in bits and pieces
Article on Bhand Pather, folk drama art from Kashmir, by Moti Lal Kemmu. Translated from Kashmiri by Shashishekhar Toshkhani. From Sangeet Natak Journal of NSD. Vol XLV. No.3-4. 2011. From personal collection of Shashishekhar Toshkhani, shared by Pratush Koul.
This Essay is translated from Chapter 2 of Moti Lal Kemmu “BhandNatyam” (2001) written in Kashmiri [link to Kashmiri version]
Rehman Rahi & Shafi Shauq interview Dinanath Nadim for Radio Kashmir in around 1983. From personal collection of his son Ahinsa Kaul and daughter-in-law Vijay Kaul. Shared by Pratush Koul.
Note: Viceroy Lord Reading visited Kashmir in 1924. Coming of comets as portent of doom is a theme in Kashmiri history, going back to Śrīvara recording arrival of Halley’s comet in 1456 just before death of Budshah.
Kashmiri language documentary on life and work of Pushkar Bhan by Ashok Bhan. From around 2008-9 for DD.
Some evocative enactment by M.L. Kemmu of soundcape from 1940s Kashmir, the era in which Pushkar Bhan arrived on scene. With comments by artists/broadcasters Mehraj-Ud-Din, Sharif-Ud-Din, Mohd. Sultan Pandit, Rita Jitendra, Bashir Arif, AB. Rehman Bhat etc
And some sound extracts from radio shows “Machama” and “Zoon Dub” (no recording of which are still publicly available).
Some extracts from tele-show version of “Hero Machama”.
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From personal collection of his son Ashok Bhan. Shared by Pratush Koul.
Essay in Kashmiri, “Shhitha Pompur” by Dinanath Nadim. Radio Kashmir recording. From personal collection of his son Ahinsa Kaul and daughter-in-law Vijay Kaul. Shared by Pratush Koul.
Butterfly as a metaphor for an artist.
A SearchKashmir production. 15th in the series.
A love song of Habba seen as a play of nafs
Lyrics: Habba Khatoon
Singer | Music: Rishab Raino
Backing Vocals: Yasir Bashir
Mix and Master: Rishab Raino
Recorded at MIM Studio
D.O.P: Sameer Malik
Video Editing: Rishab Raino
Video Colouring & Grading: Basit Ali Rajput
Video Director: Rishab Raino
Cast: Rishab Raino, Tahir Qureshi, Shujah Maqbool, Azhar
Story: Rishab Raino & Sameer Akhon
Screenplay and Storyboard: Rishab Raino
Costume Designer: Shahid Rashid
Casting Director: Ayaaz Nishaat
Production Manager: Reography
Line Production: Dark House Production
Producer: SearchKashmir
Special Thanks: Jhelum Restaurant & Team
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Lyrics and translation:
Walvay gachavai handey,
Come, let us gather Dandelions,
Laanyum nyai kati andey,
It was fate, not meant to be
Loo’ka’ ma’ti ka’dnas randey,
All that people now offer is abjection.
Walo myaani poshey madano!
Come back my flower, my God, my Love!
cholhama
He is gone
roshey
enraged
madano
My Love
cholhama
He is gone
Walvay gachavai babrey,
Come my friends, let us gather Basil,
Chhokh me’ loinam tabrey,
My beauty he threw to axe, it went to pieces,
kahsa sooj nam na khabrey,
No one he sent to enquire of me
Walo myaani poshey madano!
Come back my flower, my God, my Love!
cholhama
He is gone
roshey, madano, cholhama
enraged , My Love, He is gone
Walvay gachavai aabas,
Come my friends, let us go to the river,
aabas
to the river
Dunya chhu nendri ti khaabas,
While the world is still asleep and dreaming,
khaabas
dreaming
Praaran tahindey jawaabas,
I await, I wait your answer
Walo myaani poshey madano!
Come back my flower, my God, my Love!
cholhama
He is gone
roshey, madano, cholhama
enraged , My Love, He is gone
Video interview of Radio Kashmir legend Pushkar Bhan (1926- 2008) in “Bulaye na bane” for DDKashmir broadcast in late 90s. From personal collection of his son Ashok Bhan. Shared by Pratush Koul.
