TEARS AND SMILES HIDDEN IN FIVE ANNECDOTES FROM KASHMIR

                                        

 ( The blogger with well-known theatre artist Makhan Lal Saraf)

              ( Bhaand Pathar  artists at a performance ) 

(1)

THE INDIA -PAKISTAN  CRICKET MATCH AND KASHMIRIS

When India lost the match, the street urchins danced in Mallapora, Rainawari. Suddenly, two boys picked up stones and flung them on the galvanised tin sheets of the roof of Roshan Lal’s house. Chanda Jigir, his wife, opened the window and cried:-

“Why are you throwing stones at our roof when Pakistan won the match? You should be happy and enjoying.”

One urchin replied:-

“Bhabi, we are not against you.  We are happy and excited.  “

When India won the match, Ali Tailor closed his shop at midday with this shock. He threw the transistor set on the road and the boys cried, “Imran Khan Murdabaad". Imran Khan was the then-captain of the Pakistani cricket team. The boys proceeded towards the nearby house of Roshan Lal. They picked up two stones and flung them on the galvanised tin sheets of the roof of Roshan Lal’s house. Chanda Jigir, his wife, opened the window and cried:-

“What will the Indian team give us? Why do you throw stones at our houses? “

The street urchin replied:-

“Please close your windows and sit inside. We don’t want to hit you. In the morning, Roshan Lal had said to Ali Tailor that India would win the match. You get all the information in advance. We want to break that secret wireless set hidden in your house?”

(2)

COMMEMORATING KASHYAP  BANDHU IN PHERAN AND NERIWAAR

The Camp School of the exiles organised a programme on Kashyap Bandhu, a leader of the Kashmiri Pandits known for  spearheading  the Social Reform Movement in the community. The children, mostly girls, presented a dance drama wearing traditional Pherans. Someone from the audience cried:-

“Stop this. This is not a real tribute to Bandhu Ji. He had started an aggressive ‘Social Reform’ movement before 1947, as a result of which Kashmiri women discarded Pheran and Neriwaar and shifted to Sari. He led the Sari movement. And you are reviving the Pheran for our women, discarded under the leadership of Bandhu Ji.”

Someone from the organising committee replied on the microphone:-

“As exiles, we have to revive all the discarded rituals, customs and traditions.”

A girl from the troupe wearing the Pheran and presenting the dance drama came to the microphone and said:-

“Sir, it is difficult for us to dance in Pheran and Taranga. It is very hot and unbearable. Can’t we present the dance drama wearing Shalwar Kameez?

(3)

 ALL ARE LEADERS HERE

When Kishen Ji saw an assembly of Kashmiri Pandits outside the Press Club, Jammu, he forgot he had come to collect monthly medicines from the nearby CGHS dispensary. He also joined  the gathering. He was the chairman of the 'Jal Shakti Party (Hand Pump cell).  Exchanging pleasantries, he suddenly stood up and said,” Listen, friends, we must strive for our rights. Our goal is not far off. We are almost there. Tomorrow we are meeting the Relief Commissioner. Thereafter, we shall hold a Press Conference. You will come to know all through our party’s Publicity Secretary after two days. I have to be brief as we are having a book release function today at 4 pm in K L Saigal Hall. Jawahar Zabardast is releasing his latest poetic collection,’ Kul Ta Coolie “. It is good to see poets emerging from all corners of the community after 1990. Tomorrow we are having the 10^th day assembly of Karamyogi Onkar Nath at Muthi Ghat. Day after tomorrow, we are busy with the Hawan and Prasad distribution. So see you after two days here only.”

A young boy got up from the gathering and said, “You are addressing leaders. All assembled over here are leaders. We are waiting for the media to arrive to give individual press statements from each party in that room. We have been advised to wait outside and enter one after the other for the media. There is one common issue upon which all of us have agreed, and that is pooling money for the entertainment of the media. We will give statements that suit our party and our interests. There is no audience here; only leaders.”

