@VarmulPost www.varmulpost.com www.facebook.com/thevarmulpost RNI Regn. No: JKENG/2014/62288
Volume: 03
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Baramulla
WHAT YOU SAID
It gives me pleasure to express gratitude to you for publishing the weekly ‘Varmul Post’, Volume 3, issue 01, of which is in my hands. I congratulate you for this remarkable endeavor and pray to Almighty Allah for your success. Congratulations for adventurous initiative of publication of Varmul Post.
Prof. Mohammad Ismail Former principal GDC Baramulla A good effort publication of a colored newspaper from North Kashmir is an achievement in itself but content wise you have to work hard and there is scope for improvement. In fact your team has a tremendous talent but I think you are not utilizing your talent.
Mir Ehsan Bureau Chief The Indian Express, Srinagar.
was in fact a treat for the readers. yet the paper has a long way to go. hope the team Varmul Post would continue to strive for the excellence and uphold the journalistic ethics. Wishing team Varmul Post best of luck in their endeavor.
Gulshan Ahmad Magray Teacher.
@VarmulPost www.varmulpost.com www.facebook.com/thevarmulpost RNI Regn. No: JKENG/2014/62288
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4th - 10th January 2016
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English Weekly
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Pages: 16
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Baramulla
Abdul Rouf Mir Research Scholar
We have some good newspapers getting published from Valley (of course some lacunae’s are there). But newspapers are meant for news. Extensive reports and documentation can hardly find space there and this space is filled by magazines. But we lack quality magazines in our valley. But I guess that void is getting filled. First we had Kashmir Life and now we have Kashmir Ink and Belagh in Urdu. And of course not to forget the weekly tabloid of North Kashmir, “The Varmul Post”. They are doing a great job. In fact they are documenting our history. They deserve not only accolades but practical support as well, so that they can become financially good and continue with great work.
Zahid Fayaz Writer. Happy to see Varmul Post doing well. Proud of you, as a faculty member of Government Degree College Baramulla. From photographs to content and interviews, everything is wonderful. Keep it up. We feel nostalgic seeing our students doing something good. My suggestion is whatever you do in your life, do it with dedication. God bless you and your team.
Manjit Bir Singh Former Head Physical Education GDC Baramulla. Most of the unheard and untold stories of suppression and underdevelopment are in rural areas of Kashmir, and yet to be told. These
Varmul Post to me is an emerging voice of North Kashmir. From live reporting to documenting the past, it is potentially making a new beginning for reshaping this part of the world and ensuing an era of accountability of the system. By highlighting public grievances’, rights’ violations and sluggish administration, it is doing a commendable job for popular welfare. This voice needs to be stronger, critical and ethical. My best wishes for Varmul Post.
Please accept my heartiest congratulations on the success of your recent series on young scholars, businessmen in our town. We see so much of the negative side of life in the media that it is refreshing to have a positive upbeat report on good things that are happening. I think your reporting was a good motivator for many students, scholars, new young business person who need a little extra push. Varmul Post is doing incredible job from last one year and I want to congratulate the team for huge success and thanks again for such uplifting coverage.
Advocate Mudasir Naqshbandi Baramulla year ender.indd 1
04/01/16 12:25 pm
are the stories you hardly see in TV or read in newspaper for the reason best known to writers and reporters. The Varmul Post covers them and gives voice to voiceless. In the short period of its existence it has set benchmark for others to follow and put together an inspiring team of young journalists, who know the ground like no one else does.
Sameer YasirAssistant Editor, Security and Strategic Affairs at Firstpost. com An embodiment of objective analysis, fair opinion and brevity, Varmul Post is truer and honest representation of journalism. The special issue
Wonderful. Keep it up. Allah bless team Varmul Post. Work hard.
Shahnaz Ahmad Social entrepreneur and Chairman of Prestige International School InshaAllah, Varmul Post will be a milestone.
Suhail Kar Member,Falahudarien Great team and nice work done by Varmul Post.
Ashfaq Qazi President Traders Federation
Editor-in-Chief MUNEEB UL HAQ Associate Editor NOOR UL HAQ
Correspondents MUZAMIL BASHIR ADNAN DAR RAYEES GANAIE
Photojournalists
RAJA NOUMAN
FAIZAN WANI
AABID RATHER
EESHAN PEER
Published from: 3rd Floor, Bilal Complex, Opposite Sherwani Hall, Baramulla J&K. Printed From: Access Publications HMT Srinagar J&K
In winters, the morning chill of Kashmir keeps me tucked in quilt until my mother bangs my door to wake me up. That morning, it was different. That morning one message forced me out of quilt to run down to living room to break the most unexpected news to my family. That was, hanging of Shaheed Afzal Guru. What followed was common to all households of Kashmir. Internet snatched, cable network stopped, and the common practice of all time, indefinite curfew imposed with shoot at sight orders. Above all, living in Sopore, native place of Shaheed Afzal Guru added to the hostility. That day, nobody called for Prayers in Masjid. There was no Azaan in our Masjid. Switching on the TV and watching Indian national channels frenzy over the hanging of our Shaheed Afzal Guru was not unexpected. However news reports about ‘No communication to Afzal’s family of his execution’ was difficult to accept though not very surprising. My mother was in a shock greater than the whirlpool of feelings I was going through. She kept repeating, how can they hang him? How can they not inform his family? Why are they not returning his mortal remains? So many questions my mother had. I had just one answer to. That is how India is. That is how oppressor works. Inflicting pain from every side and answerable to none. After all, do we not expect ‘anything’ from Indian State and its institutions?
