[Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song

Tue Oct 6 16:42:36 IST 2009

Dear Inder

1.
Yes obviously you have not seen the 'tota' in Kashmir. I am only guessing that they are more likely to be found in forests (and wetlands as I discvovered) rather than gardens.

I did mention the name of Dr Bakshi Jehangir (earlier incorrectly named by me as Bashir). He records his personal observation and positive identification of the three types (mentioned by me) at http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/birds/list.html. 

I am sure you will relish that website http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/. 

As I wrote earlier Jehangir specifically (in his Trip-6) mentions the sightings in Shivpora which is bordered on one side by woodlands. http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/blog/trip6.html

Imran Dar and Mithas Dar record sightings (Jul to Nov '07) of the Slaty Headed Parakeet in the Shallabug Wetlands (of the Wular Lake) http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JOWE/article/view/1853/1973

2.
I see the point you are making with quoting Lal Ded's use of the word "sodras". Yes it has been translated as 'sea' by almost everyone. The "sea" might be needed to be imagined but not the "tota".

My comment to you was on two contentions of yours. One that "tota' is not found in Kashmir and secondly the role you allocated to the "tota". The first one is factually incorrect. The second one, I argued was an incorrect understanding of  positioning of the 'tota'.

Of course with imaginative interpretations (or imagined ones) you can see in anything you choose that it is "layered to match the present conflict in kashmir". Imagination is not licensed.

I am not presuming to question the translating of "sodras" (from "sodur") into "sea" but it is interesting that places in Kashmir (in the environs of the lakes Dal; Manasbal; Wular carry such names as Sodur(a); Sodur-Bal; Sodur-Khon; Sodur-Kot.

It does make me wonder whether the translators (very illustrious names) were hasty in translating "sodras" simply into "sea" (very attractive imagery for mystical meanings) instead of recognising in the "sodras" (the vast bodies of water) the lakes. 

"Sodur" also finds itself mentioned iin the Kashmiri Proverb "na'nis vurun chu, sodur purun" (covering or clothes for the naked is like trying to fill the ocean -or is it the lake?)

3.
One Roop Kishen Magazine says about his surname that they are basically Dattatreya Kaul  and that his "great grandfather Pandit Raj Kaul of ZAINDAR MOHALLA, Habakadal; Srinagar was in Maharaja of Kashmir's services, and in charge of Army Magazine stores." From there came the surname Magazine. It is written by some (in keeping with the Kashmiri pronunciation) as Magzine. 

4.
Political commentary is found inherent in some (what could be comparatively recent) folk traditions of Kashmir such as Ladi Shah and Baand Paether. Perhaps those escaped your attention.

I would dare to venture that Lal Ded has in her poetry has commented on the Politics of Religious bigotry.

Kshmendra

--- On Tue, 10/6/09, Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song
To: "Ananya Jahanara Kabir" <A.J.Kabir at leeds.ac.uk>
Cc: "reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 1:33 AM

Thanks dear
Kshmendra
and dear
Anananya

i really enjoyed these two relfections. I only wish more such...

Kshmendra ji, i have truely not seen a parrot in kashmir, may be it
existed in the past but i have not seen, neither in mughal gardens nor
in apple orchids.

 i dont know what means 'Sadars'  (sea' ) in Lal Ded Vaakh when there
is no sea in kashmir. Anyway, that is that, we have tons of sounds  in
kashmir which have nothing to do with things actually existing in
kashmir. my kashmiri friend in kashmir is Upinder Magazine, No clue
how this is surname in Kashmir.

 i like your added intrepretations that Tota can spread news of the
miseries of the afflicted one far and wide.   As human beings this
"idea of distribution of sensibilties"  is eternally weighty....

i quote Jean Luc Nancy, "The earth is anything but sharing of
humanity. It is a world that does not even manage to constitute a
world. It is a world lacking in world. And lacking in the meaning of
the world.".

Our Kahmiri  poetry is full of such expressions, and i feel attached
to my language by such profoundities embedded in the verses.  That is
why a mere romantic verse  can have deeper human value in it, which is
limited for young lovers, but for deepr thoughts a Rasool Mir is truly
a |John Keats of Kashmi. It was that which made  me jump to talk about
Bird -not- free in Kashmiri Folk. And if it is layered to match the
present conflict in kashmir, what can i do..   Kashmir issue has a
possibiltiy to engage its folk to express  the present pain, which is
political in nature at the same time.
Here, what i find interesting is the fact that the moment  we discover
our presents in our folk songs we are unwittingly caught in a web of
responbilities, which does not suit the hard core poliitical players,
even.

A true lover of Azadi in Kashmir in future shall sing Lal Ded and Azad
and folk as well. That is the challange, but for most of our
stucutres, we most easily seperate politics and folk ( culture and
performance )  in different compartments, which is not working for me.
It has something to do with our inner conflicts as well, and that is
why we see ETHICS and other such meanings in life trampled in poltical
uprisings. Kashmir is not expection, but i hope there is a responsible
future for those who dissent...

