VASUDEV REH :THE UNSUNG KASHMIRI POET

VASUDEV REH (1927-2001): THE UNSUNG POET, MUSICIAN AND SAINT

Edward Jenner‘s vaccine for smallpox arrived very late in Kashmir. It was a deadly disease that also caused blindness among Kashmiris. Many people lived unfortunate lives due to its complications. And poet Vasudev Reh was one. He was born at Mohalla Batapora, in Sopore. He contracted smallpox when he was two years old resulting in blindness. Pandit Balak Ram and his wife Raj Rani were shocked to see the plight of their toddler after an attack of smallpox. It was decided that the custody and care of the child be entrusted to Ganesh Das, a bachelor and younger brother of Balak Ram. Sonamaal, mother of Balak Ram and Ganesh Das also joined Ganesh Das in the upbringing of the child named Vasudev. The Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagwad Gita were regularly recited in the family and young Vasudev was attracted to these scriptures from his childhood. He was 12 years old when he was drawn towards poetry due to the predominant influence of Ganesh Das, his foster father upon him. Ganesh Das was a man of literary tastes well versed in the poetry of Lal Ded, Nund Ryosh, Rupa Bhawani, Parmanand, Arinmal, Habba Khatoon and Rahim Saeb Sopore. And Rugh Nath Kastoor (1923-1999), his elder brother and noted Kashmiri poet was also a great inspiration for young Vasudev. Kastoor has published three poetic collections. And till the age of 20, whatever young Vasudev created in the shape of poetry was lost as he couldn’t write or record it. It was only in 1947 that Vasudev started recording whatever he composed. His brothers fully supported him in this endeavour. It was during this period that he added Reh or Flame as his pen name. After that, he came to be known as Vasudev Reh. In 1947, he published his first poetic collection titled ‘Woozin’ (outpourings). The Pakistan-sponsored Tribal Raid disrupted everything. The family had to move out of Sopore Town. It took the family about 3 years to come out from the shock and loss inflicted by tribal raiders. From the late 1950s, Rattanrani Pandit wife of Vasudev’s younger brother took it upon herself to record and write whatever he composed. She recorded 'Shab Garud's' poems, a compilation that he published in 1968. Thereafter, he published Myaen Vatsan (1973) and Yaada Votur (1987).

 

Not many among us know that Vasudev Reh was a trained musician. Although he did not join any educational institution or school, he attended Blind Home in Srinagar for two years (1973 to 1975 ). He passed 11th class from the State Board of Secondary Education Srinagar and also qualified Bhushan from the University of Kashmir.  He qualified Sangeet Visharad in 1986 from Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh. He could sing, play on harmonium and some more musical instruments. Apart from that he had good knowledge of Indian classical Music and Raagmala. In 1983, he opened a Music school (Vitasta Music School) in Sopore to educate students. This was perhaps the first of its kind school in the entire Nortn Kashmir. The certificate awarded by the school was recognized by the Government of Jammu And Kashmir.

His memory was his greatest tool. In a Mushaira, he would read extempore. For some time (1981-1983), he taught at the “School of Unsighted Girls “in Srinagar as an honorary teacher. Money never remained a priority for him. Apart from music, and literature, Vasudev had good knowledge of the Unani System of Medicine. For some time, he also practised Hikmat or Unani medicine. His uncle Sarwanand Pandit (Kaul) was a well-known practitioner of Unani medicine. Sarwanand Kaul was the father of Hriday Kaul Bharati, Umesh Kaul and Bhushen Kaul.

