Allahabad - The Kashmir Connection
Prabha Tankha, Calcutta
For centuries past, religious persecution and
political and economic conditions prevailing in Kashmir have constantly forced
Kashmiri Pandits to leave their native state and move away in search of a more
congenial envirorunent.
In the past the Pathan rulers of Kashmir, having seized power from the
Moghuls, were instrumental in forcing a mass exodus from Kashmir. In order
to escape the tyranny of the ruling class, many of these migrants came to the
plains of Northern India and settled down in places like Delhi, Agra, Kanpur,
Lucknow, Allahabad and Varanasi.
Once considered one of the leading cultural and academic centres of the
country, Allahabad played host to a number of Kashmiri families, providing a
safe haven where they could rehabilitate themselves. The community
gradually became an important and integral part of the life of the city.
The immigrants soon learnt to adjust and adopt themselves to the demands of
the land of their adoption. They began leaming Urdu and Persian, the
languages of the elite at that time and became extremely proficient in these
languages. Within a short span of time they began to achieve success in
different walks of life. The one casualty in the process, however, was
their own language. But, despite this loss, they managed to retain their
own individual identity as a community.
Allahabad was a city where many Kashmiris came for educational as well as
professional reasons and the community produced eminent lawyers, judges,
politicians, civil servants, scholars and academicians. Of these many went
on to attain national and international stature. In fact, Allahabad had
the distinction of being associated with some of the most important Kashmiri
names in the country.
The one family which easily comes to mind as among the most prominent in the
city was, of course, the Nehru family. Little remains to be said about
them that is not already common knowledge and any attempt at elaboration would
be at the risk of repetition. Right from Pt. Motilal Nehru, a
leading lawyer and political figure spearheading the independence movement, to
his son, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, a barrister and the first Prime Minister of
Independen India, to Indira Gandhi, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter and
India's first, and to date only woman Prime Minister, they all helped to put
Allahabad on the world map. Few can match their sacrifices and
achievements. Aristocratic and extremely westernised, the Nehru family,
apart from having lawyers and politicians amongst them also included an ICS like
Shri B.K. Nehru, a diplomat like Mrs. Vijaylakshmi Pandit former Indian High
Commissioner to U.K., and a writer like Mrs. Pandit's daughter, Nayantara Sahgal.
The legal profession in Allahabad was a major source of attraction for a
large number of people from the Kashmiri comunity, who distinguished themselves
both in the Bar and on the Bench. Amongst these Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Dr.
Kailash Nath Katju and Pt. Tej Narain Mulla are but a few of the well
known names.
Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru was bom at Aligarh in 1975. He matriculated from
Agra and went on to do his M.A. in English in 1900. Then, after getting
his law degree he started his legal practice at Moradabad, finally moving to
Allahabad to join the Bar in 1898. He became a Law member, was nominated
to the Legislative Assembly in 1913 and appointed to the Viceroy's Executive
Council in 1920. He resigned from the Council in 1922. In 1931, he
went to attend the Round Table Conference.
Like the Nehrus Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru was also considerably influenced by
western culture. He was a prominent figure in the social cirde at
Allahabad and a number of visitors were always to be found at his residence
every evening. His professional mantle fell on his sons and grandsons who
followed him into the legal profession.
Dr. Kailash Nath Kaqu belonged to a family originally settled at javra in
Rajasthan. he matriculated from Lahore and came to Allahabad as a student to
study law. After getting his law degree he went to Kanpur to start his
legal practice, but a few years later in 1915, he decided to return to Allahabad
to practice at the Allahabad High Court and finally decided to settle there
permanently. Members of his family continue to reside in the city even
now.
Soon after Independance in 1947 Dr. Katju was appointed the Governor of
Orissa. Thereafter his career graph shows him holding one important
position after another. In 1948 he became Governor of West Bengal, in 1952
the Home Minister, in 1954 the Defence Minister and in 1956 the Chief Minister
of Madhya Pradesh.