(4)

RAY OF LIGHT THAT GANDHI JI SAW IN KASHMIR

A prominent political leader from Kashmir said this:-

“In 1947, Gandhi Ji saw Kiran (ray of light) in Kashmir as the rest of India was caught in communal frenzy. “

A refugee living in Muthi (Jammu) tented accommodation said this:-

 “I wish Gandhi Ji had visited Kashmir in 1990 to see the actual Kiran (ray of light). The Kiran of 1990 was used to torch houses of Pandits, burn bridges and educational institutions. The candles lit with the Kiran of 1990 were used for plundering deserted houses of Kashmiri Pandits at night. The Kiran was carried by some brokers to Jammu, who put all pressure on the tented Kashmiri Pandit exiles to execute “Power of Attorneys” empowering them to grab their property for peanuts. "

(5)

THE QUESTION OF FOUR MILLIONS IN KASHMIR

The Public

They cried this in the rallies before and after the elections:-

“Zindabaad me haz bus chonuai sreh

Zindabaad tse pyokha, adha haz pe”… (Poet Dina Nath Nadim)

 

(Zindabaad! I have a deep attachment to you alone,

Zindabaad! Have you lost? Then get lost.)

 (First line before elections and second line after the results were out.)

 The Leader

 The leader was asked many questions and he said this:-

 “How many people are with you?’

“Four million “

“How many are with your rival?”

“Four million “

“How many want to live in India?”

“Four million “

How many want Pakistan?”

“Four million “

“How many want Azadi?”

“Four million “

“What is the population of this place? “

“Four million “

(Avtar Mota)

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GHULAM QADIR GANDERBALI (1911-1970) …THE FORGOTTEN POLICE OFFICER

                                                                     

                                                                             

GHULAM QADIR GANDERBALI (1911-1970) …THE FORGOTTEN POLICE OFFICER

 

He was the first police officer from Kashmir to be inducted into the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1958, for his work and reputation. Born into a family of wealthy landlords from Ganderbal, he joined the police service in 1930 as a sergeant during the rule of Maharaja Hair Singh and rose to the post of Deputy Inspector General of Police.

                                         

                                  ( Maharaja Hari Singh, Sheikh Abdullah and Nehru )

In 1947, during the 'Tribal Raid' in Kashmir, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah formed the Peace Brigade, nicknamed ‘Khuftan Fakirs’ by Kashmiris.  The Peace Brigade was formed by National Conference to instill confidence in masses after the breakdown of law and order when Tribal Raiders attacked Kashmir and Maharaja was advised by *GOI emissary ( V P Menon ) to leave Kashmir immediately handing over power to  National Conference leadership which was already in close touch with Indian National Congress leadership headed by Jawahar Lal Nehru. They were also nicknamed 'Kuntreh Pandaah' as every member of the brigade was paid a net salary of Rs. 29 and 15 Anna. From a salary of Rs. 30 per month, one Anna was deducted for a stamped receipt. During the turbulent days of the 'Tribal Raid ' in Kashmir, the ‘Khuftan Fakirs’, equipped with wooden dandas (Hatab wood ), knives, and axes, marched through Srinagar city to maintain peace and dispel fear from the minds of locals. Once ‘Tribal Raid’ was over, the Peace Brigade was not disbanded. From 1947-1953, Sheikh Abdullah, as ruler of J&K, crushed political dissent through this ‘Peace Brigade’ or ‘Khuftan Fakirs’. As per orders of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, It was this Peace Brigade who got ex-PM of J&K, Ramchandra Kak, tied to ropes, and paraded half-naked on the streets of Lal Chowk. The Peace Brigade was managed by the topmost leaders of NC under the command of Sheikh Abdullah. With his dismissal on 9th August 1953, the ‘Khuftan Fakirs' came under the direct control of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, the new PM of J&K. Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad also utilised the services of the’ Peace Brigade’ against his political opponents, pro-Pakistani elements and members of the Plebiscite Front. He made Ganderbali head of “Special Staff” or “Khuftan Fakirs”. Ganderbali proved tough with anti-India groups and pro-Pakistan individuals during the rule of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad.

