Kashyap Bandhu in the Light of
Aatish-e-Chinar
Prithvi Nath Bhat, New Delhi
Late Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah has made many
references to some prominent Kashmiri Pandits of his time in his famous
autobiography, Aatsh-eChinar. Many of these Kashmiri Pandits joined his
freedom struggle movement and his National Conference party. Among such
persons was Pt. Kashyap Bandhu who was among the trustworthy lieutenants
of the Sheikh.
Pt. Tarachand Bulbul alias Kashyap Bandhu was a very sagacious and farsighted
person. He was a great freedom fighter, social reformer, administrator,
journalist and poet. People of all walks of life called him Bandhuji and
this name was later adopted by one and all as a mark of respect and love.
He was born of Pt. Thakur joo at village Geru on 24th March 1899.
After returning from Lahore, Bandhuji came into contact with Sh. Jia Lal
Kilam, Sh. Shew Narayan Fotedar, Sh. Premnath Bazaz, Sh. Damodar
Bhat (Hanjoora) and others who were of his age and had the same zest and zeal to
work unitedly for the good of the Kashmiri Pandit community. Bandhuji had
studied minutely the Pandit society and its social evils. So Sanatan
Dharam Yuvak Sabha was formed at Sheetal Nath in 1930 AD under his presidentship.
This committee took upon itself the crusade azainst dowry system, lavish
expenditure on marriages and other rituals, long and dreary Pherans and tarangas
(woman folk headgear) etc. The committee advocated widow marriage, use of
Saris by women folk and spread of education among KP girls. This movement
gained momentum in cities, towns and villages. It did a lot good those
days to the community. Schools for girls were opened and education among
females was spread with areat enthusiasm. Woman's Welfare trust Srinagar
was a glaring example in this direction. In 1931 Martand paper was brought
out and Bandhuji was its first editor.
In 1931 AD. Muslim Conference was formed in Srinagar, Sheikh Mohd.
Abdullah who had returned to Srinagar after doing his M. Sc., became its first
President. Thus Conference fought against the Dogra rule for the rights
and priveleges of Kashmiri Muslims. Maharaja Hari Singh was the Dogra
ruler of Jammu and Kashmir State at that time. It was a surprise for the
ruler to his majority community subjects rising aganist his autocratic rule.
Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah was arrested. Later the Maharaja appointed
Glency Commission to look into the grievances of the people of the State.
Pt. Premnath Bazaz was its member on behalf of the K. P. Community.
Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah felt that his struggle for just rule will be
incomplete without the participation of Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu Dogras of
Jammu. So in June 1932, he along with Gh. Ahmad Ashai (later in 1949
he became the firsh Registrar of the university of Kashmir) met Kashap Bandhu at
Alikadal in the house of Pt. Ramchand Koul Banikar and discussed the idea
of a united movement against the Dogra rule. Though Bandhuji accepted this
idea in principle but he expressed his inability to rope in all K. P.s into such
a movement at that point of time. However, Bandhuji, Premnath Bazaz and
Shamlal Saraf etc. joined the Muslim Conference to prevent raids on K. P.
community in Kashmir by Muslim zealots who held the former responsible for
atrocities committed on them on 13th July 1931.
Bandhuji and other K. P. leaders had started Roti Agitation against the
report of Glency Commission. Its main demands were :- (1) Free land
distribution for cultivation, (2) Scholarships for professional and industrial
trainings and, (3) Financial aid to start industrial and other units.
In 1938 AD. elections for the Jammu & Kashmir Praja Sabha were held.
All the 19 candidates of Muslim Conference were elected. Shiv Narayan
Fotedar who had by then become all in all of the Yuvak Sabha, was instrumental
in getting J. L. Kilam's and Bandhuji's candidate Pt. Damodar Bhat,
defeated and instead he (Shiv Narayan Fotedar) and Amar Nath Kak were elected
its members from K. P. community. Pt. Prem Nath Bazaz and Kashap
Bandhu turned to Muslim Conference and joined hands with Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah.
They were signatories to the demand of responsible self-government. Sheikh
Mohd. Abdullah formed a committee to frame the demands of self government.
The following were its members under the presidentship of Gh. Mohd Sadiq,
Mirza Mohd. Afzal Beg, Pt. Jia Lal Kilam, Pt. Kashap Bandhuji, Pt.
Premnath Bazaz and Sardar Budh Singh. The national demands of self rule
were passed unanimously on 27th Aug. 1938 before a very big crowd at Hazratbal,
Srinagar in which Bandhuji and other K. P. leaders addressed the crowd for the
first time on Muslim Conference platform. Those who signed the demands for
self-rule included Bandhuji, Prenmath Bazaz, Jia Lal Kilam, Sham Lal Saraf and
Dr.S. N. Peshin.
