Kashmiri Writing Today

In Water

2009-02-10T20:37:00.000+05:30

by Amin Kamil

You’re fraught with words, better go sit in water;
For they swell with meaning and glow more in water.

Look for the heart in the chest and roast it on embers
Look for the blood in the liver and drink it in water.

Tomorrow Kashmir will stretch in the sun like a desert,
The day after Ladakh and Leh will float in water.

Under the hollow banks frightened waves take refuge;
Lord Jaldev is born with fire in water.

At mid day, even the sun gets soaked in sweat;
At the end, even the moon catches fire in water.

Even in excitement, sometimes, people set towns on fire;
Even for fun, sometimes, people pour poison in water.

The lost cow is looking for the elevensome, would someone tell her?
Five drowned in dry land, six are aflame in water.

The peddler of ghazals, this Kamil, makes fiery calls
But the fatefrost people are coldly sleeping in water.

Translated from the Kashmiri by Muneebur Rahman

She Has Written…

2008-02-27T12:26:00.001+05:30

by Shahnaz Rasheed

She has written: The henna is afresh on my hands,
But the water has dried in your eyes.

She has written: Whoever told it, told a lie --
The roses are scorched on the roads.

She has written: What’s befallen shouldn’t be written;
But all this happened in your grief.

She has written: I asked for your love -- a clear mirror.
I didn’t ask for the gems of Yemen.

She has written: Should I tell them we died in dreaming?
Perchance they decide to ask a question.

She has written: Why are you sad at the sight of the mansions?
Refrain from thinking on the matters of Fate.

She has written: Our case files will be reopened at last;
Finally our issues will also be raised.

She has written: Now only the scars will remain.
Surely our wounds will be cured.

Translated by Muneebur Rahman

Shahnaz Rashid is a promising young poet of Kashmiri who became known in the last few years. A very talented poet with a masterly grasp on linguistic expression, Rashid recently published his fisrt collection of peoms Dod Khatith Guldanan Manz (Pain Behind Flower Vases). The collection earned him much acclaim from all the established writers. Rashid is now considered as yet another powerful voice of ghazal among the budding writers. Kashmir has yet to see a promising poet in nazam form among the younger poets. Ghazal has completely outshined the prestigeous poetic form of nazam which gained momentum in the 1960s and in the 1970s.

Sign of Love

2008-01-24T21:31:00.001+05:30

by Faiyaz Dilbar

For a few months in the early 1990s, we rented an extremely cramped and dark studio in Delhi’s Patpar Ganj. It was an obvious sign of our lack of resources, want, and helplessness. One late evening, our neighbor Prof. Majumdar sounded an angry knock on our door, and screamed, “Mr. Faiyaz there’s a phone call for you!” Then he turned to himself, “Stupid people – they should know when it’s appropriate to call on a neighbor’s PP number?”

Shamelessly, I ignored uncle Majumdar’s comment and entered his living room with a fake smile on my face. I picked up the receiver. “Hello… This is Veer – Veer Koul,” a strange voice declared on the other end. It did not ring a bell, so I asked, “Veer Koul, who?”

“Sir, I am Shubanji’s younger brother.” As he explained, I bit my tongue in embarrassment. Veer Koul, in fact, was Shubanji’s younger brother. Shubanji had a special place in our circle of friends. He had sipped coffee with us at every table of Srinagar Coffee House, discussed Ali Mohammad Lone’s popular radio drama ‘Rise, O My Heart’s Pain’, debated G M Shah’s political wisdom, savored grilled mutton chops at Bohri Kadal’s Dastari, smacked harisa* at Ali Kadal’s Ama Lala. The very life of our Rang Munch dramatic club, Shubanji was a gifted actor and an important part of Kashmir Theatre Movement.

By temperament and physical appearance, Shuban Koul was a handsome young man. He was tall with a strong built. He had a high, sharp Aryan nose. A trimmed, elegant beard embellished his face like a Mughal miniature. A streak of smile permanently sat on his lips. One morning while we were in the Coffee House we heard that Shubanji had been admitted in the Soura Medical Hospital. It made us laugh for we took it as a new mischievous trick of his. We rushed to the hospital and found him exuberantly smiling on his bed. The moment he saw us, his smile turned into a loud laughter. Before we could say anything, he shouted, “You devils, I know what you have in mind.”