                                                                          

        ( Sadr e Riyasat Dr Karan Singh  presenting a Medal to Gandherbali )

                                   

                    ( Sheikh Abdullah in Pakistan with Ayub Khan )

                                           

                         ( Sheikh Abdullah with Nehru ) 

                             ( Khuftan Fakirs  or Peace Brigade ) 

 

As DIG of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Ganderbali played a key role during one of the state’s most politically charged atmospheres. He also served in the CID, fiercely working to counter propaganda from Radio Azad Kashmir in POK against India and Kashmiri mainstream leadership. This radio station also started a campaign of vilification against Ganderbali with a false propaganda-based programme saying that he was putting hot potatoes into the mouths of anti-India and pro-Pakistan elements and also rolling hot iron on their bellies. There were allegations of torture and rough treatment by some pro-Pakistan groups and members of the Plebiscite Front against him within Kashmir. Some senior police officers have refuted all these allegations as exaggerated. Capt. S K Tikoo, who knows the family of Ganderbali, has this to inform:-

 

“The stories of third-degree torture by Ghulam Qadir  Ganderbali are highly exaggerated and emerged mostly from local propaganda by vested interests and  Radio Azad Kashmir based in POK. Some pro-Pakistan elements in Kashmir tried to demonise him. Ganderbali’s visible ruthlessness was his sudden appearance at a Paan shop in the evening, where a motley crowd would be listening to Pakistan news, and whereat he would make good use of his baton, and the radio set would be silenced forever.”

                                                                        

( **Ganderbali in white jacket with L D Thakur IGP in Lal Chowk, Srinagar )

                                          

                                      ( Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad with Mohammad Rafi )

Ganderbali was also a member of the Constituent Assembly and a supporter of landmark land reforms under Sheikh Abdullah, backing the “Land to the Tillers” movement and criticising feudal exploitation. This is what he spoke in the Constituent Assembly:-

 

“The poor peasant, with his family, toils hard in the field, grows crops and provides a chance for the landlord to attain a high position. He has grabbed the tillers income. The latter remained poor, naked or without food while the former has made himself rich and fat. Sher I Kashmir has, after taking all these facts into account, raised the slogan of ‘Land to the Tillers’. This slogan reached every corner of our land. This slogan appealed to the poor, oppressed, and downtrodden peasants, who are in the majority in our country. Their deepest feelings were stirred, and they felt conscious of the fact that they did not enjoy the status of human beings. Despite his own and his family’s hard labour in the field throughout the year, he is unable to obtain two square meals and an hour of leisure. The peasant realised that the fruit of his labour was being usurped and that moral and human status was being denied to him. They became conscious. By and by liberation movement gained strength. The peasant was inspired. The feudal Government tried to curb them, but they knew how to defend themselves, and so they went ahead. The tillers were put to forced labour (Baigar) in Gilgit, Ladakh, Bonii and Banihal frontiers, and 90% of them would not return because they were treated as animals and beasts.”

                                                                            

                                    ( Members of the Constituent Assembly of J&K )

 

He loved music more specifically Kashmiri Sufiana music. He was married to Raj Begum, a celebrated Kashmiri singer, and was the inaugural recipient of the Police Medal for Gallantry in J&K State. In his book, “Guns Under My Chinar “, A M Wattali writes this:-

 

“Sheikh Ghulam Qadir Ganderbali raided the premises of the Rajas of Zachaldara and Rajpura -the Jagirdars (feudatories of Maharaja) who were quintessential the harbingers of sowing the seeds of sedition and secession in Jammu and Kashmir by siding with Pakistan in getting arms and ammunition into the erstwhile state.”

 

Other Notable Achievements

 

( 1)

He led the police team that arrested Munawar, the notorious Pakistani trans-border criminal hiding with lethal arms somewhere in the Gulmarg hills. The government of Pakistan had declared an award of Rs50000/= for the arrest or elimination of Munawar. When the Pakistan government decided to give him the award, he declined, saying that he could not accept awards from an enemy country.

(2)

In 1953, as an investigating police officer, he built a foolproof case against Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Mirza Afzal Beg. He gathered some crucial evidence. Through secret Pakistani support, the Plebiscite Front had also sought help from Dingle Foot, the noted criminal lawyer from England. Dingle Foot is reported to have told Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Mirza Afzal Beg that the investigating police officer had built a foolproof case against them, and their chances of winning the battle were dim. Dingle Foot also cross-examined Ganderbali for 2 hours as the chief investigator of the case, but didn’t succeed.