Some interesting bits on how the famous radio plays produced by Pushkar Bhan came into being.
The only surviving video interview of great Kashmiri Poet Dinanath Nadim (1916–1988) . Produced by Bashir Ahmed (?) for Doordarshan Kendra Kashmir and broadcast in 1987. This is a VHS copy made available by Ahinsa Kaul, son of Dinanath Nadim. Special thanks to Pratush Koul for reaching out to poet’s family. The family had asked their Muslim neighbour to record the interview at the time of broadcast as they had a VCR. Nadim never saw the video and the family kept the recording, digitalising it more than a decade back, but revisited and shared now.
Nadim remembers his childhood, his Bhagat Singh days, his early political and ideological influences, him finding his voice, he recites some of his famous works that enriched Kashmiri language with a verve that was uniquely Nadim.
It is 87. He has just been given a life time reward. There is an undercurrent of violence brimming in society. Maybe he knows what is coming. He breaks down reciting “peace”.
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A SearchKashmir production. 14th in the series.
A new version of Mahmood Gami classic. The brief for this one was simple: shoot on a tonga.
Singer: Rahul Wanchoo
Music: San J Saini
Edit/ Color Grade : Umar Hamid
Drone : Music Dabaav
Video : Umar Hamid, Anu Anaf
Poster: Sakib Rather
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Lyrics and translation:
Vesiye Su Gulfam Yaad Aam Yaad Aam
Friend, that beautiful one, I remember, I remember
Khoshrukh Khosh Andam Yaad Aam Yad Aam
That body beautiful, that beautiful face, I remember, I remember
Shahbad Achbal rozum tas tchiz kal
On my mind at Shahbad, Achabal
Lolaab Sagaam
Lolab and Sogam
Yaad Aam Yaad Aam
I remember, I remember
daren dareechan baladaren pyeth
on windows and pavilions
darkhaiyn parwaan
maker’s chisel fell in love
Yaad Aam Yaad Aam
I remember, I remember
Az Waadi dith tem karnas faramosh
You promised and then forgot
Az subhu ta shaam
from morning till night
Yaad Aam Yaad Aam
I remember, I remember
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The audio version is based on the old original version sung by Khemlata Dhar for Radio Kashmir composed by and additional lyrics by Rasa Javedani. [via: Jaya Parimoo..music director was one sabherwal of Delhi working for Radio Kashmir. Check the version here ]
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A SearchKashmir production. 13th in the series.
A new audio-visual interpretation of Rasul Mir’s classic qalaam. The visuals are spin on works of Dali. The story is a bit of Adam-Eve, some elements of Joseph, and Dante. And then of course there is Kashmir. The Ka of water, the Ka of Kashyap the Kachua, the Ka of Kashmir.
Lyrics and translation
ba ti na yi durer chon zaray
This separation from you
I can no longer bear
bal marayo
surely I will die young
kyah karai thovtham zara zaray
bal marayo
cut to pieces, what to do?
surely I will die young
shahmar zulf nal wolnam
rood afsanay
Your snake tresses entangled me
all that remained was a tale
wyon wantam kem afsaan paray
Tell me, what other tales should I tell
bal marayo
surely I will die young
sharmanda karthas aftabo
kandharich zoon
I, moon of Kandahar was put to shame
by you, the brilliant sun
kaji chani gajisay lajisa daray
awaiting your hour, dissolved in your memory
bal marayo
surely I will die young
anyi gatti vaninam nani kathay
am lal faroshan
in darkness he revealed the naked truth
that dealer of precious stones
kani manz neyran jawharay
a stone split, a gem was revealed
bal marayo
surely I will die young
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Audio credits:
Singer / Composer – Kartik Koul
Lyrics – Rasul Mir
Music produced and live harmonium by Akash Sage
Additionally Music Produced by Kartik Koul and Ssameer
Music Arranged by Kartik Koul and Ssameer
Live Guitar performed by Ssameer Mix
Master – Ssameer
Video credits: Made using the talent from Bakarmax
Direction, Story: Vinayak Razdan
Animation Director: Subin Philip
Animation: Subin Philip, Anis Talpade
Backgrounds: Aditi Dixit
Character keys: Anis Talpade
Storyboard: Subin Philip
Compositing: Subin Philip
Bakarmax team: Rachit Verma and Sumit Kumar
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Listen and download
In 1981 census there were about 124,078 Hindus in valley, bulk of them KP. Just 3.96 % of whole Kashmir valley population of about 31 Lakh. Down from 5 % pre-47 [In 1941 only about 85000 KPs were living in valley]. In 1981, 59449 Hindus were in Srinagar of total population of 708328. Thus about 8.39 % of Srinagar was Hindu down from 10.02% of 1971 [56,566/564,314]. In 1981, additional 0.96 of Srinagar was non-Muslim [bulk of them about 6,334 Sikhs].
