Bansi Parimu (1933-1991) is one artist from the Kashmir valley, who remains under-exposed despite his profound creativity that not only matches with some eminent artists of his time on the national scene but also surpasses many of them. He learned art by total observation and self-education by putting into practice the Vedic doctrine of ‘Neti- Neti’ in its truest sense. Kashmir had enough to inspire Bansi Parimu. His initial inspiration came from the natural beauty of his native land. Picturesque views with hills, meadows, mountains, valleys, trees, and lakes apart from changing seasons and the variety in flora and fauna attracted him. He started his artistic journey with Kashmir landscapes that could be ascribed to D N Walli‘s initial influence upon him. Bansi Parimu was possibly the first artist in Kashmir to experiment with encaustic techniques in painting. After experimenting with various forms, Parimu was finally drawn towards abstraction. His abstracts are a combination of organic designs, patterns, swirling shapes, colours, and steadfast consistencies. This consistency is reflected in every painting and also in his entire portfolio of work under this genre.
While art and
painting remained close to his heart, Kashmir remained in his soul. Till his
death, he remained steadfast in his concern for his birthplace. Bansi Parimu’s
role in facilitating and helping the J&K Academy of Art, Culture, and
Languages to host and organize the art camps and workshops is no less a
contribution.
EARLY LIFE
The
core group of Kashmiri artists lived from Badiyar to Fateh Kadal on either side
of the Jhelum River in Srinagar city. The artists Shiv Nath Raina, Mohan
Raina, Ratan Parimoo, S N Butt, D. N. Walli, Kishori Kaul, Triloke Kaul, Som
Nath Khosa, Suraj Tiku, Kashi Nath Bhan, A R John, G R Santosh, Maheshwar Nath
Dhar, Sant Ji Sultan, J. N. Sapru, Shuben Kaw, Nissar Aziz, Mohi-ud-Din,
Vishinath Kampasi, Sat Lal Kampasi and many more lived in this area. Bansi
Parimu lived near all these artists in a locality called Sapriyaar near Habba
Kadal Bridge.
D N Walli remained a major
attraction for Bansi Parimu during his formative years. Observing Walli doing
watercolours, Bansi Parimu learned the fundamentals of watercolour
painting. And he began his artistic journey with landscapes done in
watercolours. Apart from D N. Walli, Bansi Parimu also kept visiting S N Butt
where he got exposed to French impressionism, Cubism, and other modern trends
and styles. Butt had been influenced by Picasso, Georges Braque, Vincent Van
Gogh, Degas, and Renoir.
He had seen their work sometime in 1942 when he went to Mumbai for training in
modern art under the well-known artist, G M Salgaonkar. Butt had also been
trained by S H Raza in Modern Art. Raza had gifted some books to S N Butt that
had paintings of Vincent Van Gogh and many other modern artists. Bansi Parimu
found more interest in Butt’s work which he kept observing regularly. Marxism
was also a common cord that kept Bansi tied to Butt. Jaya
Parimu (wife of Bansi Parimu) has this to say:-
“ During his formative
years, Parimu was highly influenced by Som Nath Butt. Butt’s main forte
was figurative abstracts, homes, roofs, attics, etc. He was a great artist of
the century. He had received praise from British art connoisseurs.”
Bansi Parimu also kept visiting Kashi Nath
Bhan’s house. Kashi Nath Bhan was a multi-talented person from Kashmir who had
been a teacher at the Sir Amar Singh Technical Institute in Srinagar. Later, he
joined the Industrial Training Institute at Bagh e Dilawar Khan in Srinagar as
an art teacher where his prominent students were Mohammad Sadiq and Nissar Aziz
Beg. Kashi Nath Bhan was a much-respected name in the field of theatre and fine
arts, especially painting. Well-known media personality, writer and
broadcaster, Padma-shri Pran Kishore Kaul conveyed an anecdote relating to
Bansi Parimu’s first meeting with the progressives when this author interviewed
him over the telephone in April 2018. He said this:-
“I too was initially inclined towards art. The progressive group
comprising Triloke Kaul, S. N. Butt and P. N. Kachru would meet every Friday at
a restaurant on the Bund near ‘Suffering Moses ‘export house. This restaurant
was opened by Mr Madan, an educated entrepreneur who was also a connoisseur of
art. One Friday, possibly in 1954, two young boys also joined us. One was Bansi
Lal Parimu and the other was Mohan Lal Moza. Bansi had brought some
paintings along with him. Incidentally, G. R. Santosh had also come that day.