KASHMIR BY FARHANA LATIEF This was my mother in such a state of mind that we had to keep a check on her rising blood pressure. I could only imagine the situation at Shaheed Afzal’s home, his mother, his wife and his son. If his execution was shattering us, what would it be like for his family? These thoughts could not be controlled, and the pain it gets along with it. Shaheed Afzal was executed, to satisfy the collective conscience of Indian Society as a whole. Few Indian liberals were already out to call Shaheed Afzal’s hanging a death of so called Indian democracy, the democracy which I have seen just on papers and never in practice. Four days of mourning was being observed in Kashmir. The desire to share his family’s grief and yet unable to move an inch outside of our walls was an additional torture for me. We could not help but get fixed to the TV and keep changing the channels until our cable network services were shutdown. Yet our boys were daring the indefinite curfew in Sopore, in Baramulla and other places to protest Afzal’s hanging. Two boys killed within two days of Shaheed Afzal’s hanging, dozens injured and hundreds arrested in Police raids. This was a shock, which we were unable to overcome and kept repeatedly talking about, with no sense for food and other daily routines. Protests continued, in Sopore and Baramulla for a month to follow. Protests continue even now, but the scar of losing Shaheed Afzal to Indian Hangmen State is one non healable for all time to come like that of our Shaheed Maqbool Bhat. And then you know this: “Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.” ― Assata Shakur (Assata, An Autobiography)
They called us deshdrohi. Others, who until then were making demands for demarcation of states, recognition of their regional languages, and the usual bijli, sadak, paani, joined the chorus. Also joining them were the ones supposed to maintain law and order. We didn’t really fit in, now that I think back about it. It was a ‘democratic space for dissent’ and everyone there was demanding necessities from the State they all recognized as their own. We were the exception- the ‘enemy’. We were questioning that very democracy. We were up against their country. So, their necessities were forgotten as they joined to ‘defend’ their motherland. They were too many. We were only a handful. But there was no fear. There was collective pain; there was a collective expressionAZADI. AAZAAADIII. AAAAZAAAADIIIII. This was happening in the heart of India’s capital, the country that has been illegally occupying us for decades now. I don’t remember how I made it to Jantar Mantar on the morning of 9th February 2013. The news I had woken up to that morning was shattering- Afzal Guru had been hanged! I remember people on the road congratulating one another. I was numb. Back home, a curfew was enforced. People were defiant. Bullets were showered on the protestors. Back home, a family could still not register the fact that it wasn’t even informed and denied the last chance to see its’ beloved; the mortal remains weren’t returned. Back home, resistance battled occupation yet again. Back home, the martyrs’ graveyard awaited another Shaheed. It still does.
NEW-DELHI BY SAMREEN MUSHTAQ At Jantar Mantar, resistance battled jingoism; it was up against a bloodthirsty collective conscience. Threats weren’t enough to stop Hum Kya Chahte Azadi and Assalam Assalam, Ae Shaheed Assalam from reverberating in the air. We hugged each other and cried, but the voices didn’t waver. They weren’t tears of defeat. They were tears of defiance. Many of us were detained. Some were abused and beaten. The day was etched into our memories forever. Next day in the university, a classmate remarked that if I was so worried about what was done to a terrorist, I might meet the same fate. More than two years later, I read this: “I don’t bother whether Modi or the people of India called me Terrorist or Criminal. Indeed I am Terrorist against those who Terrorize and humiliate the common helpless people. I don’t have patience to remain mute spectator or silent before State Terror…” (sic) - Excerpt from Shaheed Afzal Guru’s letter to Nandita Haksar (08-01-2008), reproduced in The Many Faces of Kashmiri Nationalism (2015) by Nandita Haksar If resisting an occupation makes us terrorists, then aren’t we all so? Some days from now, it will be three years of that judicial murder the world’s largest democracy committed in Tihar. It’ll be three years of the fact that a letter was sent to The Country Without a Post Office to inform a family that its’ beloved would be sent to the gallows on 9th February, a letter that reached few days after. We haven’t forgotten. In Kashmir, each day is the anniversary of some killing. But each day is also the story of resistance. In how we remember and resist. Our memories and our being witnesses, our poems and our stories, our songs and our slogans are all an act of resistance. And our resistance is irrepressible. How can a mere piece of rope kill it? Afzal never did die. A Shaheed doesn’t.
