THE BRIGHT STARS OF THE FOGGY NIGHTS
(Stories from Kashmir)
By Avtar Mota
Published in February 2025
Price Rs460/=
Available on Amazon in India and
worldwide
https://notionpress.com/in/read/the-bright-stars-of-the-foggy-nights
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0DXV9SRK5
Avtar Mota hardly needs any introduction. A Kashmiri to the
core, he has chosen to write in English the stories of Kashmir that bring alive
men, matters and musings from the social life of the 1800s and 1900s . With 9 books and more than 250 articles on
art and culture of Kashmir published in national and international newspapers, Journals
and magazines, Avtar, Mota is the recipient of the SaMaPa Award 2022 and the Harmony India
Award 2024. Parvez Dewan (IAS), author and former Tourism Secretary (Government
of India), calls Avtar Mota,’ The
foremost chronicler of the social history of Kashmir’. Journalist Arthur
Joe writes this about Mota’s work:-
“Through his stories, Mota presents something that evokes
nostalgia and compassion.In every story, Mota is with you both as narrator and
spectator. He enthuses, informs, and clarifies as he makes you read his
stories. He makes you to travel with him and become a part of his interesting
coverage.”
This is Mota’s ninth book that has twenty-one stories about
some men who exhibited brightness during nights that were unfortunately foggy
and dark. They remained unnoticed and unseen. Mota opens a wide panorama of
social life of Kashmir which covers everything that one needs to know about the
troubled land. This time Mota includes some bright stars from Jammu like Santokh Singh (
commercial painter ), Vidhya Rattan Khajuria ( sculptor ) , Susham Sharma (
theatre artist ) , Dr Ved Kumari Ghai ( scholar ) and Vijay Suri ( actor and
writer ). From Kashmir he gives you gripping anecdotes about men like Vasudev
Reh ( poet ), Makhan Lal Mahav ( humour poet ), T K Jalali ( vocalist and
composer ), Akhtar Mohiuddin ( writer ), Hari Kashmiri ( film actor and
producer ), Som Nath Zutshi ( short story writer ), Prof Jay Lal Kaul ( scholar
), Prof T N Ganju ( scholar , linguist and astrologer ), Jagan Nath Saqi
(radio artist ). Noor Mohammad Kitab
(bookseller and publisher), Pran Nath Butt (unknown artist) and Farooq Nazki (poet
broadcaster). The most interesting person covered in this book happens to be
nationalist and freedom fighter Dr Saifuddin Kichloo, who chose to stay in India
opposing the Two Nation theory. Mota reveals the humanism and compassion of
Kichloo in surrendering his mansion in Amritsar to some Hindu refugee from
Pakistan while personally moving to Delhi. We are told that Kichloo, the hero
of Jalianwala Bagh, has been the real and unsung architect of the Indo-Soviet Treaty, who was granted the Order of Lenin by the Russians.
For the quality of his social life stories, some of Mota’s essays
have been translated into Bangla and French and published in journals. Many
copy-paste writers have also resorted to thieving these stories for cheap
popularity. Most of the stories in this book are based on one-to-one interviews
with the persons covered or with their family members. The reader becomes privy to some unknown and
interesting facets from the personal life of the characters that Mota explores
with skill and truthfulness. For instance, Mota informs that commercial painter
Santokh Singh has donated about 18 Kanals of prime land in Jammu city for a
cremation ground. About poet Vasudev Reh, Mota writes,” 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. I 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) of Kashmir. He meant
Radhey Nath Masarat and Vasudev Reh.” Mota calls Vidya Ratan Khajuria as a
pioneer of sculpture in the J&K. We are informed about the beautiful landscapes
of Kashmir done by Khajuria, a place that he loved intensely. We are informed
that Susham Sharma was the most talented theatre artist of the state who
received thunderous applause and standing ovation as she performed solo in Ved
Rahi’s well-known Dogri play “Aale” for the “PANJ PAANI THEATRE
FESTIVAL“ at Lahore. The audience included many
Dogri speaking elders who had migrated to Pakistan from Mast Garh, Sarajaan Di
Dakki and other localities of Jammu city. Mota interviewed Susham Sharma before
her death. The book informs about the ‘Art of Exile’ being created by Bhushen
Kaul through his ‘The Studio of Exile’. From this studio emerged a series of
paintings that were named, “ Rangoon Death“, ”Cry “, “Exodus “ and ”One Of
These Days, Sky Will Break “. We also come to know the amazing contribution of
Pandit T K Jalali as composer and vocalist who trained more than one hundred
aspiring students. The book tells us about immense social service performed
with compassion and sincerity by Dr Girja Dhar and her husband Dr Naseer
Ahmed Shah.The book informs that in
Kashmiri literature, one finds an acute shortage of novels. However, this area
achieved a breakthrough after Chaman Lal
Hakhoo came up with his 700-page Kashmir novel titled,’ Wasturvanuk Seh’ or
‘The Lion of Wasturvan’. We are also informed about the Hakhoo’s contribution
in many areas. The book conveys some sincere feelings of Akhtar Mohiuddin who told
this to Mota before 1990, “How can I repay the debt to Som Nath Zutshi’s
wife, a goddess and for me, a real sister in need? Do you know she
single-handedly did all the post-delivery care of my wife once? Do you
understand the word 'Phott' in Kashmiri? It means post-delivery care. Where in
this life can this debt be repaid?”
The stories about Hari Kashmiri in
Bollywood, Noor Mohammad Kitab known as Munshi Kewal Kishore of Kashmir are
inspiring and attention-grabbing. Many interesting aspects of the scholarly
personality of Prof Jay Lal Kaul, Dr Ved Kumari Ghai and Prof T N Ganju find
mention in the book. The book reveals the interesting anecdotes from the life
of Jagan Nath Saqi, a well-known radio and theatre artist from Kashmir.Saqi was
nicknamed 'Raasa-kath( dancing lamb) ' and 'Jaga Angrez' by Kashmiris for his
humour and style. Farooq Nazki finds special mention in the book. We are
informed that Nazki would secretly visit Bhagwan Gopi Nath Ji’s Ashram in
Udhaywala in Jammu. Nazki’s feelings for the exiled Kashmiri Pandits as mentioned by him in his poetic collection
‘Naar Hyotun Kazalvanas ‘ also find detailed mention in the book.I conclude
with what Nazki writes:-
“Mushuk valith aav vaav
sontuk,
Dichin bashaarat.
Yimav qadam kaed garav nebar,
Tim na aayee pheerith,
Na Tchhandi sontan
...”……………..( Farooq Nazki )
(Bathed in perfume,
the spring has once again come this way,
bringing some good news.
Alas! Those who stepped out of
their homes, did neither return?
Nor did this spring seek their whereabouts.)
The book is a treasure and I
recommend this treasure trove to all.
( Indu Bhushan Zutshi )
PS
And Parvez Dewan IAS writes this about the book :-
"We are fortunate to have among us a researcher as intrepid and a raconteur as lucid as Avtar Mota to record and retell the history (stories, actually) of Kashmir in the 1800s and 1900s. This is the third successive volume that I'm aware of in which he dedicates a chapter each to some of the talented (and interesting) individuals of that era. They are mostly Kashmiri Pandits, but also some Muslims and Jammuites. I had not heard of most of them, but he has written so interestingly about each that they come to life in the pages of this lively book—indeed, series of books. The printed price ₹460 is low enough but I am sure that on Amazon you will get it even cheaper."