This young boy, who later came to be known as Bansi Parimu, had a passion and
was different. He was experimenting, and everyone including S. N. Butt felt
happy to see his work. That is my first memory of seeing Bansi Parimu. Later, I
kept watching this young boy and his work. His drawing turned robust. He
attained an individual style of colour application. These colours were vibrant
and attracted attention. He arrived at a pure abstract format after having
meandered through landscapes, cubism and figurative abstracts. He also
did some larger works like tableaus.”
About Bansi Parimu’s formative years and struggle,
Arvind Gigoo said this:-
“Apart
from Kishori Kaul, Sant Ji Sultan, and Nissar Aziz Beg, Bansi Parimu was
another regular visitor to our house. He used to see my uncle Dwarka Nath Gigoo
Rajkamal often. My uncle was a writer, painter, flautist, palmist, and
astrologer. I have seen young Bansi draw sketches in the presence of my uncle.
One day Bansi Ji asked me to draw some random lines on a sheet of paper. I drew
the lines and handed over the paper sheet to him. He joined all the lines and
to my surprise, I saw the sketches of a man, a woman, and a building. It was
sheer magic. That day I understood his artistic originality and prowess. As he
grew, he picked up trends and styles. I could notice how perfectly and swiftly
his fingers moved. This was something gifted and natural. Bansi Ji always kept
a close association with anybody and everybody connected with art. This
appetite drew him closer to some leading artists of the state. Later it
brought him closer to some renowned artists of the country. His observation was
sharp. He was an inquisitive man who had an incredible appetite for learning,
assimilation, and experimentation. He learned by observation and scrutiny. He
believed in painting, tearing apart the art paper, painting again and again
till he was satisfied. He was a perfectionist. He thus practised the
centuries-old Vedic doctrine of Neti Neti. It was a process of
self-learning or an appraisal of reality through self-inquiry and
investigation.”
Apart from learning from the local artists, Bansi
Parimu started looking into art books, magazines, and newspapers to study and
learn various techniques, forms, and styles of art. Austria-based artist
Kapil Kaul writes:-
“A
young Parimu in his twenties with a keen interest in art was always seen
discovering for himself new trends in painting by reading journals and books on
art. The western magazines were highly sought after by the educated and the
literati. Those days’ periodicals reached the capital Srinagar very late.
Hardly did it matter if they were outdated. A progressive and inquisitive mind
like Bansi Parimu conceived new ideas by looking into these magazines.”
POLITICAL ACTIVISM AND
CRUSADES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES
Bansi Parimu was a restless crusader of many causes
dear to him. One cause that he repeatedly spoke about was the creation of an
establishment apparatus that would be sensitive to the needs of the masses in
his Kashmir who had been deprived of some basic necessities of life for long.
This belief made him support any initiative that would go in favour of
installing a pro-people or socialist establishment. However, after 1953,
favouritism, nepotism, and corruption, that were meant to be driven away by the
Naya Kashmir Manifesto touched newer heights in the Kashmir valley . This
created resentment in many circles especially the communist group within the
National Conference. He sided with the rebel DNC group .Capt S K Tikoo has this
to say:-
“In 1957, when the D.N.C. was launched by organizing
a gala event in Gole Bagh Park, Bansi was the key organizer. We experienced
unusual snowfall that day. The awning fell on the ground but the organizers
stayed at the venue in the snowfall with Bansi Parimu persuading everybody to
stay put and not to worry. We worked together for the Communist Party of India.
He was also associated with the C.P.I. newspaper ‘Kashmir’. Together we sold
its copies in the markets. Then I told him to be away and remain busy with his
work. Those were the formative years of the D.N.C. in Kashmir. Many meetings of
the D.N.C. took place in his Habba Kadal room cum studio. That ordinary room
was his studio, meeting place and bedroom. That time he had not shifted to his
new Barzulla house. He was a bachelor. M. L. Misri, K. D. Sethi, Syed Mir
Qasim, Ram Pyara Saraf, and many other leaders have visited that room. Anybody who was somebody in the state’s
political hierarchy has visited that room including two former chief ministers.