(3)

 He was the main support of B N Mullick, who investigated the Hazratbal Conspiracy case relating to the theft of holy relics from the Hazratbal shrine. Ganderbali was made part of the SIT to investigate the theft of the holy relic. He also played a key role in the recovery of the holy relic and the maintenance of law and order.

 

Sheikh Ghulam Qadir Ganderbali reportedly worked for 14 hours a day. This strenuous lifestyle played havoc with his health. He caught tuberculosis and had to be shifted to AIIMS, New Delhi, where he breathed his last on February 21, 1970. Mrs Indira Gandhi (PM) and Y B Chavan (HM) visited him in the hospital, and also came to the airport when his body was taken to Srinagar for the last rites. 

 

(Avtar Mota )

PS

*

From the book," The Essays Which That Change Your Beliefs ", ...Extract from the interview of Capt Dewan Singh ADC to Maharaja Hari Singh with this blogger:- 

“As Maharaja came to know about the Tribal Raid, he wanted to lead his troops from the front like a true Kshatriya. Inside Srinagar Palace, during those crucial days of October 1947, one day, I saw the Maharaja in battle dress. He called his officers and asked us to be ready for any sacrifice to save our motherland. It was only Brigadier Rajinder Singh who stood like a rock and stopped the Maharaja from visiting Uri and leading troops to stop the advancing tribal raiders. I disagree with the popular belief that Maharaja ran away at night to save his life. Let me make it clear that during those critical days, the Maharaja‘s mind was only focused on driving away the raiders and saving his state and the people. He never thought of leaving Kashmir. He was very firmly asked to, or better say, directed to move out of the valley immediately by Mr V P Menon, who suddenly flew to Srinagar one day with the draft of the accession document. The painful decision to leave was reluctantly taken during the afternoon of the same day. It was 25th October 1947. And we left during the night at 2 a m the same day. Sheikh Abdullah had sought assurance from Pandit Ji that the Maharaja would leave Srinagar before the formation of the popular Government once the instrument of accession was signed. And Pandit Ji did not want to annoy Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah."

**

See Photo no 3 from the bottom ...Ghulam Qadir Ganderbali in a white short jacket with LD Thakur, IGP. They are in Lal Chowk. Alied Charagdin Sons was a transport company running Srinagar Rawalpindi Buses, later Jammu Srinagar buses. The company was closed in the 1960s after SRTC took over the entire passenger transport movement on the Banihal Cart Road.

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BROAD BEANS OR FAVA BEANS OR WINDSOR BEANS OR BOGLA DAAL AND KASHMIRIS..

                                             

                                           

BOGLA DAAL.... BROAD BEANS OR FAVA BEANS   or WINDSOR BEANS AND KASHMIRIS..

"Ha'taa bi ! Amiss di chana bogla ras..Amiss iyee hyass hue ..."

" O lady! Give him soup of dry broad beans mixed with gram.He will have some energy"

This is what was recommended to my mother by Prem Nath Koul" wafa"  RMP .Along with Shamboo Nath Sathu RMP , he did  roaring practice from his medical shop near Jogi Lanker Bridge. No gossip monger was allowed to sit in the shop . Pandits and Muslims of Rainawari  would visit this shop. I would always see sick persons being  brought  from interior localities of Dal  Lake( in roofless boats) to this shop.The doctors in this shop were assisted by a trusted compounder cum helper known as  Mohi ud Din . Mother had taken me to Prem Nath Wafa's shop after I had recovered from an attack of typhoid and was feeling extremely weak and emaciated. Those days only tea or some liquids were allowed to typhoid patients. I loved the Daal made from chana (gram)and Bogla(broad beans). It used to have a different taste.Something like mutton soup. Mother would add a spoon of Jammu Khaalis Ghee that was the preferred and branded /Agmark Desi Ghee in the market those days.