“You son of a bitch, what’s this all about?” I almost exploded. He laughed louder than before and began to use his favorite vocabulary. A few days later, he was discharged. But a couple of weeks later, he was again admitted in the hospital. Then we heard that Shubanji had passed away. Both of his kidneys had failed.

You may not like it, but to tell you the truth I hated him. I felt disgust towards him. He should not have left us the way he did. He tricked us. I did not attend his funeral nor did I see his family. I did not see how he was cremated. I did not see if he wore the streak of smile on his face when he left us.

Years after, we were at a wedding when we heard that Bhabi has been admitted to the Sadar Hospital. She was in need of blood and her group was B positive. Let me explain: Bhabi was Shubanji’s mother. Her kids, their friends, neighbors, acquaintances, even her husband would call her by that name. My blood group is B positive so I rushed to the hospital and donated some blood. Later I went to see her in the patient ward. As soon as I entered she turned her back towards me and muttered, “The old saying isn’t wrong. When a friend’s mother died, there was a throng of people, but when the friend died, there was none.” Right then she was told that I had donated blood for her. She slowly turned her face back towards me, held my hand and shed tears like a hailstorm. She said, “You know I’ll recover now. I will heal now for I’ll have your blood in my veins.” By the grace of God, Bhabi recovered and engaged in life’s business as usual. Meanwhile I left Kashmir and settled in Delhi. Some years later, pandits migrated from Kashmir and dispersed in all directions. I too lost contact with Shubanji’s family. Now all of a sudden I had received a call from Shubanji’s younger brother.

“Where did you get my number?” I asked.
“Someone gave it to me,” Veer Koul replied hurriedly.
“How’s Bhabi?” As I uttered these words, Veer Koul’s voice became somber.
“That’s the reason for my call. Bhabi passed away, just 30 minutes ago. But she will be cremated tomorrow. We live in Shahpur Jat village. Here’s the address…Please come as early as you can and if possible bring along any people you know.”

I headed to the village before the night fell. Veer Koul was sitting head-in-knees, all alone beside his mother’s corpse in a rented room in the residence of rude and arrogant milkmen. Toward Bhabi’s head, there was a grease-covered, flickering oil lamp. I sat myself at Veer’s right. With tearful eyes, he cast a meaningful look and then pulled out an old cassette player from a shelf. All night we listened to Master Zinda Koul’s mystic poem at Bhabi’s corpse.

My Creator had given me a sign of love
I couldn’t keep it; I lost it for the lack of capacity.

In the morning, a few people showed up. Shubanji’s sister who arrived from Ahmadabad grabbed my shirt’s collar and demanded, “We must have a Kashmiri cremator for Bhabi’s last rites.”

Soon I was asking every pandit in Delhi’s lavish Pamposh Colony if they knew any Kashmiri cremator. None said they knew one. Instead, I found them asking me questions. Some looked at me with suspicion wondering why a Kashmiri Muslim looked for a pandit cremator. Some of them would imagine an ISI stamp on my forehead. Finally, I reached a cremator in the Masjid Moth neighborhood. The cremator further seemed to complicate my mission. Looking at me from head to toe, he brought about Shankar Acharya-like expressions on his face and said, “Your generation is devoid of faith, tradition, and rituals. Otherwise what’s in there? All you need is some samagrah and reading of a few shalokas. How nice if you could perform these rituals yourself now.”

I was speechless and blushing all the way to my ear-lobes. With a numb tongue I said, “Sir, I am a Muslim.”

As if struck by lightening, he dropped his bag from his shoulder that was perhaps full of Sanskrit books. He suddenly began to offer excuses for his unavailability. “My body isn’t well. My blood pressure is high…. I am feeble and old…” I would have dragged him along or left his place without him, hadn’t his daughter intervened. She took him inside and after some whispering between the two, he came out ready to accompany me.

Around afternoon, we brought Bhabi to the Safdarjung cremation grounds. During the rituals at the pyre, the cremator boasted, “Kashmiri Brahmins belong to a high caste. It’s not for everyone to perform their last rites. You may have watched me on TV, I cremated Rajiv Gandhi.” While the cremator repeated these words, the flames rose higher and higher. Somewhere in my heart I wished Shubanji were alive to witness this all by his own eyes!