He was always selfless. He thought of amelioration of the sufferings of a
common Kashmiri. And communism was great hope. He had a very good camera that
was used to capture images of events and episodes. That camera did some wonders
for the D.N.C. or Democratic National Conference” .And Arvind Gigoo had this to
say:-
“I
am certain that if he were not an artist, he would have been a photographer and
an accomplished one. He had an imported camera when he was unmarried. I am
lucky to have been photographed by him with that camera. He photographed the
immovable properties owned by the Bakshi brothers. These photographs were put
in a pamphlet that was used by G. M. Sadiq’s D.N.C. against their rival
Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad.”
However, he found that DNC functioning was no
different. He felt disillusioned and soon distanced himself from political
issues focusing on his art alone. He acquired practical knowledge of interior
decoration, landscaping, and architecture. Some exhibitions in Mumbai, Kolkata,
Amritsar, Hyderabad, and New Delhi won him many admirers from among some
leading artists of the country who saw his work. And by the dint of his hard
work and artistic dexterity, Bansi Parimu attracted the attention of well-known
artists including N. S. Bendre and M F Husain. He developed very cordial
relations with M.F. Husain. Every time Husain came to Kashmir, Parimu was his
companion. He invariably met Bendre whenever he went to Mumbai. Tyeb Mehta was
another artist who saw excellent potential and merit in Parimu’s work. Like
Tyeb Mehta, M. F. Husain would always advise Parimu to shift to some
metropolitan city to be visible. About Husain, Jaya Parimu (wife of Bansi
Parimu) said this:-
“In Srinagar, Parimu was M.F. Husain’s companion. We
had cordial relations with the entire Husain family. Husain dominated the
national art scene for many years yet he was an extremely simple man. He ate
very little and loved green leafy Kohlrabi (Monji in Kashmiri) cooked in
Kashmiri style. He always carried this vegetable to Mumbai from Kashmir. We saw
him last in 1989 when he visited our house at Barzulla. Husain loved to play
with children. He spoke to the children in their language. He would always say
that childhood is the only malice-free period in a man’s life. He painted a
dancing Ganesha and horses for our children. They remain our family’s prized
possessions.”
Bansi Parimu enjoyed his friendship with Sachinda Nagdev
(1939-2017), the well-known artist of the abstract genre from Ujjain. Nagdev
was considered synonymous with Indian abstract art. Like Parimu, Nagdev’s
abstracts are open to multiple interpretations and his colours especially
greens, reds, and blues weave magic with their rhythmic patterns and sensitive
textural quality. Nagdev was an admirer of Parimu’s work. Another
artist with whom Bansi Parimu had perfect compatibility and friendship was
Bimal Dasgupta (1917-1995). Bimal Dasgupta is hailed
as one of Bengal's leading abstract painters. When Bimal Dasgupta saw some
exhibitions of abstractions done by Parimu, he was impressed. His deep,
sincere and selfless involvement with a cause that was close to his heart got
him connected to many societies, groups, and committees. As a leader of the
‘Save Chinar’ movement, he made strenuous efforts to save the Chinar trees
that were being cut for widening roads and other construction activities. The Greater
Kashmir, a newspaper published from Srinagar, wrote on May 31, 2012:-
“Observers said that in 1984, the then government led by Ghulam Mohammad Shah had conceived the idea to construct a bridge across Jhelum at Polo View. But as the construction would spoil –The Bund –the heritage walkway on the river banks, the move was resisted tooth and nail by the then civil society, particularly art lovers. Bansi Parimu had threatened to go for self-immolation should the government go ahead with the plan. Parimu is believed to have started a campaign that the concrete bridge would destroy the charm of this only green walkway left in the city.”
BANSI
PARIMU: A BRIDGE CONNECTING KASHMIR
WITH THE EXTERNAL WORLD OF ART
Bansi Parimu’s role in facilitating and helping the
J&K Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages to host and organize the art
camps and workshops is no less a contribution. He aimed to expose and
familiarize local artists with current styles and trends. Most of the Mumbai or
Delhi-based artists were personally known to him. Quite often, it was through
his support, good offices and help that the J&K Academy of Art, Culture,
and Languages was in a position to bring many leading artists of the country to
various art camps in the state. These camps were attended by a galaxy of
eminent artists of the country like N. S. Bendre, Jagdish Swaminathan,
B.C.Sanyal, Rameshwar Broota, Kashmiri Khosa, Shamshad Hussain, Shanko
Choudhry, S.H.Raza, Gulam Sheikh, M.F.Husain, Ram Kumar, G. R. Santosh, Manu
Parikh, Paramjit Singh, Jatin Dass and many more. Noted art
critic, Santo Datta writes this in the Hindu newspaper on August
3, 1992:-
“One
of his memorable contributions is the initiation of an ongoing programme of
holding annual artists camp in Srinagar in which artists were invited from all
parts of the country. His objective was to start interaction between the
artists of Kashmir and those from other states.”