Breakup of Hindus in other districts of valley.
Anantnag 24,731/656,351 = 3.76%
Pulwama 10,096/404,078 = 2.49%
Badgam 9,642/367,262. = 2.62 %
Baramula 13,513/670,142. = 2.01% [ Additional 9,806 Sikhs, this being the district with their highest presence]
Kupwara 6,647/328,743. = 2%
According to South Asia Terrorism Portal, based on media reports, in 1990 about 862 civilians were killed [According to MEA, 461 civilians killed in 1990. FIR in not more than 30+ cases] Of these about 177 were Hindu; a disproportionate 20%.
J&K State govt. figure for killed KPs in 3 decades is 216. Kashmir based KP body now gives the number as 670. Bulk of these are from year 1990. A KP civil organization in early 90s gives names, location of killed Hindus, mostly KPs. 298 killed in 1990. Of them 127 in Srinagar. Between 1987- March 1990, only 10 KPs assassinated. Yet, friends and foes alike warn of the doom impending. March onward KPs start leaving from valley. Killings start. April there is almost 1 KP killed each day. Bulk of KP leave by April. In summer 1990 genocide launched on few remaining KPs and those staying to work, May-June-July, 2 KPs killed each day. And this when bulk of 1 Lakh+ KPs had already left. By end of September 1990 KP genocide complete with change in demography of valley as only handful KPs remain who spend next few decades as nothing more than hostages.
The demographic profile of KPs tells us if KPs had stayed on and killings continued in same pattern (as later mass massacres in valley showed rate would have been much worse and no one would have been bothered), the community did not have the no. to sustain a healthy population and would have been annihilated.
In 1981, KP ethnic group had the highest no. of elderly per 100 among all the communities in entire state. It also has the lowest children per 100 among all the communities[ 0-14 years (28 percent)]. They had more old people and lesser children than any community percentage wise. It is profile of a community that on surface looks healthy but a community that is shrinking in a hostile environment but optimizing for survival by the only way it knows, adapting to modern ways. This progressive community after 100 years of struggle now had the best ratio of men to women working in state. For every 2 working men there was 1 woman. 86.6 percent women. 86.6 percent women were educated as compared to 84.5 men.
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Ref:
A Demographic Profile of the People of Jammu and Kashmir. M.K. Bhasin and Shampa Nag. J. Hum. Ecol., 13 (1-2): 1-55 (2002)
1981 Census Report
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124,078 KP may seem a small number. But, you just have to compare with right figure.
In 1981, 68376 was population of buddhists in Leh + Kargil. In 1941, the total population of the region now known as Union territory of Ladakh was about 40000 [compare with 85000 KPs in valley in 41 ]. In 1947-48, it is this Ladakh that also Pakistani forces tried to annihilate and claim. In 2011, Ladakh’s total population grew to about 274000 (H+M+Oth). And they are now a union territory. Free. By that account, it is very convincing to believe that since 1947 about 6 Lakh KPs are now floating internally displaced persons with no territory. Numbers hostage to fractions and percentage of whole valley. That should help people understand what has actually happened to Kashmiri pandits. Today there are about 6000 KPs in Kashmir.