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[Pawan Durani]

Dina Nath Nadim

With the passing of away of Nadim, an era in Kashmiri Language came to an
end. He gave a new form to Kashmiri poetry. Always bristling with energy, a
magician in the usage of words in colloquial Kashmiri, Nadim was foremost a
symbol of Kashmiriness and a lover of peace and humanity.

Nadim had a magnetic personality-tall frame, his prominent eyes gave a
feeling that he wanted to convey something. He usual wore Achkan with just
three buttons, a pant and worn-out shoes. He didn't use *pheeran* at home.
The great poet came from a poor family, which resided in Sheshiyar locality
of Habbakadal. Nadim was a family man. I remember how he helped his wife by
preparing vegetables, kniving these geometrically.

He was totally convinced by ideals of scientific socialism as propounded by
Marx, Engels and others. Nadim became the torch-bearer of the progressive
literary movement in Kashmir. He made two ends meet by working as a teacher
in Hindu High School and supplementing the income by taking up tuitions.
During Sadiq regime, he was taken as MLC (Teachers' Constituency) and
Assistant Director, Social Education.

Nadim's poetic style was fresh like the water of a mountain spring. It was
forceful, bubbling with new ideas, aimed to better lot of Kashmiris and
promote peace.

My first encounter with the great poet took place many decades ago at
Habbakadal  Chowk near the shop of famous book-seller, *Ali Mohd. & Sons*.
The proprietor Ali Mohammad gave due respect to poets and literary persons.
He would sell even old books to us. I had gone to the bookshop to buy Emile
Ludwig's 'Goethe'. It sold for a rupee or so then. Nadim invited me to join
the literary meetings of Cultural Congress, which used to be held at
Exhibition Grounds. I accepted the offer gladly and immersed myself whole
heartedly in the activities of Cultural Congress. From 1947 to 1954 I used
to attend weekly meetings and the big public functions at Kralpora, Khan
Sahib, Soibug, Lasjan, Kulgam, Zainapora and "Bazam-e-Kwong Posh" in various
mohallas of Srinagar without fail. I also remained Sub-Editor of
'Kwong-Posh', the  organ of Cultural Congress.

I had an association with Nadim for over 25 years. He had some shortcomings
too, but then who is free from these. I used to meet him in the days of
cultural movement once a week at his home. At times when I knocked at their
door, his wife would come out and say Nadim Sahib was not there. I would
feel dejected. Perhaps, it was conveyed to avoid me. This was not so always,
as the meetings were fixed at different places. He wrote me a letter from
China, where he had gone to attend a Peace Conference with Indian
delegation. END





*Majboor on His Translator*

Arvind Gigoo doesn't like to put Professor as Prefix to his name. I think he
is right. Gigoo is a scholar, endowed with great humility. It was VK Zutshi
who introduced me to Gigoo at Udhampur, where we all were living as exiles.
After the first meeting, we began meeting too frequently. This company was
further enlivened by the participation of Messers  ML Goja and PK Goja.

Gigoo Sahab has translated thirty of my poems from Kashmiri into English.
The translations were well received by leading writers of India. It was he
who introduced me to a big audience and great writers through his crisp and
creative translation. These poems were brought out in an anthology - "*Waves
*", which received 22 reviews. The reviews were later published in a book
form.

Arvind Gigoo is a forthright person. He doesn't like to keep secrets to
himself. His book *'Ugly face of Kashmiri', *has been written in a style
that is unique. It has introduced a new genre in literature. The book
demythifies Kashmiris of all shades, presenting them as they are. Gigoo has
penchant to give surprises. Till the book was out none of his close friends
knew he had written the book.

Gigoo when at home looks lazy, who spends most of the time sleeping. But
when he decides to work he is a dynamo of energy, a giant and all
excellence. He is liberal, dislikes to own hackneyed old ideologies. Gigoo
has his own philosopy of life.





NOV 2006



*A Short Story Writer Is Born ***

Title: Rambiara bhthees' piyath

Author: Makhan Lal Pandita

Language: Kashmiri (Nastaliq)

Price: Rs 250/-

Published By: M.L. Pandita

180, Sector-1, Lane No: 4, Durga Nagar, PO Roopnagar, Jammu



*By Arjun Dev Majboor*

Makhan Lal Pandita's emergence as a serious short story writer is a good
augury for Kashmiri literature. *Raembara bhthees piyath, *the book under
review, is author's 3rd collection of short stories, his earlier books
*'Girdab'
*(Whirlpool, 2003) and Karan Fiyur (Change of Times, 2000) were well
received. With his new publication, the author has made his mark as a
competent short story writer. The book is decorated with a beautiful jacket
and carries 12 stories. The stories are:

1) *Dayi Pos *(Guest without formal invitation)