Bogla Daal was sold in plenty by Galdhaars (traders in pulses and grains) in the  Kashmir valley . Doctors recommended its soup during sickness. It was the first choice of doctors and Hakeems  to patients who had fever, typhoid, jaundice and other ailments.Grown in many areas of the Kashmir valley especially Karewas( plateaus) ,it was a cheap  source of protein for the poor.A recent study on broad Beans published in" European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition " informs this :-

" Broad beans are an excellent vegetable source of protein and fibre. This may be a winning combination for weight loss.  Broad beans are also rich in both folate and B vitamins, which we need for nerve and blood cell development, cognitive function and energy."

As I grew, I found people developing a distaste for Bogla Daal and strangely linking it with poverty and backwardness.And I have found that post exile, Kashmiri Pandits have started consuming it once more .Plenty of Bogla Daal is sold in Jammu now .You can buy it from Prasad Koul And sons Gole pulli TalabTillo, Kangan Spices Udhaywala, Ram Sham Provision Store Rehari,  Jain Masala Store located at  Pacci Dacci and Pucca Graat ,Talab Tillo . I saw Fava beans at many stores in the US. The Kalustyan's  store on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan sold one  lb packet of dry Fava beans @ 8 US Dollars .You get them in tins as well ; something ready to cook .

(Avtar Mota)

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NO PURPOSE NOW TO LOOK BACK AT THE GARDEN

                                          

 ( The deserted House of a Kashmiri Pandit in Kashmir ) 

VO SHAAKH HI NA RAHI JO THI AASHIYAAN KE LIYE ..

"Palat ke soo e chaman dekhne se kya hoga

Vo shaakh hi na rahi jo thi aashiyaan ke liye..."

(Looking back at the garden  is not going to serve any purpose,

The branch that had our nest is nowhere in the garden now .)

( Avtar Mota )              

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MOTHER , CHILD AND FIRAQ GORAKHPURI ‘S SENSITIVITY

                                     

                       ( Mother and child )

      ( Firaq with guests in his Allahabad house)

MOTHER  ,  CHILD  AND FIRAQ GORAKHPURI ‘S  SENSITIVITY 

 Firaq's mother died from some complications during  the birth of Raghupati Sahai Firaq Gorakhpuri. The absence of mother had an enormous impact on the personality of child Firaq .Firaq wrote a poem on his mother .I quote some lines from  this poem:- 

“Woh maa me jis se sharaarat ki daad paa  na saka

Me jis ke haathon mohabbat ki maar Kha na saka

Woh maa jo doodh bhi apna mujhe pila na saki

Woh maa jo haath se apne mujhe khila na saki 

Woh maa gale se jo  mujh ko kabhi laga na saki 

Woh maa jo dekhate hi mujh ko muskara na saki

Woh maa ke beench ke jis ko kabhi me so na saka

Me jis ke aanchalon mein munh chhupa ke ro na saka

Humak ke godh mein jis ke me kabhi charr na saka

Me zer e saaya  e umeed jis ke barr na saka

Sanwaara jis ne na meray jhandole baalon ko 

Basa saki na jo honthon se sooney gaalon ko

Jo meray haath se ek din dawa bhi pi na saki 

Ki mujh ko zindagi  dene mein jaan hi dhe di”

( Firaq  Gorakhpuri)

Aane waali naslein tum par naaz kareingi hum-asron

Jab unn ko yeh dhyaan aayega “tum ne Firaq  ko dekha tha“....( Firaq  Gorakhpuri )

Posterity will be proud of you , O , men of my time,

When they come to think : “ You had seen Firaq  “

(Avtar Mota  )

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THE SANATAN PRAYER

                                           

THE SANATAN PRAYER

Every Pooja ,Archana, Aarti or Homa done in a Sanatani  family ends with four lines. These lines define the inclusive and lofty   humanism of  Sanatan Dharma. Dharma in English can be understood as a concept that encompasses both religious and moral duties, as well as the principles of the universe and individual's purpose.

“धर्म की जय हो 

अधर्म का नाश हो 

प्राणियों में सद्भावना हो 

विश्व का कल्याण  हो "

(Dharam ki jai ho

Adharam ka naash ho

Praaniyon mein sadh-bhavana ho

Vishav ka kalyaan ho )

" May the travellers on the  

path of righteousness  become victorious , 

Let all  evildoing  vanish from our world ,

May  all living beings live   in goodwill,

May the  world prosper ! "

WHAT  IS  DHARMA  ?

