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Barf, Dhoop aur Chinar
It is in such a mood that Zakir fashions the variegated images of his beloved home state in this collection of short stories. The protagonist in each story narrates the tale in first person. One may be forgiven for presuming that, to a large extent, the narratives reflect the author’s own first-hand experiences, recollections and reactions thereto. In Carvan-e-aman, the plot begins when he is a child in Poonch, where his father is on the British Resident’s staff. English lady-tutors at home and a convent education helps him imbibe enduring Christian values. He lovingly describes the region’s charming salient features like the Jhelum, the Shalimar and Nishat gardens, Chashmashahi, Dal Lake, the Shankaracharya temple etc. That he uses well-preserved Chinar leaves as bookmarks underscores the intensity of his feelings for Kashmir. The chance encounter in Sector–17 market with Rajinder, his classmate and bęte noire at Jammu’s Prince of Wales College, triggers off the nostalgia that metamorphosed into this story. In Meri guftagoo aap se he dwells upon the formation of Jammu and its history as well as mythology. We learn that Jammu was founded by Raja Rambilochan; that Jhelum was originally known as Teesta; that the city’s predecessor was Dharanagari; that Kalidas belonged to this city and other such facts. The narrative also tries to go to the root cause of the present unrest. He suggests that, perhaps, identity crisis is one of the factors responsible for the unrest The stories are not merely about the region’s beauty or its history and mythology. Some of these deal with the nitty-gritty of contemporary human relationships, especially equations among communities. Bulawa highlights the skein and their poignancy. A lone Hindu family lives in pre-Independence Jammu’s Muslim locality. During communal riots, the Hindu family used to be protected by local Muslims. The Hindu boy falls in love with Salma, whose family lives across the road. Predictably, the communal divide ensures that their love remains unrequited. Salma’s brother, Akhtar, dies in police firing while fighting for India’s freedom. He is buried in Jammu. Salma declares that after her death she should be buried by the side of her brother’s tomb. But the Partition takes Salma and her family to Pakistan. When she dies there her wish remains unfulfilled. Zakir also deals with the extant situation in J&K, viz., how terrorists are determined to thwart all efforts to usher peace into the region. Aman kay safeer has the April 6, 2005 episode as the background of its narrative. The bus for Muzzaffarabad was to leave Srinagar when terrorists struck the tourist centre’s reception hall. Luckily the passengers escaped. The author wonders whether Kashmir can still be described as the firdaus of this planet. Then there are a couple of stories that deal with weightier matters of life. In Yatra say lautee pavittar ladki, a young girl has an ethereal experience at the Amarnath Cave. She seems to have an evolved sensibility. This comes out during her discussion with the author when she points out the fallacy in his description of Christ, Buddha and Gandhi as speakers of truth. She asserts that, in fact, all the three were seekers of truth. Similarly, in Avanti Varman ki beti there is a stimulating discussion between the author and Karuna – a research scholar of history. They talk of the exact spot where Krishna gave Gita Gyan and revealed his viraat roop to Arjuna; and the power of faith that makes people observe various rituals that are timeless, e.g., bathing in Kurukshetra’s Jyoti Sarovar. This book should interest all those who wish to get acquainted with Kashmir’s history. Zakir has dedicated this book to a fellow-Kashmiri, and present Chief Minister of J&K, Ghulam Nabi Azad, with whose family his family has traditional teacher-taught ties. |
SNOW or barf represents
pristine purity and dhoop or sunlight conveys natural warmth. Add
to this chinar trees, and one gets the essence of Kashmiri culture –
beautiful, warm and pure. At the spectrum’s other end, contrary traits
too become manifest as snow can freeze and the sun burn. This volume
does acknowledge the validity of a Persian poet’s exclamation, Gar
firdaus barruaye zamin ast/ hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast (If
there’s a paradise on earth it is this, it is this, it is this.) It
also attempts to show the warts that have recently pockmarked the
enchanting landscape.