Noted sculptor, Rajendra Tiku said this:-
“Bansi
Parimu had a great desire to introduce modern trends to local artists through
simple interaction. Husain was quite friendly with him. I have seen them
together many times in Srinagar. They were seen together on the fashionable
Residency Road or in the India Coffee House. I vividly remember how he brought
M. F. Husain to the Institute of Music and Fine Arts, Srinagar for a live
demonstration. Many students benefited by observing Husain doing live painting
and then interacting with him.”
ART
OF BANSI PARIMU
Kashmir had enough to inspire Bansi Parimu. His
initial inspiration came from the natural beauty of his native land.
Picturesque views with hills, meadows, mountains, valleys, trees, and lakes
apart from changing seasons and the variety in flora and fauna attracted him.
He started his artistic journey with Kashmir landscapes that could be ascribed
to D. N. Walli‘s initial influence upon him. Whether depicting
landscapes or human figures, Bansi Parimu’s formal vocabulary is consistent during
this period. I mean the use of colours and a strong flavour of the rootedness
of his art. This rootedness is visible in the paintings that depict the morning
scene of ‘Kathi Darwaza’ or ‘Tahar Distribution’ (yellow rice
distribution) and many more similar works. Bansi Parimu loved painting
Kashmir’s pluralistic and shared culture. He remained involved in this activity
for some time before he moved to figurative abstracts.
Bansi Parimu lost his mother when he was barely ten
years of age. The mother’s loss of a child is bound to create some deep
inadequacy within. The torment was reflected in his work. He never abandoned
painting Kashmiri women. He painted their pain, gloom, silence,
helplessness, and hope. He painted elderly Burqa-clad women in conversation on
the road. He painted women sharing the joys and sorrows of life. He also
painted women in an assembly sharing grief and wailing.
‘Wailing
Women’ and ‘The Grief Within’ are the result of some deep childhood impressions
on his mind. Grieving women, a pitcher of water, a firepot/Kangri, Pheran, a
clothesline for hanging clothes (Villinj in Kashmiri), Taranga/ladies'
headgear and a dry hay mat (Voguv in Kashmiri) are visible in this painting.
This painting is very close to Kashmir’s recent past. His painting titled
‘Three Musicians’ done in figurative abstract format was much
appreciated. The art critic, Suneet Chopra wrote about Bansi Parimu’s
figurative abstracts in the Telegraph on April 4, 1992:-
“Figurative
art is conscious communication. But it is all the more powerful when what is
felt is something deeply rooted in the artist. Then the structure, the palette,
abstract forms and figurative references all blend in his best works that make
Bansi Parimu ‘s work memorable.”
Bansi Parimu was also engaged by the J&K
Government to prepare the State’s tableaus (See Photo M 14) that were displayed
on the Republic Day parade at New Delhi. One such tableau was done by him
during Jawahar Lal Nehru’s tenure as prime minister. Nehru was very happy to
see the concept and design of that tableau. He not only admired the work but
also invited Bansi Parimu to Teen Murti over a cup of tea. In this
meeting, Parimu presented a painting to Nehru. Parimu did some large murals and
installations in the Middle East where he stayed for about two years during the
late seventies of the twentieth century. He worked in Oman and Muscat.
Doha, Dubai and some other places.
After experimenting with various forms, Parimu was
finally drawn towards abstraction. His abstracts are a combination of organic
designs, patterns, swirling shapes, colours, and steadfast consistencies.
