(Ved Lal Dhar Vakil ...Photos Courtesy ..Mrs Jaya Parimu)
PANDIT VED LAL DHAR VAKIL (1899-1978 )
"I am convinced that courage is the most important of all the virtues. Because without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue consistently. You can be kind for a while; you can be generous for a while; you can be just for a while, or merciful for a while, even loving for a while. But it is only with courage that you can be persistently and insistently kind and generous and fair."……… Maya Angelou
By words and deeds, he was liberal, progressive and a rebel on many fronts. Be it widow remarriage, music ( instrumental or vocal ) , theatre, women's education or social reforms , Pandit Ved Dhar Vakil was a crusader on many fronts .Born in a well-off family that owned orchards and agricultural land in the Kashmir valley, Pandit Ved Lal Dhar Vakil was a revolutionary, who felt inspired by many progressive changes that were sweeping Kashmir in general and Kashmiri Pandit society in particular during his youth . The theosophists had arrived in Kashmir . Maharaja had introduced the Abolition of Child Marriage Act in the state . He also brought the Widow Remarriage Act. Modern education had been introduced by the Christian Missionaries in the state . The Neve brothers ( doctors ) were actively practising allopathic medicine and surgery to treat patients in Missionary Hospitals . Many progressive measures were also facing opposition from the orthodox Kashmiri Pandit society. Pandit Ved Lal Dhar Vakil also joined the ‘Fraternity’, a group formed by young men like Damodhar Bhat, Dina Nath Hanjura, Mohan Krishen Tikku, Dr Col Saligram Kaul, Shambu Nath Gurtu, Dina Nath Bazaz, PN Bazaz, T N Kaul, Dwarka Nath Kachru, Dina Nath Parimu, poet Dina Nath Dilgir, Radhey Nath Kaul and many more. This group was earnestly working for the removal of many social evils prevailing in the then-orthodox Kashmiri Pandit society. Before the formation of ‘Fraternity’ , some young social reformers headed by Pandit Hargopal Kaul Khasta had started the ’Dharam Sabha’ that worked tirelessly for ‘Widow Remarriage’ and the introduction of modern education amongst Kashmiri women. Both ideas were vehemently opposed by a strong orthodox group in the society headed by Pandit Amar Nath Kak. The ‘Dharam Sabha’ avoided confrontation with the orthodox group .Accordingly ,in 1930, many young elements from the ‘Dharam Sabha’ left the group and formed the radical organization called ‘Fraternity’ that was out and out for total reforms within the Kashmiri Pandit Society . Pandit Ved Lal Dhar Vakil was an active member of this radical group. The ‘Fraternity’ members had to leave smoking, become a vegetarian and wear Khadi dresses.
WIDOW REMARRIAGE
Having studied at Church Mission School, Pandit Ved Lal Dhar Vakil emulated the school’s motto, “ In All Things Be Men “ in all spheres of his personal life. He learnt, swimming, music , acting , singing, journalism and anything and everything that came his way. His commitment to social reforms and progressive outlook passed successfully the litmus test when he volunteered to marry a child widow even at the cost of the social boycott by his nears and dears .This revolutionary act finds detailed mention in a published write-up of Vijay Vishen .I quote from the write-up:-
“He came forward to accept the hand of a child widow with no formal education and ensured that she got an elated position as the head of a family comprising highly educated women and men who made significant contributions to the noble profession of teaching young women and men in higher educational institutions. It was a revolutionary step taken by Pandit Ved Lal Dhar ( Vakil ) of Kashmir. He married Leelawati ( Jigir ), a widow at twelve who was in a rehabilitation shelter in Hazoori Bagh , Srinagar after her father passed away. On the day fixed for her re-marriage, the gentleman backed out due to threats to his life .At that time Ved Lal Dhar Vakil , who had been spearheading the cause for the settlement of young widows, volunteered to marry her on the spur of the moment. It must have been a defining moment when the two of them, who had not seen each other before, met for the first time to take the walk on the journey of life . During the initial years of their marriage, the couple lived in a village house , owned by the family, far away from Srinagar city , to protect the new bride from the pangs of family and social boycott . It is well known that Ved Lal Dhar Vakil demonstrated strong faith in his ideals by making a public display of the first child born to the couple by announcing that the little child did not have any ‘horns ( as generally believed by orthodox Hindu society ) ‘ . Nothing could have been more emphatic in this context.”