Like him Dr. Katju's sons also took up law as their profession eaming a
reputation both as lawyers as well as in the judiciary. His grandson, Shri
Markanday Katju, who is currently a judge of the Allahabad High Court, continues
the family traditon.
From amongst the Kunzru family it was Pandit Ajudhianath who decided to come
to Allahabad in 1869. Although the family was well settled at Agra and had
a flourishing business there Pt. Ajudhinath decided to move to Allahabad
after the establishment of the Allahabad High Court. He was appointed the
first President of the Allahabad Bar Association. His move to Allahabad
was also partly influenced by a friend of his, one Mr. Tandon, who persuaded him
to extend his business prospects there. Starting from scratch in a new
business venture both he and his friend went on to become extremely successful
businessmen acquiring much property in the city.
Pt. Ajudhianath's interests extended much beyond the sphere of his profession
and his business. He was deeply interested in social and political
activities, in education as well as in journalism. He founded the 'Indian
Herald' to express his views on a number of current issues.
Pt. Ajudhinath's second son, Dr. Hridaynath Kunzru, was born at Allahabad.
The house in which he was bom was later acquired by the Servants of India
Society with which he had been closely associated since 1909 and the society's
Allahabad office was set up there.
After Pt. Ajudhianath's death in 1892 the family moved back to Agra.
Their connection to Allahabad was once again revived by my father, Pt.
Gopinath Kunzru, Pt. Ajudhianath's third son, who, after starting his
legal practice at Agra, decided to shift to Allahabad and practice at the
Aflahabad High Court. T'hereafter Allahabad became his home for the rest
of his life. Apart from his professional interests and his keen interest
in politics and education, was his deep rooted love for Urdu and Persian poetry.
He had a prodigious memory and could instantly quote innumerable lines from Urdu
and Persian poetry to suit every occasion.
In addition to distinguishing themselves in the legal and political fields,
Kashmiris from Allahabad also played a prominent part in the sphere of
education. Pt. Iqbal Narain Gurtu was the Vice Chancellor of the Allahabad
University, Shri Ram Nath Kaul was Professor of Philosophy and Dr. Tej Narain
Shivpuri, Professor in the Science Faculty.
In the area of medicine, two well known names from Allahabad were those of
Dr. Jainath Kak, son Sri Sukhdeo Prasad Kak and Dr. Sarveshwar Nath Kaul, who
retired from the army and settled in Allahabad. Both Dr. Kak and Dr. Kaul
treated the members of the community free of cost never charging them any fees.
It was gestures like these which created a feeling of kinship and brought the
members of the community closer together.
Another factor which contributed towards making the Kashmiris of Allahabad a
close knit group was the constant interaction amongst then, especialy at the
time of marriages and other social and traditional occasions when an entire
community gathered together. On the occasion of marriages each and every
member of the community was invited whether he was acquainted with the hosts or
not. Even a newcomer to the city belonging to the community was welcomed
and expected to participate in the functions.
Social customs and traditions were tailored to keep the identity of the
conununity intact. Thus, marriages were strictly within the community and
any alliance outside its fold was not only frowned upon but vehemently opposed.
As such, when Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter, Indira, married Feroze
Gandhi many'orthodox members of the community did not attend the ceremony
despite the fact that it was one of most outstanding social events of the time.
On all social occasions including weddings, separate seating arrangements for
Kashmiris and non-kashmiris were made at the time of serving meals and no
intermingling was allowed for ease of servmg as per eating habits.
In the past this segregation had been one way of preserving the identity of
the conununity so that it would not disintegrate and disappear in the broader
spectrum of the society into which the migrant Kashmiris had been transplanted.
The conditions were no different in Allahabad. With changing times,
however, customs and traditions have also changed, while many have ceased to
exist. But whatever the conditions may be, for Allahabad, the Kashmiri
connection will always be an important part of its history.
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