This consistency is reflected in every painting and also in his entire
portfolio of work under this genre. In abstract art, Parimu demonstrates a
flair for green, blue, red and yellow colours that are warm and
conspicuous. And Parimu has never tried to infuse dullness in his
colours. In Parimu’s abstracts, you may not find recognizable
objects and given the habit of assigning meaning to what we see, we may end up
saying, ‘there is nothing to grasp or hold on to’ once we see his work. But
that is a layman’s generalization and not the truth. The truth is, that every
abstract that Parimu has done has its basis, form, colour, line, pattern,
composition and process. His work in this genre is an exploration of these
formal qualities meant to create a visual experience. And then reality is
subjective, and it’s up to a viewer to define it.
Bansi Parimu had also done a self-portrait and
an impressive portrait of his father. He was also commissioned by the
J&K Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages to draw portraits of some icons
of Kashmir in the fields of art, culture, and Politics. He did some
portraits for friends and relations. He also did some impressive portraits of
the members of UAE’s royal family.
In the wake of armed militancy in Kashmir, Bansi Parimu was forced to leave the valley and live as an exile. Leaving Kashmir was not easy for him. It meant moving away from a culture that evolved over five thousand years. No man is born twice and no man can live on memories. And no flowering and fragrant plant grows in the heat and dust of the alien lands should it be uprooted. Cobwebs of Apathy, Smeared Snows, The Red Divide, Red Knows No Creed, Flying Kangri, Exodus I, Exodus II, Charging Rams and many more are creations of this deep-rooted feeling of his homelessness and the bloodshed in his native land. The painful dislocation had a perceptible influence on his health and work. This period constitutes the last phase of his creative activity even when his hands were crippled by arthritis. His work during this phase shows a sudden transformation from the abstract concretization to the metaphor of ‘Homelessness and Exile’ presented through some figurative abstracts. An expression of pain, suffering, and solidarity with thousands driven out from the peaceful and salubrious environs of the valley and pushed to the heat and dust of the plains and made to start life from scratch remained his committed engagement during this phase. His work of the last phase ‘The Red Divide’ is a powerful portrayal of innocent women trapped in fires and a river of blood. Looking helpless and frightened, the Kashmiri women shown in the painting are wearing the traditional Taranga (headgear) and Pheran (cloak).
Bansi Parimu’s work is on display at various galleries
in India and abroad including the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi,
Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi (See Photo PA 19), Indian Academy of Fine
Arts, Amritsar and Contemporary Gallery of Art, Kolkata. His work is also on
display inside Delhi College of Art, the British Bank of Middle East (Dubai and
Kuwait) and the Hearst newspaper office (Cairo). Many foreign diplomatic
missions in India have Parimu’s paintings on display. Many private collectors
in India and abroad have fascinating Parimu abstracts. Some private hospitals
prominently display his work like the green abstract displayed in the cardiac
unit of Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai. His paintings were also used by UNESCO for
their cards. The Gallery of Modern Art, Chandigarh has his work on display. Two
paintings of Bansi Parimu were prominently displayed at the
J&K Governor’s house.
Bansi
Parimu’s work needs to be examined in various phases as it evolved. Parimu’s
artistic journey was aptly described by Shantiveer Kaul when this author
interviewed him at his Gurugram residence in 2018. He said:-
“Bansi
Parimu started with landscapes, experimented with cubism, moved to figurative
style and finally settled at pure abstracts. When he painted Kashmir, it always
had a deep cultural shade or story to convey. I mean his paintings like ‘Kathi
Darwaza’ or ‘Wailing Women ‘or ‘Tahar (Yellow rice) Distribution’ reflect
the culture of Kashmir. He had the material to impress artists on the national
scene. I have watched him at work. His long fingers used to wield the brush
like a violinist and surgeon combined in one. Unfortunately, those long fingers
got afflicted with arthritis once he returned from some Gulf assignment. After
the displacement from Kashmir, his last exhibition was held in Delhi. M.K.
Raina, the known theatre personality and I helped him to set up that exhibition
at the Sridharni Art Gallery. It was comparable to any greatest exhibition in
the world. Many people, artists and art connoisseurs
visited that exhibition.”
(M F Husain wrote on 01.01.2001 about Bansi Parimu ...Source … Jaya Parimu )
About his work well-known artist M F Husain wrote this:-
“A dedicated painter from Kashmir whom I came to know from my
early sixty visits. We became friends .His work gained stature. That could
reflect beauty and turmoil of Kashmiri people . The colour, the sound of its
landscape creates an orchestra of nature’s bounty . Parimu’s paintings keep
singing the song of creation that is Kashmir on our planet.”