As i tried to point out the inherent opacity and complexities in the
language tools we use for communicaiton, it was imperative to bring in
the haer , a bird of different species, as the only one to help us
convey: pain, to a bird of another specie: a parrot, tota: who is
migratory, or migrated since...

with love
inder salim

On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 9:38 PM, Ananya Jahanara Kabir
<A.J.Kabir at leeds.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> The further questions to be asked, then, are:
> a) are parrots and parakeets the same bird?
> b) is the 'rose-necked parakeet' or the 'slaty headed parakeet' the same as a 'tota'? Why do we need to return to a colonial commentator for support? (Lawrence)
> c) if a bird is a 'summer migrant', can it also be seen as indigenous?
> d) is to be called a 'shoga' or a 'tota' automatically a designation of the 'tota' (or shoga's) indigeneity?
> e) what is the ultimate provenance of the Tuti nama and who is the authority that 'credits' its descent from the work by Chintamani Bhatt? I'm especially taken by the grammatical construction of the sentence, 'The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.'
> In short, for me Kshemendra's response to Inder's circulated piece is interesting for these questions of claim and counter-claim that are generated whenever 'Kashmir' is the topic. Even a parrot cannot escape!
> Apologies to Kshemendra for thus deconstructing your response, I just could not help it.
> best wishes,
> Ananya
>
> Dr Ananya Jahanara Kabir
> Senior Lecturer in Postcolonial Literature
> AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellow
> School of English, University of Leeds
> Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
> www.upress.umn.edu/Books/K/kabir_territory.html
> http://www.leeds.ac.uk/english/staff/pages/staffindex.php?file=kabi
> http://www.leeds.ac.uk/brasian/
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Kshmendra Kaul [mailto:kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com]
> Sent: 05 October 2009 15:15
> To: reader-list; Inder Salim
> Cc: Ananya Jahanara Kabir; bazaz002 at umn.edu
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song
>
> Dear Inder
>
> Your interpretation of "haeriye thavakh na kann te lo lo" is misplaced. The 'tota' is not the tormentor. The 'tota' is hoped to be the carrier for the 'zaar' (travails) to be conveyed to it by the 'haer'. The reason perhaps is that (unlike the 'haer') the 'tota' is migratory and so can spread news of the miseries of the afflicted one far and wide.
>
> The 'tota' (Parrot) is very much found in Kashmir. Maybe you have not seen it so it does not exist for you.
>
> - WR Lawrence (1857-1940) lists amongst the Birds of Kashmir the Slaty Headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana)
>
> - Also found in Kashmir are the Rose Ringed Parakeet - local name 'shoga' (Psittacula krameri) and the Alexanderine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria)
>
> - Dr Bashir Jehangir reports spotting all 3 types in Shivpora. All three probably are Summer Migrants
>
> - Raga Kirvani (voice of of the parrot) as per some traditions is said to have it's roots in Kashmir
>
> - You would know that both "shoga" and 'tota' are family surnames in Kashmir. I can only presume that they got attached due to markedly beaked noses.
>
> - From the 'Kashmir miniature School' two famous names as Artists (Illuminators)/ Calligraphers carry the surname 'tota'. They were the father and son duo of Pandit Daya Ram Koul Tota and Pandit Raja Ram Koul Tota. The latter one is especially mentioned for his works "Zafar-Nama Guru Gobind Singh"; "Gulgashat e Punjab"; "Zafar-Nama Ranjit Singh"; "Gulab Nama"; "Gulzar e Kashmir"
>
> - There is a rich tradition of Tales about Parrots and told by Parrots in the folk-lore from Kashmir, whether it is from "Hatim's Tales" or the "Tuti Nama" of Ziya al-Din Nakshabi (Parrot Tales also known as Tota Kahani). The latter one (in Persian) is said to be based on the Sanskrit "Suka Saptati" (Seventy stories of a Parrot) credited to a Kashmiri Pandit, Chintamani Bhatt.
>
> Kshmendra
>
> --- On Sun, 10/4/09, Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Reader-list] Bird-not-free in Kashmiri folk song
> To: "reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Cc: "University of Leeds, UK" <A.J.Kabir at leeds.ac.uk>, bazaz002 at umn.edu
> Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009, 9:06 PM
>
> Dear All
> Freedom means different for different people.
> For a bird,  it means differently if held in hands.
> The metaphor in a Kashmiri folk song: ‘bird-not-free’ effectively
> sensitizes the soul.
> the song is:
>
> Athe travtohan janavar
> Athe travtohan janavar
> Phare bagas te kari guftar
> Athe travtohan janavar
> Chavi yavun te vure shehjar
> Athe travtohan janavar
> Ye chu nagman hund tandar
> Athe travtohan janavar
> Janavar chu vanan zaar
> Athe travtohan janavar
> Mate haitav ami sund baar
> Athe travtohan janavar
>
> ( below: a word to word translation )
>
> Release the bird from your hands
> Release the bird from your hands,
> It wants to fly around the garden and speak out his heart.
> Release the bird from your hands
> It wants to celebrate youth under shadowy trees.
> Release the bird from your hands
> It is a conglomeration of songs,
> Release the bird from your hands.
> This bird is singing a sad number,
> Release the bird from your hands.
> Dont take the responsibility of his captivity,
> Release the bird from your hands.
> ………………………….
> In a line from another folk song,  it is again about a bird, perhaps,
> who yearns her misery to be conveyed to another bird: ‘tota’:
> Parrot. But the messenger happens to be a Mynah ( the dark brown small
> yellow beaked domestic bird ‘haer’ in Kashmiri ).
>
> Hariya thavak na kaan te lo lo
> Zaar mein totas van te lo lo
>
> What I found interesting about this folk song is that we don’t have a
> Parrot in Kashmir, who is either in Pakistan or in India.
>
> This ancient folk song from Kashmir has all the ingredients of the
> complexities of
> Language tools we use for communication. The gender of protagonist,
> poet, or a bird is not defined.
> The friend bird, ‘haer’ is the only one to convey what is most burning
> inside the heart,
> but will the parrot understand the syllables uttered by the bird,
> if ever it manages to meet Him: the green red beaked brainy bird.
>
> With love and regards
> Inder salim
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> http://indersalim.livejournal.com
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