Friday, February 22, 2013

The Last Pandit in Our Park



Men would often Call him 'The Last Pandit'
with his Cotton Faren in summer of Delhi.
Evening stroll in our Park with an unease
His creamy flesh stuck to sacred Threads

His Blue Eyes with dark circles around
White beard & wrinkled face hanging
Bright forehead & marked beads around
Still so shy yet Strong & resilient

Gardener asked him to retire home
fearing another sun stroke to death
He replied  "I wont die silently"
Let world know , I erased it myself !

Every day he Went around
touching branches & Checking strength
From Tree to tree , Shade to shade
As if none was fit for his Pyre !

Garden asked : Do You need a Hangman ?
He replied "Yes, But Branches need to be strong
Even for my Neck , I need a Chinar
And even for my Pyre , A Deodaar !

This Winter he breathed is last
I saw him sad even after death
May god Never take it away
A wish to Die where He Was Born !!!!

He was the Last Pandit in our Park
He was the last Pandit in our park
With A cotton faren & Sacred Thread
And A wish to return Home. Last Pandit !!!

Thursday, February 07, 2013

Half Cooked Lies : From the Valley, a selective remembrance of things past by Pradeep Magzine in The HINDU

Dear Editor ,

I have been passionate reader of The Hindu from 1990s when we couldn't afford food for our family in exile but would buy your newspaper. Unfortunately after 18 years , today would be the last copy of the newspaper in my house from THE HINDU.

I respect your editorial taking a stand on Gujrat & totally blacking out Mr Modi speech in Delhi as a protest to his so called involvement in riots but at the same time giving an opportunity to a sports editor who enver lived in kashmir to negate the Genocide & Ethnic Cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits with a half cooked and  biased argument.

At the outset , if Kashmiri Pandits have to move on as per your editorial directive then why not Gujrati Muslims & Sikhs ? At least in their case , Supreme Court , SIT & media is fighting a battle but in our case , why is that you are all bent upon to wash our exodus , pain , anguish & misery with brush of secualrism. Is this a big blot that you dont want to world to view as Muslims appeasement is a state policy now ?

First of all Mr Pradeep Magzine has proved his ignorance by calling Kashmiri Pandits as Kashmiri  Brahmins . May I please correct him that we are casteless society with various sub sections who have no class difference and intersection marriage / eating & same  rituals are applicable.  We are called Pundits or BATTA which means knowledgeable person. Linking us only to Brahmins is a ploy by him to disservice this community of its futuristic viewpoint of caste-less society.   Unfortunately he wanted to create an impression of Class to appease particular section of Indian Pseudo Intellectualism & break the case of Ethnic Cleansing.

Second linking KP as collaborators of rulers represents his Myopic view point unless he has read the 1930's KP contribution to National Conference & Kashmiri Identity Resurgence. He may also read the Historic context of 1931. He must understand the contribution of Reading Room Party as per its role-model in Kashmir politics was communal to the pulp, blood and bone as its bias against the Kashmiri Pandits was so pronounced that it prepared the ground for the blatant loot and murder of Kashmiri Pandits in July,1931.

I request him to go through a book named "A History Of Kashmiri Pandits " By Sh Jia Lal Kilam  where in he will find the mention of KP as part of the Darbars of Kabul , Persia , Mughals & Deccan even. Does it mean that what ever those kings did was at the behest of KPs ?  Request MR Pradeep Magzine to read History before he writes further on Kashmir as it is not a cricket match where he has expertise.

Coming back to Cricket  , He should also interview the Indian Cricket players about their experience in 1st ODI India Vs West Indies At Sher-i-Kashmir stdm Srinagar, India, 13-Oct 1983 - Mr Pradeep Magzine watch the recording before you write on Kashmir. 

Now comparing 1990 with Pre Budhist history, he must take a stop . it is absurd to compare apples to oranges.He must read Rajtarangni and find out himself that  monumental metallic image of Buddha once stood in Srinagar, which was eventually destroyed by Sikandar Butshikan.  MR Pradeep reads selectively and writes selectively and thinks he is writing 20-20 cricket match review.

Looking at his knowledge of subject , he must be disqualified from writing on political subjects particularly Kashmir.

Regards ,

Veer Ji Wangoo