In the text Manusmriti, dharma has been conceptualised as a creation of 'divine power' established on the idea of religion and spirituality for the execution of 'right duties' in all aspects of human life.Dharma is defined in Manusmriti as something that is based on ten solid foundations .

1. Dhrti (patience)

2. Ks’ama (forgiveness)

3. Dhama (self-control)

4. Asteya (non-stealing)

5. Shaoca (cleanliness)

6. Indriyanigraha (control over Indriyas)

7. Dhii (benevolent intellect)

8. Vidya’ (  knowledge)

9. Satyam (benevolent truthfulness )

10. Akrodha (non-anger)

In essence, "dharma" is a multi-faceted concept that encompasses duty, righteousness, virtue, and the principles of the universe. It's not simply a translation of "religion," but rather a broader principle that guides individual actions and the way the world operates.

In Upanishads, the concept of dharma continues as universal principle of law, order, harmony, and truth. It acts as the regulatory moral principle of the Universe.

If Dharma is attached to any object or relation , that too becomes sacred . It can be  Dharam-shala ,Dharam-patni,Dharam-sthaan, Dharam-kshetra ,Dharam braata, and many more .

The last two lines of this four line prayer reveal the all inclusive concept of Sanatan Dharma. Not only human beings but all the  living creatures (humans, birds, animals and all creatures)  are covered in the broader vision of  Sanatan  Dharma and a prayer is made so that they may live in peace, amity and goodwill. A prayer wishing welfare of the entire  world. Not community specific. Not sect specific .And not caste or colour or religion specific . This prayer is made for all Praanis (living creatures)  on this planet. It is certainly lofty and representing high ideals of humanism. The  Santanis say this prayer  everyday in their homes, temples and gatherings .This prayer is the core message of Vedas, Upanishads ,and Bhagvad Gita .

( Avtar Mota )

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DR NAJMA HEPTULLA (Born 1940 ) IN KASHMIR

                                       

DR NAJMA HEPTULLA (Born 1940 ) IN KASHMIR

( Left To Right ...   Abdul Aziz or Aziz Tourist ,  Dr Najma Heptulla  , Mr  Vithal Bhai Patel  MP from Ahemdabad , Bal Kavi Bairagi well known Hindi poet and  MP from Sagar (MP) and a  functionary of Congress party from kashmir  )

( Photo clicked  by Avtar Mota year 1985 )

For the first time  , I came across the word  “Heptullah  ”  in an  Urdu  write up  on actor Shyam  by   Saadat Hasan Manto . Manto  was fascinated and amused with this surname  . Infact he had read it in a newspaper . 

“ What a surname ? ”Manto would often think about  this word . 

In Mumbai , where he worked as script cum story  writer for some  film production houses , he  even   suggested to  director  Kamal Amrohi   to use it  somewhere in  dialogues for  his movie MAHAL ( under production at Bombay Talkies ) .  Manto’s friends  namely  Ashok Kumar , actor Shyam ,Hasrat Ludhianavi  were also amused with this surname. Between close friends of Manto and Shyam, Heptullah, the new word    gained   sufficient popularity .  After the partition  of the country ,when Manto left  permanently   for Lahore  ,  actor Shyam came to see him off.  When Manto was about to depart , he looked towards Shyam and  said :-

 “”HEPTULLAH ”

And Shyam answered :-

 “HEPTULLAH ”

(  This fact  appears  in chapter on actor Shyam  in the  book  “Saadat Hasan Manto – Stars from Another sky - The Bombay Film World of The 1940 -Essays of Manto translated into English by Khalid Hassan Publishers Penguin Books India Pvt . Ltd. )

 I also  became familiar with this surname when I heard about Najma Heptullah . She got this surname after her marriage with  Akbar Ali A. Heptullah  In 1966 ( Died in 2007 ). Akbar Ali Heptullah was one of the founders of Patriot  newspaper ( founded in 1960 )  in India .And in 1985 , I met  Dr  Najma  Heptulla  in person when she visited Kashmir    with  a parliamentary delegation .

