PREM NATH DAR (1914- 1976)
Pem Nath Dar, Urdu writer and close confidant of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was married to Kumari Lalita Devi Bhat (name changed after marriage- Prem Pratima Dar) of Chaurasi Ghanta, Bazaar Sitaram, Delhi. The ancestors of Lalita Ji had migrated out from Kashmir during Afghan rule.
Sita Ram Bazar Delhi was the main settlement of Kashmiri Pandits who moved out during the dark days of Afghan rule in Kashmir. Though they served the Maharajas and the Nawabs of the United Provinces, Rajasthan, Punjab or Madhya Pradesh, they constructed large Havelis with gardens in Sita Ram Bazar ( Delhi) . Dhars, Atals, Kauls, Mushrans, Hukkus, Haksars, Bhatts, Zutishis, Kallas and Handoos stayed in this locality before shifting to Allahabad, Kanpur, Lahore, Lucknow, Rewa etc. Even Kamla Nehru was born as Kamla Atal ( Kaul ) in this locality in the famous Atal House. Her grandfather, Pandit Krishen Lal Kaul Atal had served the courts of Maharaja of Rewa, Jaipur and Jodhpur. Dr Jagat Mohini of Rattan Rani Hospital, Sathu Barbar Shah, Srinagar also belonged to the Atal family which had moved to Lahore from Sita Ram Bazar, Delhi. Another prominent building of Bazar Sita Ram was known as ' Swroop Narain Ki Haveli 'and belonged to the Haksar family. This locality was named after Diwan Sita Ram Zutshi. The Zutshis had a palatial Bungalow in this area apart from Jagir in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and some other places. Diwan Sita Ram Zutshi's son, Mohan Lal Zutshi, travelled to Europe, Central Asia and other countries during the British Raj.
In 1975, when Sheikh Abdullah signed the accord with the then prime minister of India Mrs Indira Gandhi, he remembered his old friend. The Sheikh recalled Prem Nath Dar to Srinagar to serve him as his Press and Publicity Advisor. Unfortunately, Prem Nath Dar died suddenly in September 1976 due to a massive heart attack. As an obituary, Shamim Ahmed Shamim, a former member of parliament from Srinagar ( writer and a brilliant journalist ) wrote a memorable write-up "Prem Nath Dar- Mera Yaar" (Prem Nath Dar- My Pal), in his Urdu newspaper "Ainaa" published from Srinagar.
Prem Nath Dar was born at Badiyar Bala , Srinagar in 1914. He was born in a locality that had the distinction of being home to many stalwarts in the fields of literature, art, social service and other arenas of public life. Eminent artists like Shiv Nath Raina, D N Walli, Mohan Raina, Som Nath Butt and, Bhushan Kaw were from this area. Noted musicians like Omkar Raina( Sitarist), Krishen Langoo( composer ) and Santoor player Tej Raina are from this locality. The noted playwright and broadcaster Bansi Nirdosh, writer and broadcaster Chaman Lal Hakhoo, scholar and writer Prof Ratan Lal Shant, community leader Pandit H N Jatoo, poet cum scholar Padma-shri Moti Lal Saqi, well-known perfume maker Govindh Joo Navdhara and many more prominent names in all walks of life were born in this locality. Some prominent landmarks in this locality were Lal Ded Memorial School ( now demolished) opened by stalwart poet Dina Nath Nadim, the ancient Ganesh Ji Temple on the bank of River Jhelum, Saint Bhagwan Gopi Nath Ji's Ashram at Kharyar and Govind Navdhars's famous perfume shop( closed since 1990). Badiyar Bala was the epicentre of the cultural and social life of Kashmiri Pandits before the turmoil of the 1990s.
( Lal Ded School Badiyar Bala)
( Badiyar Bala )
( Badiyar Bala Ghat) ( Ganpatyar Temple premises ) ( Ganesh Ji idol inside Ganpatyar Temple )
(Barbed wire entrance to Ganpatyar Temple after 1990)
( A house near Saint Gopinath Ji Ashram)
( Inside view of Saint Gopinath Ji Ashram)
( Kathleshwar Temple across the river )
( Govindh Navdhara Shop outside Ganpatyar Temple )
After completing his education, he joined hands with Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in his fight against Maharaja's rule. For this, he joined the National Conference party headed by the Sheikh. After his marriage, he shifted to Delhi and worked for the Statesman and Hindustan Times. He moved from newspapers to AIR and retired as the deputy director general in 1973. In Delhi ,he came closer to many literary stalwarts including Devendra Satyarthi, Josh Malihabadi, Arsh Malsiyani, Jagan Nath Azad, Sagar Nizami, and Rewati Sharan Sharma. He was also associated with the Progressive Writers movement and was closely associated with Ali Sardar Jafri, Syed Sajjad Zaheer, Rajinder Singh Bedi, and Krishen Chander.