MUSIC , THEATRE AND DRAMA
The orthodox Kashmiri Pandit society looked with contempt towards all the young men who indulged in theatre , drama and music as late as the first quarter of the last century . A nickname ‘ Raas-Kath ‘ used to be given to young men who indulged in this activity They were taunted and discouraged by all means . Even J N Shivpuri, who started the first Institution to teach Hindustani Classical Music in the Kashmir valley , faced stiff opposition. A group of orthodox Pandits stoned the premises of the institute many times. Determined and steadfast in his beliefs , Ved Lal Dhar Vakil not only learnt Hindustani Classical Music but also learnt the traditional Sufiana Music of the valley and became a singer and an accomplished Santoor player. This is what noted author, historian and journalist, P N Bazaz writes in his book Kashmir In Crucible‘ :-
“Vedh Lal Dhar Vakil ( Sufiana and classical ) is a well-known devotee of Muse and an expert player on Santoor. His two daughters , Rageshwari Mattoo and Jaijaiwanti are vocalists .His third daughter , Raj Kumari ,had given evidence of growing into a virtuoso but unfortunately, she met with a fatal accident in Delhi in 1964.”
There were night-long music Mehfils in Pandit Ved Lal Dhar Vakil’s house at Zaindar Mohalla. Many renowned musicians performed in these Mehfils. This fact is also mentioned in the Book ‘Master Musicians of India’ under the chapter ‘Sabri Khan’. In this chapter, Ustad Sabri Khan (Sarangi player) says that one day he performed at Pandit Ved Lal Dhar’s Srinagar house till 5 am playing Darbari for two hours. About these music Mehfils, Padma-shri Moti Lal Kemu writes this :-
“I used to reside at Tankipora locality in Srinagar city close to the house of Pandit Ved Lal Dhar. Pandit Ved Lal Dhar was a connoisseur of Hindustani Classical Music. Many times, I saw Begum Akhtar coming to Pandit Ved Lal Dhar’s house during the evening time. There were singing sessions till the late hours of the night. Jaijaiwanti and Rageshwari, daughters of Pandit Ved Lal Dhar would also join Begum Akhtar in these singing sessions. During Begum Akhtar’s stage performance, Rageshwari would be seen accompanying her by playing on a Tanpura. Rageshwari considered herself a disciple of Begum Akhtar.”
(Source: Sheeraza. No.5/230 published by the J&K Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages, Dec. 2015-Jan, 2016 issue)
In his book ‘Radio Kashmir And My Days In Broadcasting’, Padma-shri Pran Kishore Kaul writes this:-
“Probably the first student of Indian classical music (in Kashmir) was Rageshwari Dhar Mattu, followed by her sister Jaijaiwanti Dhar Parimu. The talent of both the sisters had been discovered by their father, the social rebel and activist, Pandit Ved Lal Dhar Vakil in their childhood. Pandit Ved Lal Ji was one of the earliest classical singers of Kashmir, who joined Radio Kashmir as a long-term casual artist only in the sixties. Another contribution by Pandit Ved Lal Dhar Vakil was training his son, who by profession although an engineer, continued broadcasting till the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir. He was a good Gazal singer.”
( A noticeboard at Bhagwan Gopinath Ji Ashram at Jammu )
Pandit Ved Lal Dhar was a pioneer of Kashmir’s theatre movement. During his youth, He stayed in Kolkata for three years where he joined Alfred Theatre Company and developed a friendship with well-known actor and singer Kundan Lal Saigal. After returning to Kashmir , he acted in and directed many stage plays that include Krishen Sudama,Bilwa Mangal,Naya Kashmir and Shaheed Sherwani. Quite often , young G R Santosh , the well-known artist from Kashmir ,would help him in creating sets on the stage.
He did commendable work in 1947 when Srinagar city received Hindu refugees from Baramulla, Kupwara , Handwara, sopore and other areas due to the Pakistan-sponsored Tribal attack.He believed in constructive politics . He supported Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah but also confronted him in a public meeting in Srinagar . For this, he suffered imprisonment . While his other accomplices including Molvi Yusuf Shah entered into a compromise with the establishment , he refused to do so and was the last to be released . During Maharaja Hari Singh’s period , he remained the printer and publisher of ‘The Kashmir Times ‘, a newspaper edited and owned by G K Reddy and Abdul Rehman Mitha. After the Maharaj’s rule , Reddy went to Hyderabad and Mitha moved to Pakistan. He was a regular visitor to the Ashram of Saint Gopi Nath. Quite often he would be seen playing on Santoor or singing some Sufiana Qalaam before the Spiritual Guru.
Prof Jaya Parimu , daughter of Pandit Ved Lal Dhar Vakil has this to say:-
“He had vowed not to get married .He had the means to involve himself in constructive politics , theatre, social reform movement, classical music and women's education. He had a firm belief that women can perform better in every sphere of life provided they good education. Women education remained a cherished mission of his life. For this cause, he would go to any extent. He threw a grand tea party at his Mohalla when Uma Mahnoori became the first woman graduate of Tankipora, Zaindar Mohalla in Srinagar city. My father always believed in truth, justice and fearlessness ”
“Sabaq phir parh sadaqat Ka, adaalat ka, shuja’at ka
Liya Jaye ga tujh se Kaam duniya ki imaamat ka”…..Allama Iqbal
(Read again the lesson of truth, of justice and valour!
You will be asked to do the work of taking on responsibility for the world.)
( Avtar Mota )
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
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