(Morning scene at Kathi Darwaza by By Bansi Parimu.. Source …Jheelaf Parimu Razdan)
About Bansi Parimu’s art, Krishna Chaitanya writes this in his monumental book “A HISTORY OF INDIAN PAINTING – MODERN PERIOD (pages 247-248)’:-
“Late
Bansi Parimu created more complex forms. Linear forms that straddle the frame,
creating balancing directional thrusts. The areas of uniform colour have been
given soft, pearly finish and isolated by contouring which often suggest the
relief of cloisonné enamel but without the use of ridges of impasto. In other
areas, mottled effects and textures have been obtained in various ways: light
roll ring over the ground colour with a different one, using the back of the
brush for calligraphic arabesques, using the gauze overlays.”
About Bansi Parimu’s
abstracts, Wasim Mushtaq Wani writes this in his ‘Thesis on Modern Art in
Kashmir’:-
“Parimu
shares more with the classical formalists like Paul Klee or the Indian
abstractionists like Gaitonde, Shanti Dave and Jeram Patel. Except for the ungeometric and often
referential mode of Parimu’s paintings, his compositional arrangement is also
quite close to that of Prabhakar Kolte.”
(The Wailing Women by By Bansi Parimu.. Source …Jheelaf Parimu Razdan)
SHOWS EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS
The details of some key shows
and exhibitions held by Bansi Parimu are as under:-
1. Progressive Artists
Association Exhibition of 1952 in Srinagar.
2. J&K Artists Group
Exhibition in 1963.
3. Kashmir Art Society
Exhibition in 1957.
4. Five Painters, Srinagar
Exhibition in 1963.
5. Bombay and New Delhi
Exhibitions in 1964.
6 He
participated in many ‘All India Exhibitions’ from 1958 held at Srinagar,
Amritsar, Hyderabad, Kolkata
Mumbai,
and other places. He also joined the National Exhibition of Art/Lalit Kala
Akademi Exhibitions
regularly
from 1962
7
He participated in the ‘Indian Art Exhibition 1972’ held in San Francisco
(USA), The Third Triennale India (1974), ‘The International Exhibition of Art 1977’
held in Copenhagen, ‘The British Council Art Exhibition 1977’ held in Dubai, ‘The
LKA National Camp 1987’ held at Lucknow and ‘The Ankara Biennale 1988’ held in
Turkey. He held many one-man shows in Srinagar and outside the state. Some
important shows in this category are:-
A commemorative exhibition of Bansi Parimu’s work was organised by the Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi in February 1992. This show drew rave reviews in the national press. A commentary cum review on this show was written by noted art critic, Keshav Malik which was published in the Times of India on February 26, 1992.
His
family also held a ‘Retrospective Show’ of his work at the Nehru Centre, Kala
Ghorra, Mumbai in December 2001. This show was attended by many leading artists
and connoisseurs of art. The exhibition showcased various works of the artist
done in figurative and pure abstract language. It was widely covered by print
and electronic media.
Bansi
Parimu received ‘The 1955 Industrial
Exhibition (Srinagar) 1st Prize’, ‘The J&K Academy Exhibition 1st Prize’
(1960-1968-1969-1970 and 1971), ‘Madhya Pradesh Kala Parishad Award (1961)’,
‘Tagore Exhibition Award’ at Amritsar and
Kolkata (1961), ‘Indian Academy of
Art (Amritsar) Award’ (1961), ‘AIFACS,
New Delhi Award’ (1964), ‘Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata Award’ (1965). ‘Gold Medal and Governor’s
Award’ was presented posthumously to him in 1994
(Bansi Parimu with artist Sachida Nagdev in 1970. Photo source ... Jheeelaf Razdan Parimu )
EXILE AND DEATH
The armed militancy OF the 1990s brought days of darkness and gloom. It brought innumerable hardships, pain, and suffering for the common masses. Fear, death, destruction, and darkness defined Kashmir after 1990. Many young boys were sucked into this armed militancy resulting in lifelong pain to their parents. Smiles on the faces of many mothers were replaced by tears and sighs. Every day, one saw local newspapers full of resignations by mainstream political workers to save their lives. Posters that contained threatening messages to all the Kashmiris, were pasted on the walls throughout the valley. People were directed to follow the Islamic rules which included abidance by the strict Islamic dress code, total prohibition on alcohol and closure of cinemas and video parlours. Fear ruled and silenced all liberal voices. Fear made people submit to the diktats of the armed militants who directed them to wipe out the word INDIA from all the commercial signboards that were painted green. People were asked to reset their watches to the Pakistan Standard Time. Parimu finally decided to leave the valley. Jaya Parimu said this:-
