the book. This could have been put at one place and a lot of effort and space saved. The writer, almost in every biography has given so much of his personal views about this world that one skips and comes to main biography. This could have been avoided through proper editing which would condense this work into two volumes and make it more affordable and meaningful, because such a book should be owned by all, researchers or lay men to know about a community which has suffered, struggled and excelled throughout its history. The book is in Hindi but the laxity of language shows that the writer is not used to writing in Hindi. The writer tries to end almost every biography with a verse by some insignificant poets. This also could have been avoided.

Besides, the biographies, some articles like 'Kashmiri Pandit Aur Kashmiriat', 'Atankwad Aur Kashmiri Auratein' 'Kashmiri Pandit Aur Homeland' are given in the volumes. These contain very contradictory statements at some points. On P.208 Vol. 2 the writer says, "But they (KPs) could not stay at a place for much time and thus could not establish a standing to reflect their collective power" (My translation) He adds that due to globalisation everybody is facing exile at some point. Kashmiri Mohalla Lucknow and Sitaram Bazar Delhi, the power centres of KPs lost their lustre as the KPs residing there sold their houses to the members of other communities and went away. Condemning the idea of Homeland, he says that with this 'Runaway mentality' how can the idea of Homeland succeed. The writer seems to ignore the fact that demanding a homeland in itself means that we have lost our homeland and we are claiming it, so that we may have not to run away. The writer  says nothing significant in these articles. The volumes, without these articles would not have been less important.

In the biography of Pt. Avtaar Krishan Wattal we find another contradiction regarding the mindset of Kashmiri Pandits, "Due to their escapist (Palayanwadi) nature, the Kashmiri Pandits believe in going here and there so that they find an adequate place to enable themselves to express their talent". (My translation). One is compelled to think that if they want to find an adequate place to express their talent how can they be escapists?

Despite all this, Dr BN Sharga, has brought about a work which inculcates a consciousness of roots in the reader. This will encourage further research on Kashmiri Pandits.

Some ideas of Kashmiri Pandit organisations and the newspapers published by KPs is also given. There was a 'Kashmiri Social Conference in Lucknow' and 'Kashmiri Pandit National Association' in Lahore. Pt. Shivnarain 'Bahar' published an Urdu weekly 'Risala Murasali Kashmir' since 1870 for many years. Pt. Brij Lal Nehru, started the first English Daily of Rangoon in Burma. It was he who laid the foundations of resistance against the military junta which is being carried forward by Aung San Su at present. This explains how inspiring and stimulating were the KPs not only in the country but on international level also.

The book, in fact, is mainly relevant with respect to Kashmiri Pandit diaspora. The writer seems to have no understanding of the contemporary social currents, folk mindset and the literary currents which make contemporary KP community. The writer on one hand comments on history and politics and feels that he has got equal authority to comment on literary trends. This is evident from his comments on the biggest name in Kashmiri poetry i.e. Sh. Dina Nath Nadim. Nadim has been equated with Qazi Nazrul Islam and Sukant Bhattacharya of Bengal. This makes it clear that neither Nadim nor Nazrul and Sukant have been studied. Nadim's revolution is not as fiery as Nazrul, nor is his romanticism like that of the Bengali poet. His social consciousness is less like Sukant and more like Tagore who was a Bengali to his core.

Nadim was a Kashmiri to his core. He can never be understood without comprehending the tradition of Kashmiri aesthetics. He has also been equated with Nirala and Muktibodh of Hindi. A Nadim can better be compared with Nagarjuna. These comments add nothing to the stature of Nadim. On the contrary, it focuses our attention on the tragedy that how Kashmiri Pandits, all over India, attend to their language, the great tradition of the poetry and poetics that Kashmir has given to the world.    

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