news details |
|
|
| The Unsung Hero of Kashmiriyat -A tribute to Sarvanand Koul Premi | | | Omkar Dattatray
Sarvanand Koul Premi was born on 2rd November 1924 and was a Kashmiri poet, journalist, research scholar, journalist, Gandhian, social reformer and above all a great human being. Late Sarvanand Koul Premi’s birth day falls on 2rd November 2025 & I thought it proper to pen down few lines as a tribute to the great man. Premiji was not only a poet, writer, thinker ,intellectual, but was a revolutionary, true advocate, torch bearer and propunder of Kashmiriyat ,syncretic culture and Hindi-Muslim unity and he has laid down his precious life for preserving Kshmiriyat and communal harmony which did not suit the scheming and machination of the Islamic terrorists and so they gunned him for being the upholder of Kashmiriyat which is the darling of every Kashmiri even today when it stands uprooted with the forced exile of the Kashmiri Pandits some 36 years ago for the only reason that this community did not subscribe to the myopic view of the terrorists and militants as well as their cohort’s. Premi believed in syncretic culture and throughout his eventful life fought for the upliftment of communal harmony and amity and gave his life for upholding these great values and principles as he was an honest man of principles. There was the burning desire during his life to see the flourishing and flowering of the composite culture as co-existence was ingrained in his flesh and blood and he wanted to see inclusive Jammu and Kashmir despite the onset of militancy and thus he was the eyesore of the militants, radicals and extremists as they were staunch opponents of all that Premi ji stood for and so they martyred him and his son in broad day light to spread fear and insecurity in the Kashmiri Pandits to which Premi ji belonged. His contribution to maintenance and upholding of Kashmiriyat, communal harmony, communal amity and co-existence, composite culture is next to none as he throughout his life stood as a rock for preserving, safeguarding and protecting Kashmiriyat and sufi traditions in Jammu and Kashmir. The key role and contribution of Premi ji in upholding Kashmiriyat can neither be exaggerated nor undermined and overlooked. He was helping all the people without the religious affiliations and he never made any distinction and difference of faith and religion so for as helping needy people was concerned .In this connection I recollect the case of a poor Muslim women who was working as peon on very meagre contingency expenses for a pretty long time at the PNB branch Kokernag. Once he happened to visit the bank for some work and one Sarvanand who worked as a peon in the bank introduced him to the Branch Manager named Shri Avtar Krishan Motta. When BM and Premi ji were talking as the poet was very talkative and during the talks the poor women sweeper who was doing sweeping without adequate salary requested Premi Sahib to adjust her in the bank as she took Premi Sahib for some minister or MLA as his dress resembled the duo. On this Premi ji asked BM what was the matter and BM told everything about the poor lady and Premi ji took the phone number of the General Manager of the bank who was the competent authority for the appointment of a permanent sweeper. Motta Shaib thought what he will do as he had also tried to get her appointed but without any result. Within few days Premi ji approached the RM and put forward the case and request of the poor lady’s appointment as a permanent sweeper. In short within a few days the case was put up and the necessary order for her appointment as a permanent peon was issued and she was appointed and regularised and she also got a handsome money as arrears. See, how Premiji helped a poor and low caste women from the Muslim community. But alas ! such a secular and good man was killed by the Islamic militants. This is one anecdote from the life of Premi Sahib and he has helped many people during his life including many Muslims. As a teacher he had taught many Muslim students free of tuition fees. Premi Sahib was a reputed teacher and educationist of repute and he was famous among both KP’s and KM’s as both communities respected and revered him and in fact he was the role model of many people. He was a secularist to the core and it can be said that he was secular par excellence. His secular credentials are like an open book as all through his life he watered the plant of secularism, communal harmony and Kashmiriyat with his sweat and blood But the fanatics and Islamic terrorists did not like the secularism, pluralism, Kashmiriyat and Sufi culture to flourish in the land of Kashmir and thus they martyred this great man of principles. His killing was widely mourned not only in literary circles but the common Kashmiris also mourned his death and cursed militants for the abominable act but in a hidden manner as openly condemning the militant was not possible as those where the hay days of militancy. In fact, his death is not the death a Kashmiri Pandit poet, writer and intellectual but it sounds to be the death of Kashmiriyat for upholding of which he worked throughout his life and then laid down his precious life for the noble cause of upholding Kashmiriyat, secularism, pluralism communal harmony et. al. A chair for this big icon of Kashmiriyat may be created in the University of Kashmir. JKCA should also publish and translate more then two dozen of his books for future generation. Research may also be undertaken on his works and this is the reminder to the government on his birth anniversary. Premi Sahib has a good number of followers even today as people love and respect his ideology and philosophy of the advocacy of Kashmiriyat ,Sufi traditions, secularism, pluralism and communal harmony. In short on his birth anniversary let us resolve to work for promoting Kashmiriyat, Sufi traditions, secularism, pluralism, Hindu-Muslim unity and mutual co-existence.
The author is a columnist, social, KP activist & Freelancer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