Translated from the Kashmiri by Muneebur Rahman

* an extra thick Kashmiri recipe made from meat, rice, lentils and other ingredients cooked nightlong by professional cooks for a rich morning breakfast.

Shabnam's "Manbaani", a Collection of Poems

2007-02-06T09:08:00.000+05:30

Man Baani is Shabnam Ashai's first and robust collection of poems that, I believe, is impressive on two counts. One, she has not taken the path of the traditional Urdu poet of either sex who writes ghazals with traditional meanings, words and imagery. The lover and the lover's world view in traditional poetry has remained unchanged for centuries. The nazam, however, did try to change that scenario but on the whole remained under the influence of the same traditional imagery and meanings. But Shabnam is without doubt one of those new poets who have tried to completely break away from the traditional mode of expression. The second distinction is her intense and focused stance as a feminine voice expressing with powerful language her discontent with the male dominated relationships. She uses fearless but at the same time elegant language.

Her poems in this collection, a continuum of soliloquies, is witness to her talent -- the powerful expression of intricate feelings of relationships in a fresh, thoughtful and reflective langauge. It's a saga of being. It's a woman's reflection on relationships. It's not a confrontation but a narrative full of questions without whose answers it's endlessly reinventing itself poem after poem.

Some of Shabnam's poems have been translated into Kashmiri and I expect some written originally in Kashmiri too. Shabnam's Kashmiri translations will appear in the forthcoming issue of Neab.

Faiyaz Dilbar -- an impressive talent

2006-05-21T20:40:00.000+05:30

It started with my request that I put before Faiyaz Dilbar to write a small memoir about one of our painter friends, Shora Bashir. The piece he wrote was great. I had long realized that Faiyaz had annecdotes to tell in a very impressive literary style. I was always encouraging him in my conversations to begin putting down these stories on paper. As a result he wrote two beautiful short stories which are appearing in Neab 20 and Neab 21. Then I began publishing an online news site in Kashmiri which gave me another opportunity to persuade him to write these stories in a regular column. He agreed and the pieces are being published regularly. You can read these beautiful pieces of fact and fiction -- an intelligent documentation of culture, tradition and people in koshurakhbar.

Faiyaz Dilbar has already won acclaims for his first collection of poems -- harnis taapas andar -- he published a year ago.

Koshur Akhbar -- a Kashmiri newspaper

2006-05-03T07:54:00.000+05:30

I began an experiment in Kashmiri journalism in March 2006 when I began publishing a daily online newspaper in that language -- the first of its kind. The main purpose was to provide yet another opportunity for the lovers of the Kashmiri language to increase their literacy in it. Kashmiris generally fear reading their own language; however, I've always maintained that if you know the persio-arabic script and can read Urdu, nothing can stop you from reading Kashmiri too. It's just a matter of practice. I hope this news site will provide an opportunity for daily practice for those who wish to be able to read and eventually write in their own native tongue. Additionally, you get the news and great literary pieces written in Kashmiri. The site is beautifully designed and presented and as a matter of fact is not behind any such website in the regional languages of the sub-continent.

I hope people will find this news site and visit it frequently and invite their friends too.

Slow and Steady Shafi Shauq

2005-10-12T07:52:00.001+05:30

Shafi Shauq, one of the few outstanding poets of the newer generation today, began writing seriously in the early seventies. However, his real talent started showing its gems only during the eighties. His silent progress, as it was, gradually culminated in his collection of poems yaad aasmaanan hinz published this year. A distinct voice in both ghazal and nazam, Shafi Shauq is calculated and meticulous in his use of language, rythm, image and thought. His collection of poems is an elegant presentation of his poetry written over a period of more than 30 years. His poems appeared recently in volume 18 of Neab.

Rafiq Raaz -- Talented Ghazal Writer

2005-10-07T07:50:00.000+05:30

Seven Sparks
by Rafiq Raaz

At the midnight’s hour a sage’s soul came afire.
In splendor he began to dance, a frenzied dance.

I was still in awe and fear when he bestowed
A folded paper on my undeserving self!

Suddenly I looked at the gift and trembled,
For I saw seven sparks wrapped in a silken paper.

Then rapture overcame me and I dosed.
I dreamed the dancing sage came to rest.

With folded hands I humbly asked what gift is this?
Pray, make me aware of this secret tonight!

For God’s sake what will I do with the sparks?
For if I keep them, they will burn the silken paper!