I knew one Abdul Aziz popularly known as Aziz Tourist . He had a shop inside  Batmaloo  Bus Adda in Srinagar city  and dealt with our bank. Abdul Aziz ( Aziz Tourist ) had a sweet tongue and  unmatched  dash in his  dealings and approach.   He was a man of helpful nature. Aziz  Tourist had  once  conveyed to me that he had started his life from a scratch and within a short span of time , he had  become an important functionary of  the Congress party in the Kashmir valley .  Congress party’s local unit had  ordered him  to head the  team  that  had to take care of Najma Ji  in Kashmir  . Two  officials from our bank were also attached with Najma Ji. Accordingly , Abdul  Aziz had direct access to Najma  Ji. My access too was  doubly assured  now ; one through  Abdul Aziz and second through the bank. 

During this visit , I found that Najma  Ji was an ace photographer .  She clicked  sunset shots  around Dal Lake . She clicked the Shikaras . She clicked flowers , poplars , Chinars  and at times  common man on the road through her car window. I vividly remember  her  scribbling something on her notebook  or papers while talking to people . Some thought she is noting what they said. Some thought she was rechecking  or redrafting her programme schedule.   And surprisingly ,I saw her writing poetry amidst busy work schedules.  Maybe some photographs / some poems that she clicked /wrote during her stay in Kashmir  also find  space in her book   “MONTAGE OF IMPRESSIONS  ” .  I do not remember.  I also do not remember what she would write  but for  sure she wrote  poetic thoughts  in English .  I do remember  how  a poem titled  “The Silence of Terror ”appearing in  “MONTAGE OF IMPRESSIONS  ”  had touched me. 

                                          

                    ( A poem of Najma Heptullah )

During her Kashmir visit in 1985 ,she carried   a book of Swami Vivekananda  .  The day she arrived , I found the paper  tag  protruding   at about half of the book . She kept reading the pages in between, carrying forward the tag while travelling . She appeared sharp, well informed , widely travelled  and a lover of Kashmir . Immediately on her arrival she declared :-

“Look ! No gifts. No purchases . I need to carry some bulbs of flower plants .I shall select and l buy myself . That is all.”

 “ As you please madam “ said Aziz Tourist . 

I heard her saying :-

“  I am happy and full of energy when I come to this beautiful land . You have all the colours and climates over here . I turn sad on my last day. So enchanting . In fact life makes minimum demands over here.”

    I  also came to know that Najma Ji is the  grand niece of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad  . She has Dawoodi Bohra and Ismaili Shia  ancestry from her parental side . She speaks Marathi and Gujrati fluently .She has been Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha and a minister in the Central Goverment. She has been Governor of Manipur ( 2019-2021) .She has personally known  Sai Baba  of Puttaparthi  and visited his Ashram  several times . Najma Ji had very close relations with Mrs Indira Gandhi. She informs :-

" During the Janta party rule,after her release , Mrs  Gandhi  would come to Mumbai as ordinary citizen. Everytime she visited Mumbai, I made sure she didn't stay anywhere else but my home. So, I would fetch her from the airport and cook for her. Often, I used to make Gujrati dishes like Kadhi and khichri for her , which she loved." 

                                      

                    ( Governor Manipur )

          ( With her friend Sushma Swaraj ) 

     

She is a  postgraduate in zoology and a doctorate in anatomy  ( completed when she was 22 years old ) from University of Denver . Apart from poetry , she has also authored following books :-

1 AIDS : Approaches to Prevention, 1996.

2 Human Social Security and Sustainable Development, 1995.

3 Environmental Protection in Developing Countries, 1993.

4 Reforms for Women : Future Options, 1992.

5 Indo-West Asian Relations - The Nehru Era, 1992.

                                           

After being elected president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 1999, Najma Heptulla rang up the then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi from Berlin to convey the news but had to hold the phone line for an hour as she was told  "Madam is busy". And Sonia Gandhi never attended the call. Najma Ji left the Congress  party and joined  BJP .  She mentions this incident in her autobiography "In Pursuit of Democracy: Beyond Party Lines".

                                         

More on Najma Ji next time. So long so much .

( Avtar Mota  )

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