Prem Nath Dar was a prominent writer of Urdu. His Urdu short stories like; Kaghaz ka Vasudev, Doodh, Uttarai, Aakh Thoo, Zanshirin, Gidh, Chadawa, Kofta, Neeli Aankhen, Geet Ke Chaar Bol, Paani se Gadha Lahu, Bhoot Pret, Faayada be Faayad Beech Andherey, Zindagi ke Ghoont, Neeli Botal, Dinon ka Pher, Tehalil Nafsee, Ghalat Phehami etc. became quite popular. These short stories were published in his collections titled “Kagaz Ka Vasudev” “Neeli Aankhen”, " Betaal Lamhe " and "Chinaron ke saaye mein". He also wrote some musical operas and plays.
His contribution towards creating and developing the Pamposh Colony in Delhi has been immense. The colony was meant to create a single settlement for such Kashmiri families residing in Delhi as had moved out of Kashmir in the early forties of the last century. The colony was given practical shape in the 1950s.
Prem Nath Dar was a great follower of the well-known saint Swami Nand Lal fondly known as Nand Bub by his disciples. Saint Nand Bub was a roaming
Mastaana, who was highly revered and respected in Kashmir. S Kashmiri Pandits in general and some Muslims in particular were his ardent
followers. Always restless, he exhibited traits of eccentricity. In
2009, Abdul Hamid Bakshi told me this:-
" My brother
Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad Sahib held
Nand Bub or Swami Nand Lal Ji in the highest esteem. I along with some common
friends would visit him. He visited my house once and immediately asked to be
taken to Pahalgham. With an Englishman's cap on his head, a tilak on his
forehead, a stick in his hand and sunglasses he sat on the front seat of the
car. We must have hardly reached Mattan when he asked to be brought back to
Srinagar. On return, he stopped near Sonawar and put some stones on a vacant
plot of land and cried loudly ' kaare
nek bungalow e khaas aamdani aamdani' ( good job to be performed . Special
Bungalow to be built that will give only
income ). Avtar Ji believe me when I say that after some years we decided to
construct Hotel Shangrila on that vacant piece of land. "
Due to his profession and his
literary activities, Prem Nath Dar made many friends mention of whom may fill
up at least five pages of this book. Any person who met him once was charmed by
his sincerity, truthfulness and straightforward nature. He hardly had any foe
but scores and scores of friends in print media, in broadcasting, in the artist
fraternity, among journalists, among poets and writers. Most of the ‘Progressive’
writers in Urdu and Hindi were his friends. Ali Sardar Jafri, Krishen Chander,
Makhdoom Moiuddin, Sahir Ludhianavi, K A Abbas, Sajjad Zaheer, Jagan Nath Azad,
Josh Maleehabadi, Arsh Malsiyani, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and many more knew him
personally and interacted with him.
From Kashmir, he remained an ardent
admirer of poet Dina Nath Nadim who shaped the contours of Modern Kashmiri
poetry. Prem Nath Dar was a close friend of writer Prem Nath Pardesi, poet cum
broadcaster Mir Ghulam Rasool Nazki, artist Som Nath Khosa, and bureaucrat Mir
Nassarullah (IAS).
Som Nath Khosa was a Delhi-based
artist known for his exceptional work on Gandhi Ji’s life. His paintings are
secured in many museums across the world. It was under Khosa’s guidance that
Prem Nath Dar’s daughter learnt art and became a portrait painter. Prem Nath
Pardesi was known as Prem Chand of Kashmir in the literary circles of the
country. He wrote many books in Urdu and served Radio Kashmir, Srinagar. It may
be recalled that Prem Nath Pardesi was the father of Padam-shri Som Nath Sadhu
former director of Radio Kashmir, Leh who had become a household name as Aagha
Saeb of feature programme Zoona Dab of yesteryears. Mir Ghulam Rasool Nazki was
a well-known poet, writer, thinker and broadcaster (Radio Kashmir, Srinagar)
from Kashmir. He belonged to a family known for erudition and scholarship.
Saint poet Master Zinda Kaul fondly known as Master Ji was another person whom
he held in the highest esteem. During his visits to Kashmir or during Master Ji’s
visits to Delhi, Prem Nath Dar would invariably see the saint-scholar and seek
his blessings. Mir Nassarullah (IAS) and former Chief Secretary of J&K
was also a close friend of Prem Nath Dar.
Prem Nath Dar remained in the good books of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Indira Gandhi. He was close to Durga Prasad Dhar, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad and many more national leaders.
So long so much.
( Avtar Mota)
( My special Thanks to Sh.Jag Prakash Dar son of Shri Prem Nath Dar for the photographs. )
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