AZEEZ DED : THE MIDWIFE FROM SRINAGAR CITY

                                         

AZEEZ DED

Padamashri Pran Kishore Kaul  said this :-

"On the right side of River Jhelum in Srinagar city , right from Badiyar Bala or you can say from  Gawakadal right upto Zaina Kadal , there was only one  midwife known as Azeez Ded . Most of us were born through her hands. She was summoned for my birth also . As I grew up, I saw her performing this noble service regularly. She was tall , fair complexioned and graceful woman. Due to her competence, mannerisms and polite communication, Azeez Ded had earned respect and affection  of many Kashmiri families of that period . A period when there was no municipal tap water in Srinagar city and only Maharaja's Palace (what was later old  secretariat  ) had electricity. There was a jubilation in the city when electricity was provided to the households by Maharaja Hari Singh . Voltage was dim but better than the oil lamp that Kashmiris were used to. Power was switched on during evenings for 3 hours and after 10 pm, it was switched off .

 During Summers , artists from Lahore associated with Parsi theatre would come to city to perform plays that had comic characters also. There was no radio or  newspaper or cinema or any other  entertainment except gossip. This was a period when  water of River Jhelum that we called Vyath was fit for drinking. It was clean and clear. Many professional water carriers would bring water from the River and supply it to households using Matkas . The water carrier  was known as Paaneur in Kashmiri. 

A period When Maharaja Hari Singh had started free modern  education for Kashmiris through newly opened schools. Vested interests and general public initially opposed this move and they named these schools as Jabri ( forced upon ) schools.  

After the second World War, Maharaja Hari Singh purchased two old transmitters from the British . One was put in Ranbir School Jammu and Radio Kashmir first started from that place. Maharaja was keen to set up a  radio station in Srinagar and accordingly ,  the second transmitter was moved to Srinagar and installed in Polo ground Srinagar . It was from this place that Radio Kashmir ,Srinagar started functioning

" 

For more , listen the  insightful interview of Padamashri Pran Kishore Kaul on Radio Sharda this Sunday morning .

( Avtar Mota)

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