POETRY OF VASUDEV REH

It was possibly 1975 or 1976. A Mushiara was held at Vishwa Bharati College, Rainawari. Dina Nath Nadim, Rehman Rahi, Ghulam Nabi Firaq, Vasudev Reh, Radhe Nath Masarat and many more poets attended this Mushiara. This author saw Nadim (who presided over the event) telling the audience that two more Nadims are in the poetic field today. One is from Maraaz (South) and the other is from Kamraaz (North). He meant Radhey Nath Masarat and Vasudev Reh. As a matter of fact both the poets had imagery, diction, and modernism that resembled Nadim. One could easily identify them as different from the flock of poets. Reh is a poet of Gazal, Nazam and Geet .Reh uses a style that is expressive yet unassuming to convey his experience. He also uses poetry to forecast events. Sometimes, his poems appear as lyrical expressions of awakening. Through his poetry, Reh also conveys the loneliness weighing on his mind. His poetry comes as a breath of fresh air in terms of its diction, imagery and word usage generally set against the individual's helplessness.  Sometimes one finds his poems a concoction of philosophy, spirituality and modernism. Quite often, he takes his readers to the depths of introspection embarking on a journey through the enigmatic landscape of the human mind. These poems may touch on identity, self-awareness, and the eternal quest for understanding. With intricate language and philosophical musings, these verses inspire readers to ponder the vastness and intricacies of human experiences. Some poems of Reh also demonstrate his passionate search for the Ultimate Reality although he doesn’t use religious cryptograms and metaphors. In any case, Reh remains an underexplored poet although his poems are like windows into the human condition, reminding us that our experiences are not isolated but shared. They transcend cultural, geographical, and temporal boundaries, forging connections between individuals separated by time and space. A sample could be this:-

‘Who was the first that revealed,

masked,

the truth or its appearance?

Say, do you know whose manifestation this all is?

Reh, who understands you?

A long tale, that.

A word brings out the whole meaning.

A whole life spent in finding one.

Say, do you know

Who knows that all,

Shares that all.”

( From poem,’ The Anguish’ translated into English by Jawahar Raina)

Reh uses Hindi words and does not rely on heavy Persianised vocabulary. In his book, ‘Mahjoor And After’, Trilokinath Raina has included Reh’s The Anguish ‘translated into English by Jawahar Raina.

“Guv ti Pathkun yi Pathkun gatchhun shoobihe

Roodhmut bhor me halmas ta tsaarun hyotum

Zan na phikri torum zan vitchaarun hyotum”

 

(Whatever had to vanish into memory did vanish

I kept looking for what remained in my hands

And tried to clean it.

As if I didn’t understand the happening

Or as if I was contemplating upon the events that happened,)

 

“Myani Ashvaani yina khor bodan bulbulas

Jaai rozes kathan jaanawaran andhar

Myan vosh yuth na vaavas ralanTrahri nabh

 rudh kani vaali rath navbahaaran andhar”

 

( Let my tears not soak the paws of the bulbul

Let him not become the topic of discussion among the birds,

Let my breaths not join the breeze

In that event, even the sky up above may get frightened,

And the blood may pour instead of rain from up above.)

 

“Phir phir Dohraavi Praen Vatsan

Path Kaalik Vanimet Laen Vatsan

Mastaanan hind Mastaanen Vatsan

Dohraavith Dil Tambhlavun Pyav

Kas kotah Kyah Vytraavun Pyav

Kya Bhaavun Kyah Shropraavun Pyav”

 

(We repeated those old songs of sorrow

Those songs of old times,

the songs of our ill luck

The vagrant songs of vagrant men

Every repeat of those songs

 kept the temptation alive.

How can I tell you what and how

we endured individually.

I can't tell you how much we disclosed

 and how much we suppressed.)

 

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

This author vividly remembers how in 1986, literary circles in the Kashmir valley were agog with a rumour that Reh was the next recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award. When a friend conveyed this to Reh, he was neither happy nor sad. He had told the person. ‘I don’t need Awards or recognition. I write what I feel and I thank my readers and listeners who come in large numbers to my Mushiara to listen to my poetry. What more award is needed when people shower their love and affection? Unfortunately, he was dropped. He had no regrets. A simpleton like him couldn’t understand behind the scene manipulations, recommendations and lobbying done for these awards. However, during the stewardship of Prof. Nilamber Dev Sharma in 1968, the J&K Academy of Arts And Languages awarded him a prize for his collection ‘Shab Garud ‘. Sahitya Akademi also published a compilation of his select poems translated into English his poems. In every Mushaira or poetic gathering, the audience would request him to recite his popular poem ‘Hosha Hosh’ from Shab Garud.