The silken paper will burn, he said, the sparks will vanish.
Seven spots will burn for years on the subcontinent.

Translated from Kashmiri by Muneebur Rahman

Rafiq Raaz who began publishing his ghazals in mid-seventies is without doubt our most talented ghazal writer of the younger generation who along with a handful of others is carrying the torch of modern day Kashmiri poetry which received a new life and became a passion of the learned after Mehjoor's departure by the efforts of a generation of poets whose tall figures are such as Dinnanath Nadim, Rehman Rahi, Ghulam Nabi Firaq, Amin Kamil and others.

Rafiq Raaz dominated the new poetry scene during the eighties especially attracting budding poets to his style which has an immediate effect on the reader. His interest in new rhythms and meters, and his light vein subject matter popularized both him and ghazal writing among younger poets. Ghazal continues to dominate the poetry scene in Kashmiri.

Rafiq Raaz published his first collection nay cha nalaan in 1995 which won him Sahitya Akademi award. His recent poems are included in the issue 19 of Neab. One of his recent poems can be read in April literary section of koshur akhbar. Rafiq Raaz has published three collections of poems, two in Kashmiri and one in urdu.

Muzaffar Aazim's comeback

2005-10-01T07:49:00.000+05:30

Muzaffar Aazim is a Kashmiri poet who came to the limelight during 1970s. In short time, he gained strength over many long time practioners of Kashmiri poetry in that period. He gave two rapid collections of poems, zolana and mani-kaman for which he received Jammu & Kashmir Cultural Academy awrads in seventies. There was a certain freshness, a certain distinctiveness in his poems that attracted many readers to him. For a long time Muzaffar Azim did not publish. However, his recent ghazals show a new life, maturity of style, content and diction. It's a promising comeback of yet another powerful voice of Kashmiri ghazal. One of his recent ghazals is featured on Neab website.

Translations...

2005-09-24T23:20:00.000+05:30

It has been ages since my Friend was my guest,
and with the fervid wine cup our company was aglow.
[Ghalib, from Urdu]

These caravans of memory would have been lost for ever
if I had snoozed, even by a moment’s fractional error.
[Shahryar, from Urdu]

Life calls on you whilist in strange thoughts you're lost!
O simple-hearted! What worries thou holdest within?
[Kamil, from Kashmiri]

Neab 18 issued worldwide

2005-08-22T08:29:00.000+05:30

The issue number 18 of Neab is finally out. Size octavo, 68 pages in all on a thick pape. The cover is pretty. The name of the magazine Neab (design by late G R Santosh) is in blue color on a pure white background of glossy art card. In the center, in a box, Shora Bashir's water color (muneeb's possession) depicting a horrified mother with a child clung to her chest. Shora Bashir, one the talented painters of Kashmir died in an accident on Jammu-Srinagar road a few years ago. Outside back cover has some selected quotes from the contents of the magazine.

The magazine is in currently approved script using Perso-Arabic and Urdu characters with a lot of additions specifically made for Kashmiri. The orthography is simple, avoiding diacritical marks ('arab) which has made its pages look prettier than those of general Kashmiri books which are overcrowded with unnecessary diacritical marks over and under each word and sometimes each letter. Neab has a three-page note explaining and advocating orthography with minimal use of 'arab.

The editorial touches on Agha Shahid Ali's direct and indirect links with the Kashmiri literature. Editorial is avialbale online here. The table of contents of the magazine is available on the Neab website. The letters are very interesting, originating from Saudi Arabia, America, France, England, India and Pakistan. The title for this section is tsok modur (sour 'n' sweet).

A generous gift of ten ghazals of the master ghazal writer, Amin Kamil, open the magazine. The ghazals are taken from his fifth collection of poems under print, which is titled yim myany sokhan (These, My Words!) This collection includes poems written by Amin Kamil in the past 30 years. The ghazals in Neab show a high degree of maturity, spontaniety, and meaningfulness. They are neither pretty love songs nor intimidatingly verbose thoughts. Their distinctive feature is in their being powerful and effective expressions of the sensibilities of our time with a tone of protest that's rare in the contemporary Kashmiri ghazal.