Picture By: Eeshan Peer Azadi Jazba (An urge for freedom) was always in his heart and mind. He used to talk about it with his friends, relatives and the people he used to interact with. It was during his course of studies that he started to discuss about the Kashmir issue, conflict and cause. His interest in Kashmir conflict became more solid in course of time. “In 90’s there was an incident at Channapora area of Srinagar where women accused Indian forces of molestation and harassment. The incident triggered massive anger and protests in valley. Afzal got mentally disturbed by this incident and decided to leave MBBS in his third year and went for arms training,” says Tabasum Guru, wife of Afzal Guru. “Apne liye jiye to kya jiye aey dil tu ji, ai dil, zamane ke liye Apni khudi ko jo samjha,Usne khuda ko pahchana Aazaad fitrate insaan ,Andaz kyo’n gulamana” (Living for oneself is no life. True life is one that is lived for others. One who has known his inner self has known God). Tabassum while recalling her old days with her husband said that Afzal often used to sing these lines. Besides a devoted husband, Tabassum says that Afzal was a caring son and a loving father. He was a man of courage and wished to die as a martyr like Maqbool Butt. “I belonged to conservative family where there was no option than to agree for arranged marriage as love marriage in Kashmir in those days was very rare,” recalls Tabasum Afzal was very close to his mother Ayesha Begum who died before three months of his hanging. He used to cook, clean and wash himself. For a mother he was like a daughter who took care of everything at home. Afzal was in 8th standard when his father Habibullah , who was a forest official died due to cancer. After his father’s death family had tough time. Ajaz Guru, elder brother of Afzal had to leave his studies in 10th class and to work in veterinary to meet the ends but Afzal continued with his studies. Tabasum was 18, when she got engaged with Afzal. It was only after three months of engagement that they got married in same year on Ist November 1998. “Afzal was my cousin but we interacted very less. In wedding parties I could see his glimpse only. Afzal used to treat me more as a friend. He was a guide and mentor and taught me lot of things about life. He was also very sensitive and calm person. He could not see anyone in pain and suffering” she added. Afzal Guru was born in 1969 in a rich and affluent family of Doabgah, Sopore. He has two brothers Aijaz Ahmad Guru and Bilal Ahmad Guru. He completed his schooling from Sopore and was enrolled as an MBBS student in Jhelum Valley Medical College(JVC) later on renamed as SKIMS
Medical College, Bemina, Srinagar. The political climate at that time prompted him to join Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). The Indian Parliament was attacked on December 13,2001 which resulted in death of eight security personnel , gardener and a media person. Afzal was arrested on December 15,2001 from Srinagar Bus stand and put in Tihar jail where he was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. Afzal guru was hanged on February 9,2013,three days after his mercy petition was rejected. He was buried in prison and the family’s request for his body was denied. From childhood Afzal was a bookworm. Putting on his thick glasses Afzal used to read Maulana Rumi and religious books till late night. He would read one Local newspaper and one national paper daily. “After marriage Afzal advised me to continue my studies” says Tabasum He used to listen most gazals of Jagjit Singh and Kashmiri music as his favorite singer was late Ghulam Hassan Sofi. Ghalib, Afzal Guru’s lone child was only six months old when Afzal was arrested. Ghalib is 18 now and his habits are more like his father. Waking up early in morning, offering Tahajud prayers and reciting Quran is now his routine work. For Ghalib his father Afzal is his idol who left his family, his everything and sacrificed life for the people of Kashmir “My father had wished to see me as Islamic scholar. He always stressed on knowledge than higher grades. He left his medical seat and only brave person can do it. During the jail days he used to guide me in my studies and supported me in every step of my life.” Ghalib not only want to acquire worldly knowledge but also acquire Islamic knowledge. Recently in the 10th standard examinations, Ghalib secured 19th position throughout the valley, thereby making everybody proud. At that moment the mother-son duo claimed that they missed Afzal very much. “Such moments are to be celebrated with parents but constitution of India snatched that joy from my life, “ Ghalib further added. A bachelor of commerce graduate from Delhi University, Afzal was arrested in 2001 and was awarded death sentence in 2002.
“Our leadership failed to bring back mortal remains of my father”
BY ADNAN DAR
Ghalib Guru, the only son of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in a conversation with Varmul Post appealed pro Azadi leaders to play a crucial role in bring back the belongings of his father from Tihar jail. Afzal Guru was hanged till death in 2013 in Delhi’s Tihar jail. Family of Afzal believe that the things that Afzal used are still lying with Tihar Jail authorities which includes a copy of Holy Quran, which he recited few hours before his hanging. Ghalib said, our leadership though miserably failed to bring back mortal remains of my father are now not interested in bringing back his belongings too. Initially the pro Azadi leaders made promises to us about bringing Afzal’s remains back home but with time they have forgotten the promises they once made. “He used to read Quran in the Jail. He used to write his thoughts and maintained a dairy over there. He had a number of books with him, which he used to read while serving detention” said Galib. Ghalib said no one from the Kashmir pro Azadi leadership seriously took our pleas of bringing back the mortal remains of my father and now all of our leaders have maintained a silence on issue of bringing his belongings back from Jail. Have our leaders forgotten what Afzal did for his nation, questioned Ghalib adding “our Pro Azadi leaders should take it seriously in order to bring back his belongings back home here in Kashmir.” Upon being asked whether he would like to go for higher studies in Delhi or other parts of
India, as reported by a certain part of media, Ghalib said that he would never like to study in India. “Some media outlets either misquoted me or have manipulated my words. I would never study in AIIMS, even if they (Indians) provide me scholarship. I would prefer to study here in Kashmir or if the need arises, I would go abroad for completing my education. But my aim will remain to serve the people of Kashmir,” he said Tabasum Guru, wife of Afzal, maintains that people in India would treat his son as they treated his father. She alleges that Afzal was not given fair trail and his out of turn hanging shows the real character of the Indian democracy. “Galib lost his father. I lost my husband, now Ghalib is only hope for me. I don’t want him to study in India as I don’t want to lose him also. Rather they would treat him in the same way as they treated his father and will certainly declare him a terrorist and can also kill him” said emotionally charged Tabasum, adding that Ghalib would never visit a place where his father got killed to satisfy the collectivel conscience of its people.