DISPLACEMENT FROM HIS PLACE OF BIRTH

The displacement from his motherland came as a rude shock to Vasudev Reh. He moved to Jammu and later shifted with his relatives to Mayur Vihar, New Delhi. His poetry also took a different turn. Exile entered his verses. Longing, and feelings of loss, displacement, and nostalgia, started appearing in his poems post-1990. Saying goodbye to Marxism, he expressed the pain and the suffering of his people more specifically Kashmiri Pandits. Agnishekhar has included two poems (Janjha and Koel) of Vasudev Reh in his book,’ Hum Jalawattan ‘which has poems from Kashmiri poets on Exile consciousness. Agnishekhar adds this:-

“Vasudev Reh is a great poet.  I believe he didn’t change his poetic stance after 1990 but his poems before 1990 his premonition of the events that unfolded in the Kashmir valley. This premonition changed to Exile Consciousness after 1990. I believe his poem ‘Shab Garud’ (The Night Watchman) is a warning to be careful although apparently, it has a general perspective.”

One can’t but agree with Agnishekhar as Reh’s below lines composed before 1990 reinforce this belief.

“Yina kana ḍol diyiv krakh boozith, raai gatshėv assi kyaasa he

 Yina zaaniv yi chhu par aalav, assi paan rachhav, asi kyaasa he

Yaamath kaanh gatshi naarah dith, yina tohi baasyava assi kyaasa he

Myaany yėhay krakh shahran gaaman hosha hosh

Aalav myon iyi shaaman shaaman hosha hosh”

 

(Don’t neglect to pay heed to my call

Don’t say it doesn’t concern us, why bother?

Don’t try to treat me as a stranger

And save yourself from my call and say

‘it doesn’t concern us, why bother’.

Till someone puts our everything on fire

Don’t keep repeating say,’ It doesn’t concern us, why bother.’

My message is loud for our cities and villages

My call will be there every evening

Every evening I shall cry,’ Be aware ‘.)

(2)

“ Kaansi ma booz akashvaani

Naar zchhat traavi shehjaar zchhariv

Hey yi kus ba vanaan nav kahaani

‘Yeervin naavi  baeth taar chaariv’”

 

(Did anybody hear the celestial announcement from the sky,

The sky is about to send winds of blaze all around

Look for the shady place

Who is there who says this new story that

The aimless flowing boats should

look for the safety of the shores now .)

 

VASUDEV REH’S HOUSE IS DESOLATE AND CRUMBLING

                                                                                               

( The crumbling  house of Vasudev Reh  in Sopore...Photo Courtesy ...Artist Bhushen Kaul )

Vasudev Reh’s house at Batapora in Sopore town has many stories to tell. The residents of this desolate house moved out in 1990 to save their lives and honour. In another country, in another setup, this house would have been preserved as a monument. This house produced stalwarts like writer Hriday Kaul Bharati, writer broadcaster Umesh Kaul, artist Bhushen Kaul, poet Vasudev Reh, poet Rugh Nath Kastoor, poet Veshnath Vishwas and saintly personalities like Mansa Ram, Balak Nath, Sarwanand,  Ganesh Das and many more. Some saintly residents of this house were teachers or Hakeems engaged in treating the sick freely and spreading the light of knowledge and education. Today, this   house cries loud:-

                                           

‘Hum to jaise yahaan ke thay hi nahin

Be-amaan  thay amaan ke thay hi nahin

Hum ke hain teri dastaan yaksar

Hum teri dastaan ke thay hi nahin

Ho teri khaak e aastaan ko salaam,

Hum teray astaan ke thay hi nahin ‘…….( Jaun Elia )

 

Reh practised the concept of detached attachment enumerated in the Bhagwad Gita in his personal life. He had no enemies and no close friends. “na kahoo se dosti na kahoo se bair’ remained his guiding principle during the worldly journey. He shunned interviews and avoided being photographed. During his last days, he carried a deep hurt of living in exile in the heat and dust of the plains. A   bachelor, Reh died in exile in 2001. He remains unsung and forgotten although his poem ‘Shab Garud’ achieved immortality.

( Avtar Mota) 

( This essay is a registered copyright material published in Avtar Mota's book, 'The Shining Stars Of Foggy Nights   )

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