SIR V S NAIPAUL , KASHMIR AND " AREA OF DARKNESS "

   

“Anybody don’t like ice . Ice is heating ” Aziz had said when  Sir V S Naipaul had asked for some ice to be made available to him in the Hotel room .Kashmiris continue to have their strange notions about heat and cold in the human body. Most often they still say “ Me Gondun Naar ” when they take spicy foods or miss their daily dose of Curd . I remember elders telling youngsters in Kashmir that Ice cream is just fire when it goes inside human body.

“You Buy , I buy – what difference ? ”Aziz had said when  Naipaul had  asked for the change of electric bulb in the hotel Room. This is a graceful way of saying No . It is still practised . It is practised by my own friends .Muslims and Pandits would say No tactfully in this way only . You would never get a straight NO generally . Even for something which a person could never do, his stock reply was “ Kenh Naa Chhunaa Baa Vuchhaa Telli ” Meaning Don’t worry . Let me see what can be done .

“He Not Tourist ”This is how Aziz had intervened and rebuked a local Tonga wallah who had overcharged Naipaul. This is still true in Kashmir . People still cry when they feel that they are being overcharged “ Ba Naa Chhuss Naa Tourist” Meaning I am Not a Tourist .

“Hadn’t we better find out about the times of Gulmarg Buses Aziz ” Naipaul had said when he planned to visit Gulmarg with Aziz. “ O No Sahib Too Much Bus ” Aziz had replied back..When they went to the Bus stand , they came to know that the 8 O’ clock bus had been missed.The next bus was at 12 Noon . They had to wait at the Bus Stand for four hours .This used to be  the  way of taking things casually in Kashmir   . This has undergone sea change. People are serious about everything now.   Previously When People( Both Pandits and Muslims ) would take serious issues casually ,they did say “ Kenh Chhnnaa  Parvaay, Maa hey Fikir . ” Meaning there is no need to worry .

“He have wife . He have children . He poor man sahib . You Not report Tourism Sahib . He not honest man but he poor .” Aziz telling Naipaul

.“I am Best sportsman . I am best swimmer . I know all Physics and all chemistry ” This is how  a college  student had introduced himself to  Naipaul in his hotel room .

These are some incidents mentioned in   Area of Darkness  written by Nobel Laureate Sir V S Naipaul.. Sir V S Naipaul  is  a writer of Indian origin from Trinidad. Born in 1932, he started writing in english from 1950.  Some of his  books which i have enjoyed reading are :-

1 A House for Mr Biswas .

2 A Flag on the Island ( Especially stories like The enemy  and Night watchman's occurrence book )

3 Letters Between Father and son.

4 Area of  Darkness

5 Half a life .

 I also like Late  shiva Naipaul's  ( His real Brother also a writer ) style . Shiva  ( 1945 - 1985 ) died young of a heart attack.I enjoyed Shiva's book , Beyond the Dragon's Mouth: Stories and Pieces.

Those of us who have lived in kashmir and more particularly known  people  living in Dal Lake area  connected with Tourism Industry  or are privy to  their trade practices shall better understand the humor and wit put forth by Naipaul in the entire Part II of the book devoted to Kashmir only.. Naipaul has the unique quality of making his characters  reveal all by themselves .The travaelogue is  superb and absorbing.There are many instances in the Travelogue which demonstrate exceptional observation of events and characters by Naipaul .Naipaul has devoted more than 125 pages of this travelogue to Kashmir alone .

Naipaul  stayed in Kashmir for about 5 months in 1962. . This popular and widely read Travelogue was written  in Hotel Liward Dal lake Srinagar .Naipaul went for his  Amarnath Yatra with Hotel’s main Attendent Aziz and the cook Ali Mohd . Aziz has been presented as a typical Lake dweller who speaks English learnt from Guests and who has his own set notions about all issues around him. These notions have been built partly on account of his upbringing and partly contrived by him through his interaction with tourists. Still Aziz remains essentially a kashmiri  and a  simple Human being  .  If the writer could not ignore him, no reader can ignore him either  . You may  see through Aziz’s  funny intrigues in the Hotel  Kitchen or  garden but these  are primarily aimed to supplement his meagre  income to feed his family back home.. It is easy for any  reader to identify with this man.