Picture By: Faizan Wani
Maqbool was born at Trehgam, Kupwara in a peasant family on 18th February 1938 when Jammu and Kashmir state was under Dogra rule and the clutches of feudalism. Maqbool’s mind against suppression and occupation and for equality and freedom took its shape when in 1945, at the age of eight, he along with other village children, had to lie down in front of a feudal lord’s motor car to win a concession for village peasants who due to bad season could not afford to pay the requisite crop share to their landlord. Two years later, in August 1947, the division of sub continent into India and Pakistan and subsequent tribal incursion in Kashmir valley and Dogra ruler Hari Singh’s controversial accession to India led to a war between two countries on Jammu and Kashmir. The war ended next year with a ceasefire call by UN Security Council, but divided the state into two parts with Pakistan taking one third of it and rest held by India. This led to the beginning of struggle of people of Jammu and Kashmir and that of Maqbool for their right to self-determination. Maqbool’s father settled in Trehgam after migrating from Baramulla in 1920s. His mother died when he was only 11-years-old, but few years later his father remarried to provide mothering care to his children. Maqbool’s father, despite being a poor peasant, ensured to provide good education to his children and for early education. Maqbool shifted to Baramulla in 1954 and secured admission in St Joseph College for his B.A. It was the time when Sheikh Abdullah was in jail after being dismissed from the Prime Ministership of Indian administered Kashmir by the Government of India. People’s demand for plebiscite was at its peak. In the meantime Maqbool became active in his college calling for strikes and mobilizing students with his enthusiastic speeches. In Baramulla, Maqbool got acquainted with various political activists. Pro-plebiscite activities intensified after the release of Sheikh Abdullah in December 1957. To stifle the voices, Sheikh was rearrested and activists were chased. To avoid his eminent arrest, Maqbool went underground. He had appeared in B.A. final year examination by then and after collecting temporary certificates, crossed over the dividing line to Pakistan in August 1958, along with his uncle, Abdul Aziz Bhat and settled in Peshawar city of Pakistan. He secured admission in M.A. Urdu Literature and later in L.L.B in Peshawar University and to meet his expenses he joined a weekly urdu newspaper Anjam as a sub-editor. In 1961, Maqbool married Kashmiri woman Raja Begum and had two sons from her. Five years later, he married a school teacher Zakira Begum and had a daughter from her. In 1961, Maqbool Bhat contested and won Kashmiri Diaspora seat from Peshawar in basic democracy elections introduced by the then President of Pakistan administered Kashmir. Two years later, Maqbool joined Kashmir Independent Committee headed by Amanullah Khan, in reaction to the rumour that India and Pakistan were going to agree on dividing Jammu and Kashmir in their foreign ministry negotiations of 1962. With no such deal being done, the committee was disbanded and reformed into Jammu and Kashmir Plebiscite Front. In April 1965, all the front members including Maqbool assembled at Sialkot near the dividing line and vowed to continue their freedom struggle for Kashmir. Hopes of Maqbool and his associates were dashed by the Tashkent agreement after the 1965 war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. He formed the Jammu Kashmir National Liberation Front, an armed wing of Plebiscite Front, with an aim to prepare ground for an armed rebellion in Indian administered Kashmir, with Mohammad Mustafa Alvi being the main face of the front.
