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| Peace brigades marching towards Srinagar on the eve of taking over the emergency administration of the State by Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah in 1947 Photographer: [K.N. (?)] Bamzai. [Photodivision India] |
Collected this story in Jammu while walking my father’s Badi Maami to the main road as there was no light in the lanes. She had heard Kashmir interests me. In darkness, in between pauses of heavy breath, while slow walking, she told me about death of her brother in 1947.
Few remember those dead people now. Few know their stories. He died so young. My brother…Bira…Somnath Koul Bira. He was with Shiekh. He was part of Militia. The ‘National Militia’. They defended Kashmir. When Kabailis attacked. They fought back. He died. There was communal unrest in Doda [then still part of Udhampur District]. Tribals were raiding. Hindus and Sikhs were killing Muslims. Muslims were killing Hindus. 700 people from Srinagar volunteered to go there as ‘Peace Bridage’. My brother was one of the leaders. Peace was established. But he never returned. There were stories. Stories of foul play. I was told he died even before reaching Doda. On the way they had to cross a bridge over Chenab. While crossing the bridge, they came under fire. I was told he fell in Chenab. He was gone.
Somnath Koul Bira was among the bright crop of young student leaders that came out of Lahore. Among his friends were Professor Apurab Somnath [Bakhiri] and Professor Durrani.
In 1947, a close to 600 Kashmiri Pandits were part of the Kashmir Militia. A lot of them communists.
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| Photograph of Somnath Bira, young man at the back in dark coat, pomaded hair parted neatly and a fountain pen in breast pocket. From personal collection of Somnath Bira’s brother Jawahar Kaul Bira based now based in Gurgaon. Shared by Anil Taku, nephew of Somnath Bira. |
Based on an online conversation here’s what I could gather:
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Mehmood Hashmi went on to write a reportage in 1950 based on his experiences. ‘Kashmir Udaas Hai’ published in Pakistan is considered first of its kind book in Urdu. He worked in the parallel government for some years and then moved to England in 1970s where he continued to work for promotion of Urdu language.
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Feb, 2019
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| Pushkar Zadoo [via: FB] |
I wonder whether Ram Piara Saraf was part of this Kashmir Militia. I know he was a Kashmiri Pandit and a member of the Communist Party of India.
I don't know…but my guess is the would be Naxal leader of the state (who later returned to mainstream politics), Ram Piara Saraf was probably in Jammu given that his home town and birth place was Samba. May be he did visit those area. Or maybe he was outside state…given that he was only 24 at the time probably finishing MA.
April 1961, R.P. Saraf was the first Kashmiri elected to the Indian Communist Party's national council. I wonder if he was related to D.N. Saraf writer of 'Art and Crafts Jammu and Kashmir Land People Culture' (1987), also a native of samba.
Hi Vinayak
Who was the source of Som nath Bira story who actually happens to be real uncle. Your brief gives some perspective of what happened. I have heard some rumblings or fantasies if you may but never close to the context you captured..
Thank You much …
My brother in law today ( in fact 2 hrs back) mentioned about your website and am happy about your evocative writing as I browse thru the content..
Would like to catch up with you and would appreciate if you contact me @
gupt1ganga[at]gmail.com
Very Best
sumaid kaul
Hello Sumaid,
some details of the story and the photograph were sent Anil Taku (), who happens to be my father's mamutur'boi. Regards,
Vinayak
Hi Vinayak
Thanks for this article. Som Nath Bira happened to be uncle( chacha) and a perspective what actually unfolded during that time..
Would like to stay in touch and please feel to communicate with me @ gupt1ganga[at]gmail.com..
Best
Sumaid Kaul
Ramesh Tamiri: "I can recognise two other persons in this photograph–Prof.HN Durani and Prof.Zind Lal Zalla.The latter was Bira's classmate while they were Postgraduate students in History.Zalla was not a Marxist .Decades later in late seventies he wrote one of the finest pieces on Marx's contribution in history. I wonder if that paper was published somewhere.SomNath Bira’s thesis in Postgraduation was ‘Kashmir in the eyes of Foreign Travellers.I had the opportunity to meet close associates of Bira—PN Jalali,ML Misri,Peer Giyasuddin,NN Raina,Reshi Dev ,ON Trisal ,etc and know first hand the story of left movement in Kashmir."