in bits and pieces
From ‘League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ (Vol III) Century #3. ()
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Kashmir in Jonathan series ‘L’espace bleu entre les nuages‘ (The blue space between the clouds) by swiss artist Cosey (Bernard Cosandey) for Tintin Magazine No.147, July 4, 1978.
The plot revolves around sale of rare European paintings meant to fund a militant movement run from Srinagar. The movement in this case happens to be a veiled reference to ‘Free Tibet’ movement whose main agents have taken refuge in Kashmir.
Much like the old European travellogues, Srinagar here is presented as the springboard to the roof of the world. The comic comes from a time when comics were art, this collection apparently is supposed to be read with the background score of Beethoven (Concerto No. 3 in C minor op. 37) and Chopin (Concerto No. 2 in F minor op. 21).
Tintin Magazine was meant to be a space where new and future comic works by various artists could be showcased. ‘L’espace bleu entre les nuages’ as a complete work came out later in 1980.
At that time the west seemed to be much taken by Tibet, in this particular issue of the magazine, I would find two more comics themed around Tibet.
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Previously:
Kashmir in Indian Comics
It was around 1989 in Kashmir that I first discovered the world of comics. I came across a treasure chest belonging to an elder cousin. I remember staying up all night, my first all nighter, to go through his entire collection comprising mostly of Phantom of Indrajal comics. I remember witnessing my first break of dawn from a window of my Massi’s place in Chanpore. I was seven, I couldn’t actually read those comics. Comprehending words was a challenge. Bubbles in the panels, a puzzle. But it was the colorful images in those panels that spoke to me. They spoke of some other magical worlds. A world were guns went ‘RaTaRaTa’, punches went ‘WHAAM’ and men went ‘UUg’.
Recently, after having helped in a minor way in the creation of a new generation of comic in India on Kashmir and that too with a high dose of History, I couldn’t help but wonder what Kashmir, the place, its people, looked like in earlier Indian comics.
The most obvious place to start was Amar Chitra Katha.
If it’s Amar Chitra Katha, it has to be history. Amar Chitra Katha has a bunch of issues based on stories from Kalhana’s Rajatarangini. Here the action is based in Kashmir (and please note Dharmendra or Amitabh was not the first hero to battle a wild cat, Jaydpeeda of Kashmir was). Some issues carry stories from Somadeva’s Katha Sarit Sagara (in which we have more of Ujjain), and there are are some ancient ‘travelogue’ issues in which we see a panel of Kashmir (like in case of comic on Hiuen Tsang). That’s about it.
Next, we pick Indrajal. In its ‘War-Series’ comics, in one on China war of 1962, we see a glimpse of peaceful Ladakh.
That’s about it. But then in late 1980s, just as Kashmir began to simmer like never before, and just as Indrajal’s readership was dwindling, Kashmir became a central prop for one of the ‘newest’ action hero’s created indigenously at Indrajal.
Dara, urf Rana Vikram Bir Singh, urf Raja Saheb, an flamboyant ex-prince of Kashmir who secretly works for Indian Intelligence Wing run by one Mr.Rao. In all there were about 8 issues published after which not only the series but Indrajal too shut shop. Of these 8 issues at least two stories are based in Kashmir – ‘The Savage Mercenary’ (with some of the action taking place on snow capped mountains) and ‘Sparks of Treason’. Of these two, ‘Sparks of Treason’ is the most interesting specimen of ‘Kashmir issue in Indian Comics’.
The title and the cover sets the tone. Dara the super spy is called in by Mr.Rao to save Kashmir from a gang of Agent provocateurs who are tying to spark treason.
The way that story unfold reminds one of the gratuitous Hindi films on Kashmir made in 1990s. And this comic came out in 1989.
Some interesting panels.