There's a translation of a conversation between the host Jean Faraca and Ohio Weslyen University Assistant Professor of English David Caplan on Agha Shahid Ali's ghazal wrting and it's relevance as a form to current literary scene of America. The conversation is translated by the editor of the magazine Muneeb. In continuation of the theme of ghazal, the issue also includes a senior American poet Robert Bly's thoughts on ghazal and its possibilities, and a translation of his four recent ghazals.

The lone short story in the issue is by Hirdhay Koul Bharti. The story is very short but suggestive, a thought provoking monologue.

There are two articles on Arabic quantitative meter. One by Rafiq Raaz and other by Muneebur Rahman. These articles are part of the current discusion over the suitability of Persio-Arabic quantitative meter in Kashmiri. Rafiq Raaz's articles basically shows that repertoire words in the Kashmiri language matches the minimal prosodic elements of the Arabic meter and thus there should be no reason why the Arabic meters cannot be successfuly used in Kashmiri. Muneeb's article deals with Mr. Rahi's doubts about the origin of Arabic meter. He has highlighted the differences between Arabic and Sanskrit quantitaive meters, and also hinted at the Arabic native origin of the Mutaqarib meter by internal reconstruction of the related arabic meters and the Mutaqarib.
(ran out of time; will continue soon.)

Amin Kamil -- an editor par excellence

2005-08-20T07:33:00.000+05:30

As I begin to edit Neab, I look around, particularly in Kashmiri, for editors who made a mark. Among a handful of employed and freelance editors that we had in the past 60 years or so, Amin Kamil stands out. One of the first and foremost editors, and an editor by both profession and passion, Kamil not only edited and published the very first collection of Kashmiri writings Yavan Nahaj in 1954 with Aziz Haroon but was also associated with two reputed early magazines Gulrez and Kongposh, and later on found an independent magazine Neab even as he was editing Sheeraza at his job in the Cultural Academy.

The Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages was established in 1958 by a government committee on which Amin Kamil served as a convenor. Among the members were Jialal Koul, Nandlal Kaul Talib, Brij Krishan Madan, Amin Kamil and G. R. Santosh. So began Kamil his 15 year long career as an editor at this institution; though adversely affected in some ways but completely unmoved by the politics, promise and temptations of its admistrative positions. During his tenure as an editor, he made Sheeraza and Son Adab true representatives of Kashmiri writing. Versatility being one of his distinctions among his contemporaries, Kamil had an edge over all other editors before and after him. He could value and respond to all the forms of literarture, new and old, with equal interest and treatment. His unprejudicial outlook on all genres and styles culminated in popularity of Sheeraza among a cross-section of Kashmiri writers. The strong presence of Sheeraza and Son Adab did not leave much room for the emergence of any other magazine until Kamil himself boldly and independently brought out Neab which then opened the ground for other competitive and subsequent magazines.

Kamil edited nearly 100 issues of Sheeraza and more than a dozen issues of Son Adab. Here are some of the special issues of these magazines.

Kashmiri short story was still in adolescence when Kamil brought out a special issue of Sheeraza on this genre in August 1967. The issue, including 12 stories by the same number of authors, was a milestone in the art of modern storytelling in Kashmiri. It includes great stories of their respective authors written in the first two decades of the inception of this genre in Kashmiri. Perhaps some of the best stories ever written in Kashmiri, including Kamil's own masterpiece Kokarjang, belong to this period. It's not a coincidence that Kamil published his first and only collection of stories Kathi Manz Kath in the same year. Apparenatly, Kamil's personal achievements as well as milestone progress in different fields of Kashmiri writing went side by side the special issues of Academy's magazines that he edited.

In February 1968, Kamil edited a special issue of Sheeraza, celebrating in Kashmiri the Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib. The issue contained articles written by Kashmiri writers on different aspects of Ghalib and his poetry. It also included a section of Kashmiri translation of some of Ghalib's ghazals mostly done by Kamil himself. It was the time when Urdu ghazal poets had started to turn from the so-called Mir style to Ghalib's mentalism. Kashmiri ghazal, at that time, was also leaving behind the emotionalism of Kashmiri Vatshun and early ghazals. Kamil's ghazal was itself blending craft, intellectual response to reality, masculine grandeur, sarcasm and irony which were characteristic of Ghalib's style too.

