On the busy interior streets of Srinagar.. along the banks of Jhelum for 50 years this man "Sone Navidh"{Golden Barber} had shaved , tonsured and cut the hair of almost all big dignitaries as well as common man.
Sitting on the Warm Skinned kusock he was an integral part of the Hindu community of that area.Although,being a muslim but he was so much inter woven that at times he had the capability to perform any religious ceremony for the brahmins. He was sometimes a noted hate figure of jealous Mullahs.
Even people at the civil secretariat would talk of his great proffesional and communication skill.He was not just respected by elders but loved by kids.
He would shave the heads of pandits when some had to proclaimed as pandit after the birth (ZARA KASSAY) or when some one would die and his elder son needed to tonsure his head.
Come 1990 amd pandits were leaving the locality and mullahs were proclaiming them to be infidels.Now he was a most deserted man.
He was upset as all his frens with whom he grew up and with whom he had more bonding than with his family were no more around him.
Streets wore a deserted look,No kriya karms or grand scale Funerals were happening , where his presence was alomost like that of the God.
On the 10th day of Kriya (after someones death) he was a dignitary,to perform the special custom along with brahmins.The special Hair cut (Tonsure).
As the pandits were shot down like sparrows,None would approach him for the 10th day function.But what was the reason? Was his Name now a terror or a suspicion in the heart of minority Pandits ? Where was his son from last 6 months ?
Soon the circumsatnces changed and one day he had to shave off his head. Did he survive the change?
Why was he murdered and burried without the Fateh (last rites in muslims) in his own home ?
The man who attended the funeral of thousands in his life left Kashmir with out the funeral.??
Will mother earth forgive us for that.?
What happened and how? Keep on visiting this blog? the story is still not unfolded?
1 comment:
Dear Khaqsar,
I knew - "Sone Naved" of Banamohalla right from my childhood. He was a gem of a human being. He would come to our house for giving a haircut to my Grandfather or my uncles, but we kids would love to climb his shop and have a haircut sitting on the "waguv". Probably you know, he was killed by his own son for tryng to protect KPs.
May God bless you for making me go back 15-20 years and that was bliss.
Orzu,
Lalchowk
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