Finally on June 10, 1966, Maqbool crossed into Indian administered Kashmir along with his five other associates on a Mission. Srinagar city was the first place for Maqbool to start his mission by meeting specific people and motivating them for their support. People here did not offer only support, but their homes as well. Within three months, Maqbool spread his underground mission from Srinagar to Sopore and Handwara. The mission was still in the organizational phase when a CID official Amarchand was allegedly killed by his associates in Handwara. The mission was exposed. A search operation was launched by police and CID in the area. And finally on 14th September 1966, Maqbool and his three associates were spotted in Kanila village of Handwara. The house was cordoned. Maqbool and associates attempted to break the cordon. But after a brief exchange of fire, Maqbool, Kala Khan and Amir Ahmad were arrested while Tahir Auranzeb from Gilgit was killed. Around 300 people, prepared by Maqbool for his mission, were arrested and put under trial. Maqbool, along with his two associates, were tried in a Srinagar court for two years for killing Amarchand, crossing the dividing line illegally, and being an enemy agent under Enemy Act 1943. In defense, Maqbool stated before the court: “I have no problem in accepting the charges against me, except one correction. I am not an enemy agent. I am the enemy of Indian state occupation in Kashmir. Have a good look at me and recognize me well, I am enemy of your illegal rule in Kashmir.” In August 1968, the court found them guilty and passed a death sentence to Maqbool and Amir Ahmad and life sentence to Kala Khan and were later put in Central Jail Srinagar. Upon announcement of the death sentence, Maqbool told the court: “The Rope has not yet been made that can hang Maqbool Bhatt. If Indian authorities of occupation think that by hanging me, they can crush the Kashmir struggle they are mistaken. The struggle actually will start after my hanging.” Within four months, an escape plan was drafted and executed by Maqbool and his associates. And finally on December 8, 1968 at 2 a.m. they escaped. Search operations were launched at a large scale, checking points were installed everywhere across Srinagar. But, by that time, Maqbool and his associates had managed to reach Ganderbal, by taking mountainous routes. Fearing death due to cold and bad weather in mountains, they entered into Malshahi Bagh village in the evening and asked for shelter. Escaping the security dragnet and changing places from Ganderbal to Sopore to Handwara, Maqbool after over two weeks of walking through forests and snow-clad mountains crossed the dividing line to reach Muzzafarbad. With this great escape, Maqbool became a household name in Kashmir. Some people hail him as a true “freedom fighter” while some labeled him as a person of doubtful integrity. In Muzaffarabad, Maqbool and associates were immediately arrested and detained in Black Fort interrogation centre for three months and were released only after series of demonstrations by Plebiscite and National Liberation Front. In November 1969, Maqbool was elected as president of Plebiscite Front during the party’s annual convention in Muzaffarabad, but continued to carry some activities under the banner of Jammu and Kashmir National Liberation Front. This was followed by a Gilgit Baltistan Week in 1970 during which Maqbool and his associates campaigned for political rights of Pakistani administered parts of Kashmir. In Gilgit, Maqbool and his associates were debarred by authorities from addressing people. In Indian administered Kashmir, the Plebiscite
Front was buried after Sheikh Abdullah came to an accord in 1975 with Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, giving up the demand for a plebiscite in lieu of the people being given the right to self-rule by a democratically elected government as envisaged under Article 370 of the Constitution of India and assumed the position of Chief Minister of Indian administered Kashmir. The accord dented Maqbool’s confidence in people of Kashmir to take their liberation movement forward. In May 1976, he again crossed over to Indian administered Kashmir with his two associates Abdul Hamid Bhat and Raiz Ahmad Dar, knowing well that he carried a death sentence and if apprehended would be sent to gallows. This time he chose Sopore as its base to revive his old contacts and to do so he stayed for one month in Brath village of Sopore. The plan was to meet and mobilize old friends again, some people were sent to Pakistan for arms training. The mission again was in the organizational phase when Maqbool and his associates were arrested in Langate outside Jammu Kashmir Bank, after an encounter with police in which the bank manager Magray was killed. Maqbool was immediately shifted to Tihar Jail, New Delhi and his death sentence restored by Supreme Court of India. On February 3, 1984, Ravindra Hareshwa Mhatre, a senior Indian diplomat was kidnapped in Birmangham. A little known group ‘Kashmir Liberation Army’ claimed responsibility for the abduction and demanded release of Maqbool in exchange besides 1 million pounds as ransom money. The demand was rejected outright by the Indian government and two days after his abduction, on February 5, his body was found by the police in a farm. The abduction and subsequent killing of Mhatre sent shock waves in Delhi. The events started moving fast and Indira Gandhi decided to send Maqbool to gallows. A senior Home Ministry official was flown with a pre-drafted “Black Warrant” to Jammu to get it signed from the then Chief Minister of Indian administered Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, who had spent several days with Maqbool in 1974 in Pakistan administered Kashmir and Pakistan and had termed Maqbool Che Guevara. Finally on February 11, 1984 Maqbool was hanged in Tihar Jail. His hanging evoked protests in some parts of Kashmir. Maqbool was hanged when he was waiting for his review petition against his sentence on the grounds that the case had several legal flaws from its beginning. Lawyers claim that his hanging was a judicial murder and an illegal execution by the Government of India. After Maqbool’s hanging his body was not handed over to his family but in Martyr’s Graveyard Srinagar, a grave is waiting for his mortal remains. Five years after his execution, Maqbool’s prophecy in the court turned right -the struggle actually will start after my hanging