Naipaul called this Hotel a DOLL”S HOUSE . Names like Mohd sidiq Bhat , Aziz , Ali Mohd , Mr Madan and Mr Kak referred to by him in this book are not fictional characters . They all existed in Bones and flesh . Some of them still continue their struggle in the changed environs and circumstances. I Happened to Know Mr Kak ( S. K Kak IAS Ex Director of Tourism and controller of Tawaza J&;K ). Late kak Sahib had confirmed having seen Naipaul twice  .Mr Madan was also a senior officer in Tourism department and senior to kak sahib . Mr Mohd sidiq Bhat was the owner of Hotel Liward when Naipaul Stayed over there . The name of the hotel was changed to LEEWARD later . Aziz who was the senior Attendent with Mr Bhat in 1962 later became the owner of the Hotel . Aziz of Area of Darkness is actually Abdul Aziz who still lives in the lake ;An old and affectionate  man  who vividly remembers Naipaul and the introductory letter he wrote for Hotel’s permit from Tourism department . The Hotel has since added more   rooms from bare 7 rooms it had when Naipaul stayed .The Hotel is just 5 minutes Shikara ride from Nehru Park Ghats on the Boulevard .One can locate it exactly at the back of Nehru park. A beautiful Lotus Garden spread over lake water surface has been developed behind the Hotel. Abdul Aziz's Leeward  Hotel has been occupied by security forces at present  .

“ What rent Government pays? . Just 170 Rupee per day per room .75% of this amount is spent for  the maintenance of the Hotel. Jenab Many visitors would came here in good old days  just to see where Naipaul sahib stayed . They wrote comments in visitor book. ”says Abdul Aziz

Apart from being a finest travelogue , Area of Darkness also opens  Kashmir  of 1962 to the world . But Yes  a Kashmir seen only around Dal Lake or tourist places like Gulmarg , Pahalgham  , Bund , Lal Chowk , Tourist centre and Nageen lake mostly . This brilliant narrative is Surprisingly silent about other Kashmir which was throbbing with activity in Naipaul’s close vicinity .  By other kashmir i mean the  Artists ,  saints , Reshis , Artisans and  Craftsmen( engaged in Papier mache , Wood carving and handicrafts manufacturing with their gifted  hands )  , Politicians , intellectuals , Prominent Khankaahs , Ziyarats, Temples and historical buildings  of the city deserved some mention in this travelogue  .People  ( Both Muslims and Pandits ) living in Down town  areas like Zainakaal ,  Fateh Kadal ,Habba kadal , Naid kadal , Saraf Kadal, Nowhatta ,  Bohri Kadal , Zadibal , Khanyar or in the newer Colonies of that period like Karan Nagar ,Jawahir Nagar and Raj Bagh  find no mention in this Book .  Inspite of these minor  issues  which only a kashmiri reader can observe , Area of Darkness remains a brilliant narrative and makes you to travel all the places and share the events together with Sir V S Naipaul.  Area of Darkness presents Naipaul    not only as  an  innovative writer of a superior class  but  his ideas  too  are   truly creative , original  and bright.

Naipaul  again visited kashmir  in 1989 and covered the visit in his book   India :A Million Mutinies. This time the critical assessment of the land , its people and their Habits had mellowed  down considerably. In this book , Naipaul is all praise for a resurgent and developing India . He again talks about Kashmir . For him Kashmir had changed a lot . But then the explosions and first gunfires of   the two decade old trouble had begun. He mentions these incidents also   .So Long so much..I wish  Naipaul good health and happiness . 

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