On the arrest of Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah on 29th Aug. 1938, Bandhuji and others
made fiery speeches at Azad Park (later K. M. D. Bus Stand) Srinagar against the
Sheikh's arrest. Bandhuji and others were arrested the same night.
It will be pertinent to mention here that after, cutting off relations with
Sanatan Dharam Yuvak Sabha, Bandhuji resigned from the editorship of Martand.
He started his own paper Kesri in Urdu. Kesri was banned by the government
in 1938 for writing against Dogra Maharaja. Pt. Sham Lal Saraf was
president of Kashmir Hindu Progressive Party. Pt. Prem Nath Bazaz
had started Hamdard Urdu weekly in 1935 AD. along with Maulana Mohd. Syed
Masoodi under the patronage of Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah.
In Feb. 1939 Bandhuji along with other leaders was released from jail.
Soon after, a special convention of Muslim Conference was convened at Pathar
Masjid Srinagar on 10th and 11th June 1939. In this convention Muslim
Conference was dissolved and resolution of the formation of Jammu and Kashmir
National Conference adopted unanimously. It was necessitated to make the
party broad-based and to open it for the entry of non-Muslims of the state.
Bandhuji was made a member of the first working committee of National Conference
along with Prem Nath Bazaz etc. Earlier in March 1939 Bandhuji along with
Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah and others had participated in All India National
Congress Annual Convention at Tripura, which was addressed by Pt.
Jawaharlal Nehru and other prominent leaders of India.
In April 1940 at Id Miladun Nabi day celebrations Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah
made such a religions speech that sentiments of Hindus were hurt. As a
result Pt. Jia Lal Kilam, Bandhuji and Prernnath Bazaz strongly protested
against it. Bandhuji and Jai Lal Kilam were so enraged that both of them
resigned from National Conference. But Rushid Taseer writes in
Twarikh-e-Hurriyat Kashmir (pages 90-99 vol II) that Pt. Nehru was invited
by Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah to visit Kashmir on 29th May 1940. Bandhuji
objected and asked Sheikh Sahib with whose permission he had invited Pt. ji.
It caused commotion and differences surfaced. As a result Kilam and
Bandhuji resigned from National Conference.
In June 1943 Pt. Shiv Narayan Fotedar, Pt. Jia Lal Kilam and Bandhuji
rejoined National Conference and were again made members of its working
committee.
In 1942 Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir State Sh. Gopala Swamy Ayangar
resigned due to differences with Maharaja Hari Singh. Pt. Ramchand
Kak was made the Prime Minister. He was the first Kashmiri Pandit to rise
to this position after about 600 years. He had joined the state as
librarian and rose to this position by dint of hard work and intelligence.
The government had appointed two Kashmiri Muslim Praja Sabha members as
ministers of the state. Due to the efforts of Bandhuji who had proximity
to the Prime Minister, Gh. Mohd. Sadiz and Mirza Mohd. Afzal Beg
were made ministers. But due to differences on policy matters Beg Sahib
resigned soon. Kashmiri Pandits at the behest of Muslim leaders framed a
ten point chargesheet against R. C. Kak. Bandhuji too was asked to sign it
but he refused. Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah called Bandhuji to Mujahid
Manzil. He was again asked to sign the chargesheet, he refused again.
Sheikh Sahib lost his temper and asked Bandhuji to get lost. Bandhuji was
dismissed from the membership of N. C. He was also removed as editor of the
Diety Khidmat-an official organ of the National Conference. It was called
on agent of R. C. Kak. This incident has no mention in Aatish-e-Chinar.
In 1946 National Conference started Quit Kashmir Movement. Bandhuji was
again admitted into National Conference on 20th May of that year. He was
sent to R. C. Kak to enquire if Sheikh Sahib was to be arrested who was
scheduled to go to Delhi next day via Rawalpindi. R. C. Kak confided in
Bandhuji and told him that the Sheikh would be arested before reaching Domail.
Bandhuji returned with this message and went straight to Mujahid Manzil where
the Sheikh was waiting. Next day Sheikh Sahib was arrested at Ghari.
Bandhuji also was arrested that very night along with many other leaders of the
party. He, Sardar Budh Singh and Gh. Nabi Vakil alias Nab ji of
Anantnag who later became Governor of Kashmir and threafter Speaker of the
Legislative Assembly were sent to Riasi jail. Sheikh Sahib who was first
lodged in Bahu Fort Jammu, was later shifted to Riasi jail (Tarikhe Hurriyat
Kashmir).
Due to scorching heat Sheikh Sahib, Bandhuji, Nabi ji and Mirza Afzal Beg
were shifted to Bhadarwah jail.