Another special issue of Sheeraza that Kamil edited in 1977 was on the most influencial Urdu poet of the twentieth century, Mohammad Iqbal, whose influence can be seen in Kashmiri in Ghulam Ahmad Mehjoor, dominantly in Abdul Ahad Azad, and in many in post-Mehjoor era, including Kamil himself. Iqbal's influence on Kamil can be seen in his first collection of poems, Masmalar published in 1955. The special issue includes important essays by Kashmiri writers on Iqbal's life and art. It also includes translation of some of Iqbal's poems. It's interesting to note that Kamil translated many of Iqbal's poems which were later on independantly published in a book form under the title Zitshu Halam.

Introduction of ghazal in Kashmiri in the eighteenth century coupled with translations of a large number of Mathnavis from Persian instilled a new life into the Kashmiri literarture. The translations of these Mathnavis and Jangnamas and some original compositions in this genre needed to be catalogued and acknowledged. Here again, Kamil came up with two special issues of Sheeraza, one each devoted to Mathnavis and Jangnamas. The articles in these issues included storylines and critical appreciation. Kamil's persuation set many writers to read the works first time. The works decribed and comented upon in Jangnama are Jang i Uhad, Jang i Amirhamza, Jang i Badar, Jang i Berulalam, Jang i Taal, Jang i Khavar, Jang i Khandaq, Jang i Kaibar, Jang i Dinor, Ramayan, Jang i Zetoon, Jang i Zainularab, Jang i Mmukhtar, Jang i Yarmok, Jang i Mota, Saamnama, Sikandarnama, Shahnama, Zaffarnama.

Likewise the special issue of Mathnavis includes storylines and articles of appreciation on the the following: Yusuf Zulaikha and Sheikh San'an of Mahmud Gami, Zainul Arab of Abdul Ahad Nazim, Himal of Waliullah Motu, Wamiq Azra of Saifuddin Tarabali, Gulrez and Sakarrez of Maqbool Kralwari, Zahra wa Bahramm of Ashaq Trali, Sohni Mahwal and Zebnigar of Pir Miskin, Gul Sundar of Haji Miskin, Guldastayi Benazir and Chandar Badan of Azizullah Haqani, Shirin Khosrav of Mohd Ismail Nami, Habba Khatoon of Ghulam Mohd Hanfi, Qamrul Zaman of Abdul Ahad Azad, Gul Baqawali of Lassa Khan, R'aina wa Zaiba of Hairat Kamili, Qamrul Zaman wa Badura of Ghulam Ahmad Bashir and Bulbuli Hazar Dastan of Abdul Ghani Thokar.

Another special and important issue was of Son Adab published in 1977. The issue was on literary, cultural aspects of the history of Kashmir. For the first time a large collection of as many as 27 articles written on the subject from various points of view were presented in a single volume in the Kashmiri language. Kamil writes in the preface, "Topics were many and varied, but due to the dearth of competent writers on those topics and limitation of space we could not realize our dream in full." This volume later became a catalyst for the encyclopedia on Kashmir that the Academy completed during 1980s.

There are at least two more special issues of Sheeraza that deserve mention. They are a special issue on nazm (free verse) and a special issue on travelogues. Information on those will be added here at a later stage.

Apart from Journals, Kamil has edited a number of books which include the earlist collection of poems by Nund Reshi, first ever collection of poems by sufi poets with a scholarly introduction to sufism and the poets published in three volumes, first and only collection of light literature in Kashmiri, collection of poems by Habba Khatoon, collection of Kashmiri lyrics set on classical music, only of its kind. Information on all these works will be acessible on Kamil's official website at http://www.neabinternational.org/Kamil_webpages/Aminkamil3.htm

A Kashmiri magazine from Pakistani Kashmir

2005-08-02T05:32:00.000+05:30

Recently I was amused to discover a Kashmiri literary magazine published from Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. The name of the magazine Neerposh is so meaningful, beautiful as well, that it reminds me of one of the earliest magazines of Kashmiri Kongposh which was published from Srinagar in 1950s. One should appreciate the significant contrast these two names reflect. I had a brief exchange of emails with Neerposh's editor Mr. Altaf Andrabi and in that conversation I learnt that there were and are a few souls who wrote in Kashmiri though mostly for Radio Azad Kashmir. This also reminds of the situation in the other part of Kashmir during 1950s and part of 1960s when Radio Srinagar was the main source of inspiration for Kashmiri writers.