2) *Bata Thal *(Rice Plate)

3) *Gardish *(Round)

4) *Nov Bistar *(New Bedding)

5) *Roshan Laleen Kitab *(Roshan Lal's Book)

6) *Yeli Gauri Malyun Gayi *(When Gauri went to her parents' house)

7) *Babu Ram*

8) *Machhar *(Madness)

9) *Vuh Ropiya *(Twenty Rupees)

10) *Toht Taf *(Hot Sun Shine)

11) *Hawas *(Strong Desire)

12) *Raembara bhthees piyath *(on the bank of Rambiara)

The author has himself written the Preface, while Sh. Mohd. Yusuf Teng has
penned the Foreword. Mr. Teng has praised author's style, the theme of the
stories, his vocabulary and appropriate usage of metaphors and similes. He
has commented, "Probably no other Bata (Kashmiri Pandit) in future would be
able to rival the author's use of colloquial Kashmiri".

What strikes the reader in the book is that the author while adopting the
style of narrating the story has tried to present his characters in their
own milieu-the characters speak their own language and seem real and full of
life. The stories keep the reader's interest sustained so much so that he
gets lost in an environment which is every inch Kashmiri. The theme of the
stories revolves  round people who are plebians, some of the themes relate
to displacement and exile as well.

*Nov Bistar *(New Bedding), Roshan Laleen Kitab (Roshan Lal's book) and *Toht
Taf *(Hot Sunshine) portray plight and struggle-ridden life of Displaced
Kashmiris. In Nov Bistar the stories pertain to a rural Displaced Kashmiri
Pandit family. This family had got prepared back home in Kashmir a new
bedding. It is a painful account of the family which carries this new
bedding to Jammu. Each quilt carries seven kgs. of cotton. It gets soiled in
monsoon rains, while the family awaits registration at temple premises in
Jammu. Finally, the soiled quilts are consigned to the river Tawi, as there
is no need for these in the hostile tropical climate.

In *'Roshan Laleen Kitab', *the author utilises his meagre savings to get
his book published in Jammu. To his dismay nobody bothers to read his book.
So much so, even his close friend to whom he had gifted a complimentary
copy, does not bother to go through it. He just puts it on a shelf. It
causes heartache to Roshan Lal when he sees that the groundnuts (Moongfali)
he purchases, is served in an envelope made from the pages of his own book.

*'Toht Taf' *is a story in which a Displaced Kashmiri is sent back by *'Dharam
Raz' *(one who decides heaven and hell) to bear the tropical heat. Snakes
and Scorpion make the life more painful for this weather-bitten refugee. But
for a person who has lived in the cool breeze of Chinar there are no other
options.

In *'Raembiara bhthees piyath', *the author probably tells his own story. A
scene is portrayed in which a beautiful Gujjar lass, stricken by poverty,
gets drowned in a river. The story pictures life in Shopian town and
delineates beautifully its natural scenery and suffocating life in the
forest hinterland. This story, written artistically and with candour, tells
us much more.

The story '*Machhar *(Madness) is focussed on terrorism. How a brother kills
his own brother, in this story, is heart-rending. It also raises many
questions.

Yeli Gauri Malyun Gayi (when Gauri went to her parents house), projects the
life of a Kashmiri Pandit peasant family, which is steeped in poverty. The
helplessness, the rigors and the difficulties of the peasant life and the
sorrows have been vividly portrayed. This painful story is prelude to the
displacement.

*Vuh Ropiya *(Twenty Rupees) is a story which revolves round a Kashmiri
Pandit peasant and a poor shepherd (chopan). It focusses on the social
hypocrisy, in which the shepherd trots out different excuses at different
times and feigns illness and head injury to avoid paying back Rs 20/- he had
borrowed from  a Kashmiri Pandit. It also introduces comic scenes at the
end.

The stories are written in a lucid language and appropriate to characters.
These are full of metaphors and satire. The dramatic style in which the
stories are presented keep the reader glued. Usage of appropriate words and
the short sentences have enhanced the readability and in flow it resembles
Vitasta in its pristine beauty and quietitude. The author does not allow his
emotions, so pregnant in the situations he describes, to take over while
narrating the stories. The theme has been presented in a sublime way. So
far, Kashmiri writers have not portrayed rural life so vividly as has
been  done
by Shri Makhan Lal Pandita. This is the key to his success.

The book has been marred by few mistakes in proof-reading and script
transcription. This could handicap a reader not well-versed with nastaliq
Kashmiri script. These few mistakes apart, one can say with certainty that a
new short story writer has found his rightful place in the field of Kashmiri
literature. Kudos to Sh. Makhan Lal Pandita.

*(Translated from original Hindi by Dr. R.K. Tamiri)



Source: Kashmir Sentinel


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