The way the situation is sorted out in the comic reminds one of a recent statement by Union minister Jairam Ramesh, “Spy agencies dictate Kashmir policy.“
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With expert inputs from yours truly…first part of the last concluding part of Sumit Kumar’s ‘Kashmir Ki Kahani’ is out. Read and become an instant expert on Masala-e-Kashmir. Check it out at newslaundry.com
Expert comments like: “But…but… Ornub, back then times-n-climes were different… we forget Maqbool Butt was handed over to the police by a Kashmiri Mob who didn’t know or care who he was…I am only talking about the social narratives that have been undermined by the mainstream media….” are welcome. As are comments like: “Indian Trith”
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Previously: Comic Story of Kashmir
Cross-posted at my other blog.
If you know a Kashmiri who you would, just out of common courtesy, ask a question about Kashmir, a simple ‘Aur Aaj Kal Waha Kay Halaat Kaisay Hai?’ but then end-up praying to your God may guy please drop dead because he wouldn’t just shut up going on and on about Kashmir until you have learn’t by heart all the clauses and sub-clauses in article 370 and the exact chronology of signing of the Instrument of Accession, before you even get a chance to offer your sympathies or apologies, leave alone a solution, that there, that crazy Kashmiri guy with possible terrorist looks, would have been me. Back when I was in college, the ignorance of Indians about Kashmir infuriated me and like any other good Kashmir, I took upon the charge of educating Indians about the real Kashmir. I became the resident Kashmir expert of the college, of Chai ki Dukan, of Cinema Hall, of train, of bus. You could ask m anything you want but the problem was that a question asked at around 11 P.M. would often end-up in a session lasting till 5 A.M., with at least last 2 hours of the session often ending-up with me talking to myself. After a few such sessions with Indians from all corners of the country, I soon learnt that there are basically two type of Indian listeners to ‘Kashmir Ki Kahani’. First Type, Sympathizers: those who mean good, who do want to know it all, but because of reasons beyond their control, can’t stay awake beyond 11:30 P.M.. Note to self: the story has to be short, precise, not too much details but juicy all the time. Second Type, Antagonizers: they just want in on dirty details. These otherwise normal human beings on usage of some specific keywords like ‘Muslims’, ‘Islam’, ‘Pakistan’, ‘Hindus’ transform into raging chimpanzees from Space Odyssey, even maybe a bit more advanced because at times they actually beg to be deliberately fed these magic words. I once was made to tell the story in a train. Ten minutes into the story the guys cut me off, ‘Yaar, Maza Nahi Aa raha‘. Why? Because not enough people were dying in the story (and I had only told them about exploits of Lalitaditya yet!). I made another note to self: Some Indian have seen and known much more violence than Kashmiris, your stories won’t move even a hair inside their ear, not unless your Kashmir story involves a neutron bomb accidently going off in Kangri of a Kashmiri terrorist who was going to bring it to Delhi, and the blast taking out entire Kashmir and half of Pakistan, problem solved. But how many nuclear explosions can one have. But, I did not lose hope in humanity I continued to bore people with stories of Kashmir. And just so that Kashmiris don’t feel left out I even started a blog to bore Kashmiris with stories of Kashmir. This blog. Do you realize the efforts it takes to bore Kashmiris with Kashmir story. Ask me. It became such an effort that I forgot all about educating Indians.
But that was until a couple of months back when Sumit Kumar e-mailed me to inform that it was an old post of mine that led him to Andrew Whitehead’s ‘A Mission in Kashmir’ which went on to be one of the sources for his comic take on events around 1947 in Kashmir, the freakishly funny Kashmir Ki Kahani Part – 1. Part 1 involved story about the genesis of the problem. Part 2 was going to be about rise of Sheikh Abdullah. He asked me if I could help him a bit with that. A chance to mess with…eer… re-educate the two type of Indians about Kashmir in an entirely fun new way. I was in. What followed was a series of emails on the subject.
The result: wickedly funny (and educative at the same time) Sumit Kumar’s Kashmir Ki Kahani – Part 2 here. Do check it out!
If you pick subliminal Kashmiri messages in it, you know who to blame. Enjoy!
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P.S.
R.K Laxman’s caricature of Sheikh Abdullah that went on to be the base model for Sheikh in this comic.
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