Mr. Altaf Andrabi promised to send the three issue of the magazine published so far. I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the mail; it was an incredibly beautiful magazine! One must appreciate him for his efforts and resources he has put in this magazine. I wish him success and hope that he'll be able to continue the publication, even if it's sporadic.

In the first issue Mr. Altaf Andrabi writes, "Though this fact continues to pinch me that writing in the Kashmiri language outside of Kashmir is not only a formidable task, but also a futile practice, primarily so because of the lack of Kashmiri readers -- those who could read with interest cannot understand it; those who would understand are too busy to read; and finally those who can both understand and spare time, have no inclination towards it. But these pinches are nothing vis-a-vis the pain that I share with many ardent and compassionate Kashmiris. A pain sweet and difficult as well, always searching your heart! How can it let one alone? In order to give it a little vent, it's necessary to reach the compatriots of Kashmir in mountains, in green meadows, in scorching deserts. This journey, though long and difficult, I stronly believe, will be joined and supported by many lovers."

One can totally understand the toughness of circumstances in which Mr. Altaf Andrabi has brought out these three issues. The magazine deserves whole-hearted support by lovers of the Kashmiri language in all lands, particularly by those in Pakistani and Indian Kashmir.

This 32-page magazine is 8.5 x 11 in size. All the three issues carry pieces by writers from both sides. Most of the pieces are overtly or covertly patriotic. I hope Mr. Altaf Andrabi broadens the gammut of contents in subsequent issues by including writings other than patriotic in nature.

The end of Shabkhoon

2005-07-13T21:50:00.000+05:30

The era of modernist Urdu writing has ended with the end of Shabkhoon's publication announced by the magazine recently. No other magazine in the subcontinent of Indo-Pak touched the standard, prestige and popularity, all three, that this magazine established under the able leadership of the legendary literary critic of our time, Shamsur Rehman Faruqi.

When I read this announcement, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I felt that Urdu writers lost a magazine that connected them throughtout the world in an unprecedented, unparalled way, but on the other hand, I realized that Mr. Faruqi deserved and needed this break after long, dedicated efforts of making this magazine a beacon of light for old and young writers. I believe the magazine has already achieved (with an extra mile) the goal that it had set for itself without any apparent manifesto forty years ago.

I consider this a wise decision on two counts. Firstly, it wouldn't be worth the risk of losing its hard earned image, should Mr. Faruqi have decided to let the magazine continue to be published by an editor other than himself. Secondly, I had already begun to see a caul de sac of the kind of writing Shabkhoon championed throughout its long life. In my view, Urdu writing today needs a departure, a new direction for which the closing of this magazine has, in disguise, paved the way, but, let's be frank, there's no one in the horizon who is qualified enough to take the step forward. Instead, I can see a long winter, already round the corner, that will overtake Urdu literature before it regenerates itself.

Revival of Kashmiri Literary Magazine Neab -- a forum for Kashmiri Writers Worldwide Contemporary Kashmiri Poetry and Kashmiri Fiction

2005-07-03T06:54:00.000+05:30

Other than Sheeraza, the official literary journal of the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, all Kashmiri magazines lived short, less than four years in many cases. Those that exceeded four year span, published obliviously once a year, more or less. But, amazingly, in this language of a handful of writers magazines bubbled up even when everything else was at a standstill. Editors and publishers of most of these magazines, often devoid of any experience or training in literary publishing, exhibiting their lack of vision, brought out mere collections of writings.

When those are the circumstances, you always feel a need for yet another magazine that not only survives longer but also establishes a higher standard of writing, a need for a magazine that will demand and show a high degree of professionalism and integrity, a need for a magazine that will serve as a forum of growth and understanding among writers, a need for a magazine that will truly reflect the current literary talent in all its strengths and possiblitities.

With these feelings in my heart, I decided to revive Neab that was published between 1968 and 1972 from Srinagar by Amin Kamil, its founder. A highly successful and popular magazine of its time, Neab projected a generation of writers whose talent was hidden from the public eye. By doing so, it also inspired the fresh talent that was in the making during those years. Neab will continue that inspiring leadership in its second birth from Boston where I currently live and work. The first issue is in the press and will be out in the last week of June. For details and subscription info, please visit Neab's official website at www.neabinternational.org. There's some interesting stuff on this website too that you may like to read. And please don't forget to send me your feedback.