Picture By: Eeshan Peer
Kashmir’s natural beauty has given this place a tag of being Paradise on Earth. Besides this, its rich culture and magnificent heritage has been major attraction for people visiting here some as tourists and others to explore the cultural diversity of this place. The perfect blend of historic monuments ranging from Buddhist Monasteries to Mughal Gardens, Kashmir presents a perfect picture of diversity. Some distinct articles which are native to Kashmir are famous worldwide things like Pashmina shawls, small hand woven caps, wazwan, samavar each and everything had its magnificence. Lamentably the culture and the heritage of this beautiful state has been abandoned . The culture that was once visible in each corner of the state has been now confined to the either art emporiums or big showrooms of the state. Thus indicating the slow signs of their decline. One such visible impact of modernization and cultural decline is observed on the Tanga (horse carts), which were greatly persistent in 1930’s during the regime of Maharajas. When venturing deeply into it one could notice that they were not just used to symbolize the Royalty of Maharajas but were used by common people of the state as well as means of transportation. These Tangas’ enhanced the decorum of the state and remained a part of entire Kashmir besides it symbolized tradition on the roads. But like every other thing pertinent to the culture of Kashmir, it had to face a declination, the causes being obvious, i.e. modernization and lack of interest by the people to know their culture or save it with time, it became less in number and then eventually nearly invisible from Kashmir but fortunately people of Sopore have somehow withheld this culture of Tangas’ but gradually here too we are witnessing a decline due to various reasons. Only few Tangas can be now seen actively running on the streets of the town. Tanga is cheap, eco friendly and moreover the people can experience the taste of the culture they once used to have. Motor vehicles have taken a huge toll in the town which has resulted in the gradual decline of the Tanga system and their number has reduced to a few. We have experienced a great downfall in their number due to large availability and number of passenger busses, Sumos etc that have made the Sopore town crowed. Once the most sought after transportation, very few people ride Tangas’ nowadays. On one side when our rich culture and heritage finds a place in every nook and corner of Sopore but the Tanga ,is fading into oblivion. The few that remain are now plying only in certain parts of main town Sopore. While in metropolitan cities Tangas’ offer sheer pleasure to tourists but in Sopore they are taken as a reason for traffic mess. Ghulam Mohammed War on a routine basis gets up early in morning, feeds his horse and leaves home at 8 in morning. ‘Tic Tac’ horse clopping rather wakes up the neighbors from their sleep. War never knows whether to get any money or not, enough to feed his children back home and the horse, who works not less than a machine. Mere few pennies for a royal travel is no way helping Ghulam Mohammad War and dozens of other Tanga owners. Ghulam Mohammed War the local Tanga driver is involved in this profession for last
35 years. He claims that the time has totally changed and his professional life is full of hardships now. Recalling the time when he was new in this profession he used to get lot of respect for being a Tanga driver as it was the major means of transport and people were fully dependent on it, because the number of cars ‘ busses etc at that time were a few and not everyone could effort to use them. So his Tanga was greatly used and admired but only recently in these few years my profession had experienced a huge setback due to the increased number of cars and local busses in the town as everyone prefers to travel by them and they fell disgust using their traditional Tanga. Thus making it hard for me to earn my bread and butter. While mentioning the callous approach of the Govt towards restoring the lost pride of Tangas’ he said that the Govt had offered them Auto rickshaws’ and in exchange demanded to give up using Tangas’ but it is totally unacceptable as his forefathers were involved in this profession and it is not possible for him to give it up. He said that if proper measures are not taken to restore these Tangas’ time is not far when these Tangas’ will fully extinct from the town. A local shopkeeper said, “What needs to be done is attention and care to save this beautiful heritage so that our future generations can experience the things their Kashmir once had and be proud of it”. Locals, Govt. officials, each and every person of the society should take measures to save our beautiful heritage. It’s our responsibility to look after it. The Tanga may not be in sync with modern life but people of Sopore have fond memories of it. Says a nostalgic Rahti Begum: “We used to go to school in a Tanga. It was melancholic. And whenever I use to visit any relative, I still prefer it to a motorized vehicle.” Fatima begum an elderly lady from Sopore shares her childhood experiences being attached with Tanga. She describes how the people of that time were dependent on Tanga’s for nearly everything but now there are only a few left and this adds to her dismay as she has grown up enjoying the royal rides. She wants this culture to be conserved so that her grandchildren could experience the legacy of these grand rides. Abdul Rahman Dar, a businessman from Srinagar, said: “I used to be in Sopore and the Tanga ride there was an out-of-the-world experience. Sitting in the cart, I felt like a maharaja. But I’m surprised that government has done nothing to keep this tradition rolling on wheels. I was sad to see the pathetic condition of the tangas’ in the town. I had longed to view Sopore market, this Jehlum at a slow pace rather than whiz past them in a car.” In this town jammed with cars, buses and fruit carrying trucks, this cheap and pollution free mode of transport has taken a beating from all sides. Every other day the number of vehicles increase thereby creating the traffic jams but every other person blames the Tanga owners. Most of the people may not like to travel in Tangas citing fast life, globalization and sometimes their status as the reason, but preserving culture is also a way of fighting foreign cultural incursion.