“With the closure of schools and colleges in the Kashmir valley, the education of my daughters was badly hit. We left the valley for Jammu to ensure the continuity of the education of our children. We had never thought that we would not return to our house. My husband returned to Srinagar. He still hoped that things would change for the better. But that was not to be so. For days, he could not move out of his house. With no medicines, no petrol in the vehicle and total negativity in the air, he felt choked. Deaths and destruction made him restless. Most of his friends had moved out and there was no social interaction. Close friends suggested to him that he should leave Kashmir because anything could happen at any time. He lived alone with our trusted domestic help. And finally in June 1990, very reluctantly, he moved out. He was pained to see frightened Kashmiri Pandit children and women running for safety in trucks with suitcases and blankets. In Jammu, I asked him, ‘What have you brought along with you?’ He said, ‘I got some essentials, some paintings, and the car. I left all those expensive clothes, Pashmina, Persian carpet, and other valuables.’ He was depressed and wanted to go back. I had not received my salary. Banks in the valley were closed. Transferring money from the valley banks to Jammu was a tough job. Even if you had your money in Srinagar bank, there was no way to draw and use it. ‘Did you get your salary?’ He asked. I said, ‘no’. He had no money and sold his car in Jammu for twenty thousand rupees. I didn’t ask him anything. With that cash and our elder daughter Jheelaf, he left for Delhi. He was restless and in a shock.”
In Delhi, Bansi Parimu had many causes, many worries, and many involvements that left him with little time to attend to his ailments. Arthritis had already afflicted his hands and fingers. He was diabetic. The hot, humid and hostile climate of the plains had an adverse impact on him. Although he remained busy in Delhi yet his life was full of pain and restlessness. He had never lived in the hot and humid climate of the plains. He had to run for so many issues in the scorching heat or choking humidity. He was seen in the rallies of Kashmiri sufferers. Despite losing everything he never lost his objectivity and clarity. In the Times of India Interview that he gave to Shamsul Islam in July 1991 which was published by the newspaper on August 4, 1991, under the title ‘Donkeys Grazing on a Saffron Field’, he said this:-
“I am yet to settle down in Delhi. Most of my time is consumed in running from one place to another for ration card, gas, and admission of my daughter to a college. Rules don’t mention that migrants will arrive from Kashmir so the bureaucracy is insensitive.”
With an unhealed wound of exile, Bansi Parimu fell victim to many secondary health problems that cut short his life. A small neglected wound on his foot turned gangrenous. Even after amputation, he could not be saved. He was admitted to A.I.I.M.S. (New Delhi) on July 28, 1991, and he breathed his last within 24 hours. He was 58 years old at that time. On his death, Sabina Sehgal wrote in the Times of India on August 4, 1991:-
“Parimu will be long remembered for his unstinting support not merely to the cause of art and the artist, but also for his deep association with all the contemporary movements in the state. He was among the very few painters who voluntarily chose to stay in Kashmir despite being isolated from the mainstream, as it were. He never regretted his decision even though he was, in a sense, elbowed out and did not get the national recognition that he truly deserved.”
Noted artist Kashmiri Khosa had this to say:-
“For me, he was like a Guru. Long back, I met him in the Middle East perhaps in Dubai. He was intense in everything that he did. Intense for any cause and intense with colours. Always brilliant with colours and in conversation. Had he lived, he would have done wonders (Zinda rehtay to kamaal kartay). Unfortunately, he came to Delhi in very bad shape when he was uprooted from his homeland. Had it been in the sixties or seventies of the last century, he would have been among the top names in the world of art. He was politically aware and very much concerned about Kashmir which was close to his heart.”
The clouds of hate and distrust brought forth by the armed militancy in the Kashmir valley have disfigured the faces of all icons. For sure these clouds have to dispel one day and a new dawn has to usher in peace and happiness. At that time, will the Kashmiri society remember its real icons and their contribution? Will history remember them?
CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
- Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
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