Many earthquakes rocked the state that year. The prisoners had to be
moved to an open area where they passed one month in a tent. Bandhuji was
entrusted with keeping accounts of rations etc. which they got from the jail
authorities. Bandhuji used to save the rations and sold that in the market
through a jail employee. Also he bought cigarettes for Bandh ji who was a
chain smoker those days. He had collected about seventy packets of
cigarettes which were detected by Sheikh Sahib. Bandhuji wanted to sell
the packets after smoking as many he could. Sheikh Sahib wrote that
Bandhuji was a strict vegetarian and cooked his food himself. He performed
Sandhya daily.
Before partition of India in August 1947, there were communal riots of
unimaginable magnitude thoughout the length and breadth of India.
Thousands of people were massacred ruthlesly, women, young and old were raped,
even children were not spared, lakhs of people moved from one dominion to the
other. There was chaos and anarchy everywhere. R. C. Kak was asked
by the Maharaja to resign and his maternal uncle Gen. Janak Singh replaced
him. R. C. Kak was imprisioned in Central Jail Srinagar.
Due to the dithering policy of the Maharaja regarding accession to either of
the dominions, Pakistan instigated tribals to raid the state. The tribals
were aided by the Pakistan army. This news reached Srinagar. In the
mean time Bimber, Kotli, Mirpur, Rajouri and Ponch were hit by communal riots.
Gandhi ji advised Maharaja Hari Singh to release Sheikh Sahib as he alone could
save Kashmir from burning. He was released from Badamibagh on 29th Sept.
1947 after being shifted from Bhadarwah jail. He had an audience with the
Maharaja before his release where he was apprised of the latest situation.
Soon after his release all other political prisoners were released from
jails. Bandhuji also was released from Bhadarwah.
On 21st October 1947 tribals with the active help of Pakistan army raided the
state. Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah was appointed as Chief Administrator of the
State. Like many other N. C. workers, Sheikh Sahib appointed Bandhuji as
Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Pulwama.
When raiders were thrown out by the Indian army and normalcy was restored in
the state after U. N. resolution of Cease Fire, people's government with Sheikh
Mohd Abdullah as Prime Minister was formed. Bandhuji was appointed as
Director General of Dehat Sudhar Department. Rural development, Panchayats,
cooperative, agriculture and animal husbandry departments of the state were put
under his charge. He did a very commendable job and brought back all the
departments on the right track after the devastation wrought by tribal raiders.
On 9th August 1953, Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah was arrested at Gulmarg and
Bakshi Ghulam Mohd. took over as Prime Minister of the State. Bandhuji
protested against this action and was arrested and sent to different jails of
Udhampur, Kud etc. Bakshi tried his best to win him over to his side but
Bandhuji stuck to his guns and declined his offer.
In 1958 Bandhuji was released from Kud jail along with Sheikh Sahib. He
did not join any political party and remained silent. Bakshi Sahib was
removed from his office in 1964 under the Kamraj plan. Gh. Mohd.
Sadiq took over in his place as head of the State government. He appointed
Bandhuji as Project Officer Sonawari but Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah writes in
Aatish-e-Chinar on page 733 that Bakshi Gh Mohd. was successful in winning over
Bandhuji, Gh. Mohd. Chikan, Mir Gh. Rasool and Mohd.
Amin Abiguzar, because they had lost courage and tolerance to face the trauma
and harassment of investigation agencies. According to him they accepted
the jobs they had been removed from after their arrest in 1953. But Sh.
A. D. Majboor in his article on Kashap Bandhu in Hamara Adab of Cultural Academy
Srinagar writes after interviewing Bandhuji that he declined to yield to Bakshi
and did not accept any of his offers in the government. According to him
Bandhuji was appointed Project Officer Sonawari in 1964.
Bandhuji proved a good administrator and changed the shape of Sonawari into
Sonawari-land of gold. Floods no more wrought havoc, bumper paddy and
other crops year after year bettered the economic condition of the farmers and
they no longer were hunger and poverty stricken.
Bandhuji edited three news papers in Kashmir after returning from Lahore.
First he was the editor of Martand which was the offical organ of Sanatan Dharam
Yuvak Sabha Srinagar. He later started his own news paper Kesri which was
banned by Maharajas government in 1938 for writing against the Dogra rule.
Then he started Desh in 1938 that he continued upto 1967. During his stay
at Lahore he was the editor of Arya Gazette.
It is said that Bandhuji had written his autobiography. Who knows where
it is?
Bandhuji died on 10th December 1985 at the age of 86 years after a brief
illness at his house in Geru village. At that time none of his members of
family was present there to shed a few tears.
Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah used to visit that great freedom fighter after assuming
power in 1974. He had great regard for him and valued his views and
advice.
References :
(1) Aatish-e-Chinar
(2) Tarikh-e-Hurriyat Kashmir
(3) Hammara Adab
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