Sahil Pandithpuri The Unsung Hero Of Kashmir Poetry Amidst the lands of Humpora and Pandithpora the famous personality of the area namely Sahil Pandithpuri was born. The literal name of Sahil Pandithpora is Abdul Subhan Naikoo, this is unfortunate that there is no authentic or written documentary available about his actual birth date, but as per the ancestors Sahil Sahib was born some 90 years back in a village known as Pandithpora, Langate. His father’s name was Abdul Ahad Naikoo and the people of said area quote about Sahil Sahib being born healthy, energetic, beautiful and his eyes were deep circular shaped. Sahil Sahib was only 2 years old when he started talking just like a matured person. He was a phenomenal figure right from his birth but unfortunately he became victim of a deadly disease called as Smallpox, when he was only 6.This disease totally destroyed the able bodied Sahil besides costing him his eyesight at the tender age. After that he almost remained in the dark room of his house for a period of 4 years. On those days there weren’t radios and televisions, this was the reason that the citizens of the area started singing and dancing especially on the marriage nights. Sahil was a big lover of singing that is why whenever his ears feel the tune of duff and singing, he felt restless and used to reach the singing party despite being barred by parents. There he used to play duff and used to repeat those songs loudly back at his home. When Sahil Sahib was about 17 years old, he joined the fellowship of local Imam namely Peer Ali Shah on the advice of his father. Nimaaz and other basic fundamentals he attained through him. Although he was unable to see things but his other sense organs were so active that whatever teacher taught him, he remembered that bit by bit. For further education, he was sent to Peer Yaseen and under his shade around in one year he memorized major portion of Quran and Hadiths. Being a fan of duff and songs, Sahil Pandithpuri in 1942 with some local youth of the area found his own singing party. His party was so renowned in the whole area, that whenever there was any marriage ceremony or other function he was always invited to enthrall the audience. Nature had presented all the necessary things to Sahil which singer needs for singing. He was very much busy in singing when year of partition 1947 ringed the door, there
I DON’T MIND BEING A MARTYR... By MARIAM NAIK Not everyone will have the heart you have, Not everyone will understand your path, Your path is one you create for yourself,not for them; Nothing to regret, Something to aspire! Not everyone will understand what you do for them. But I’m enough, Enough for me, And I am enough for me, As long as I know I’m giving it my all, ‘Coz all spiritual journeys are martrydoms... Yes I don’t! I don’t mind being a martyr, If being one would mean to be remembered, As those elite scholars and interpids, Being novice of revolution who did great deeds, Those martinets,evangelistic and knighters, Fought till last breath of being mother land fighters... For never letting go of that passionate desire, That eventually kills us all ... Yes I’m not .. I’m not scared to be the one ... To let my life for everyone ... Yes I don’t! I don’t mind being a martyr... I just pray,I can heal myself, Let go of things not meant for me; May my pride pave the way,to the person I’m proud to be; And find comfort in my Solitude!
By BANI UMER
was hue and cry in every division of India. This was the reason that Sahil said final good bye to his passion of singing. It is said due to this destruction he became victim of tension and depression due to which he left everything and in order to gain Islamic knowledge he went to a nearby village ‘Bicherwara’ where famous Islamic personality Molvi Abdul Kabir was sharing his knowledge. Molvi Kabir was Mureed of Fakeer-E-Millat Syed Mirak Shah Kashani R.A and he was gaining spiritual knowledge from Kashani Sahib. One day Pandithpuri also went with Molvi s Sahib in order to meet with Syed Mirak Shah Kashyani. When he determined the face of Sahil, he kissed his forehead. It is there where he started reciting Kashmiri Sufiana and Naatiya poetry. First he started writing under the name of ‘Hafiz Aame Pandithpori’ but later on he chose Sahil Pandithpori as permanent appellation (Takhalus) His poetry has not one phase, but he wrote poems on Political and social matters, he also wrote Naats, Hamud, Madah, Hijoo,Gazals etc. It is said that he mostly wrote poems after hearing the poetry of other poets, because he was an active listener of Radio. When late Fazil Kashmiris poem ‘Kral Koor’ was on the tongue of every person and especially in villages people were singing this poem on both seasons. Those days Sahil Pandithpuri wrote a beautiful poem “Kandrani Yae “in which every verse of the poem was magical and beautiful. Only few were known to his poetry. Being a basic member of ‘Kaajnag cultural forum QaziAbad’ it was decided in the meeting that his work will be given a shape in written form. This was the blessing of Allah and genius mind of Sahil Pandithpuri that he collected all poems according to date and time of writing with help of his neighbor and friend Master Abdul Ahad . Although Sahil Pandithpuri died on 8 January 2015 at the age 91,but he is still alive in the heart of fans because of his remarkable poetry. As per his last wish he was buried in the graveyard of neighbouring village Humpora Langate. Writer is Studying at Amar Singh college Srinagar and can be reached at baniumer@ gmail.com .
A media graduate from Govt. Degree College Baramulla who kept on changing streams from time to time until he achieved his dream. Shahnaz Ahmed, a young social-entrepreneur from Kanispora, Baramulla did his post graduation in Sociology, from HNB Garhwal University Uttrakhand. While it is very much important to follow the suggestions of your elders but it is much required of a person to listen to one’s heart. Shahnaz did something extra ordinary, unacceptable to his family and Kashmir society but today he has made them proud. During the studies of mass communication & Video Production at graduation level he was not prone towards the government sector jobs, in fact very much interested in ventures with scale; passionate about the social entrepreneurship and loved to network with people who have an expertise in management and operations. Entrepreneur with a passion for creating scalable model of learning, Shahnaz always dreamed of being a social entrepreneur; a global phenomenon that impacts the lives of citizens by using innovative approaches to solving social problems. During his college days, when his colleagues were busy discussing Govt. sector jobs, unlike to them he was not inclined towards the government sector job. But he started a vocational computer training centre by investing his pocket money and some bucks from maternal grandfather. For Shahnaz, it was very much difficult in the beginning to survive because of no funds available. Financing the venture via bank was something out of box, because of societal pressure. Shahnaz says that his parents were not supportive because of government job phobia and still remembers the day when he had to manage the salary of peon at his computer centre. But now same Shahnaz is paying salary to more than 20 staff members at his two ventures. He has a registered trust under the name of ‘Socio-Economic Research Foundation’ also. The moto of the trust is to work for the benefit of the society especially via transforming education system in Kashmir valley. Focused to work as a key player in Social Entrepreneurship by establishing the educational institutes in the valley, which can generate the jobs for the local youth and make them economically and socially fruitful, Shahnaz is actually a role model for the youth who still lay back in hope of a government job. In 2009, as a founder he started Institute of Computer Studies (ICS), which is doing a commendable job of imparting technical education among the masses. ICS runs Vocational courses certified by ALMA Ltd, an International Organisation and also endow the students with career guidance for the further education. ICS, a pioneer in the field of training &career guidance, has been a pace setting Institution ever since its inception. March 2013, being the Chairman of Socio-Economic Research Foundation Shahnaz started a school in a rented building under the banner name of “The Prestige International School”which is led and managed by the same trust. The trust has the objective to develop infrastructure for education in different fields of the education domain. The school now owns a new beautiful campus for which Shahnaz Ahmed have to strive hard. With intake capacity of 400 students in ground floor, the new campus is laced with modern facilities. Shahnaz is very much hopeful to increase the intake capacity up to 1500 students in next couple of years, besides the trust has a proposal to start the higher education in the field of Management, Engineering and Medicines. In 2014-15, Shahnaz took an initiative in sports sector also and started a Club under the banner name of Royal Rebels supported by Socio Economic Research Foundation. Royal Rebels is a platform for those promising cricketers who intend to show their talent. Shahnaz believes that to set up a school is the best way to work for the betterment of the society. It’s the school education which is in forefront of producing the best human beings like doctors, engineers, technocrats and many more, and it also helps to generate employments in the region. As the Prestige International School aims to be an institution of excellence, dedicated to produce future leaders, he also plan to expand this concept all over India in near future via franchisee model system. He is of the opinion that if you really want to give anything to the society, give them the real education; because education is the real infrastructure, which is the need of an hour; Education is a vital input for the growth of society as well as to an individual; education opens new horizons, creates new aspirations and develops new values. Moreover, the social entrepreneur works hard to change the mind-set of the people of the state who have a phobia of government jobs by providing the awareness of the entrepreneurships at his school. His message for youth is to dream big, work hard in silence let your success make the noise; have a life of projects and never ending successes and at the end of the day motivation to lead a good life and to be the future leader.
Genius minds apply those things in real life, what they are taught at colleges and universities. Aatif Majeed Wasil and Saqib Majeed Wasil did the same. Wasil brothers’, born to a doctor father and teacher mother, never expected something out of box, but an earning with hard work and honesty. Aatif Wasil, the eldest of the two brothers, graduated in commerce at Shri Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain College (SBMJC) Bangalore and later on did his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM), Delhi- one of the topmost business schools of India. Aatif was interested in commerce during his early years when he was in his 12th standard. Despite knowing that there is no such scope for business here in Kashmir, Aatif came back and took over his business which his younger brother Saqib Majid Wasil started way back in 2009. Saqib with a degree in commerce from Christ College Bangalore, Karnataka with more than 90% marks to his name, was looking after Hindustan Unilever Pureit- an in-home water purifier for whole of North Kashmir. Aatif an MBA pass out advised his younger brother Saqib to go for a practical work instead of theoretical course. Saqib shunned the idea of going for an MBA degree and stuck to his roots and started working in new projects at his home town Baramulla accompanying his brother Aatif. Both have introduced ‘brand shopping’ in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Not only this, they now provide jobs to many an unemployed youth at their store, who fortunately too are well educated. Wasil Brothers, started ‘Lollipop’ (designer children clothing), an Ahmadabad based Franchise in August 2012, which in early days saw no seekers but now shoppers prefer branded clothes for their kids. Later on in 2013, they started ‘First Cry’ (Asia’s Largest Online Baby and Kids Store). In 2015, Wasils’ went for another quest of opening Country Hill (Men’s Clothing Accessories) with Valleys ace cricketer Parvez Rasool inaugurating the brand. Wasils’, despite facing a lot of hindrances never looked back. In the initial years, there were no seekers as people knew nothing about brands. Launching a brand was something difficult in this part of world. Aatif claims that people expect you to make a discount on every other product but in case of brand, you can’t, which for time being proved very much tough for the business. Wasils’ believe that there is a huge scope for business in Kashmir but once you face the hurdles you have to stand like a rock and never to look back. Though he also blames the ‘bigwigs’ of not giving young unemployed a chance to galore. The rates in market are so high, that at times you have to think twice whether to open a business venture or not. A common man cannot purchase a shop worth lacs when he has to start it at first. If the rental of shops will decrease, I am sure more unemployed youth will enter this field. A message which Aatif Majeed Wasil wants to convey to new entrepreneurs is that you can do it, but please do it with honesty and stay away from interest based banking. Aatif also holds an Islamic Studies degree to his name. Pertinently, Country Hill, the store for Men’s Clothing has introduced Country-Club, an extraordinary rewards program designed exclusively for Country Hill regular customers where they can earn points on every purchase, redeem points on subsequent purchases and get exclusive offers. Club Loyalty Program will be applicable at all the Country Hill LocationsBoth KIDS & MENS.
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