Pandit Kashyap Bandhu: The Karam-Yogi
Par Excellence
Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Jammu
Having had the privilege and
good fortune of being brought up under his hawkish supervision, I wonder how to
begin writing about the only complete human being I have known. Most
appropriate would have been to call him a rebel because as we try to recall
various stages of his life we find he always rebelled against the established
norms the moment he found them against the long term interests of the society.
I would most likely call him - a man with a one track mind. Because I have
never found him compromising on principles that he very strongly believed in.
He was never subject to influence even from those who were very dear to his
heart. Who can such a man be - but a Karam Yogi - who lived his long life
sticking to his principles and when the end came he stood by them - all alone.
GAIROO is a village named after Mata Gauri Shori whose
temple is situated therein about 2 KMs towards south-east of Awantipore.
Therein lived a poor Kashmiri Pandit family of three brothers and a widowed
sister headed by the only married brother, Pt. Thakur Bhat. The eldest
child was born in Chaitra Krishna Pakhsha on Navmi [which coincides with 29th
March 2000, Wednesday] and
was named Tara Chand. With due regards to the
sentiments of the widowed sister, the infant was put
in her lap, so that he would carry her husband's surname
"Koul". This child was destined to be the tallest social
reformer of the Pandit Community, the fountain head of our secular values,
journalist par excellence and a rural development visionary - our own Karam Yogi
of the 20th century, Pandit Kashyap Bandhu whose heart and soul were deeply
entrenched in the soil of Kashmir.
During his childhood, in addition to learning and
lessons in the village school he would tend sheep and cattle of the house.
His extra-ordinary intelligence was recognised soon and he would surely be
consulted on the matters of importance. But soon he was to go to Srinagar
for post-primary education. He would live with an uncle in Sheshyar,
Habbakadal-the Safayas. While being taken to Srinagar on foot his father
while resting at Letpora took out his knife from the pocket and showed the
sharpened edges to the young lad telling that he would slit the throat of the
lad if we would come back home without completing his education. The lad
remembered the scene vividly in his eightees as well.
Soon, the youngman, however rebelled. While in
the Safaya house, he would not only be called upon to do the domestic errands
but the neighbours would also call upon him to accompany their daughters
alongwith "Chocha Syun" to their in-laws. The youngman ran away
from the Safaya house and made his own living arrangements with Masterji's
family at Age-Hamam. This was against the wishes of his father.
After passing Middle Level examinations, he started job
hunting while still studying. On being informed that the Revenue Minister
was coming back from Gulmurg he alongwith a few of his friends managed to appear
before the Englishman at Narbal while he was resting. The youngman was
enrolled as a Shajrakash in the Revenue Department and sent to Kolgam Tehsil.
For sometime he was at Danow Kandi-Marg where he had a brief teenage romance as
well with a beautiful Muslim lass. He again rebelled at the cost of his
service. It so happened that Tehsildar Kolgam was coming down to Vessu to
Devkoul's house along with family. As it grew dark, the advance party
ordered the Numberdar's of all the villages enroute to make people stand on the
path hold a burning paddy pola in hand to enlighten the path while the
Tehsildar's party was passing. The young Tarachand influenced the
Numberdar of the village where he was posted then, against this arrangement.
The path through this village remained dark. Investigation followed and
Tarachand lost his first job along with the hope of getting another under
Maharaja's rule.
He went to Lahore and came under influence of the Arya
Samaj Movement. Worked as a volunteer in Quetta and started using his pen
against the establishment and in favour of the down-trodden. The power of
his pen was soon recognised and he rose to become the Editor of the "Arya
Gazette". Here he was renamed Kashyap Bandhu and he married Vimla.
His rebellious nature made him land in the prison for the first time when he was
arrested among others in Sandar's case, having come under Bhagat Singh's
influence.
In 1931, he returned to Kashmir and took upon himself
the task of rebellion I against established customs, dress code, and political
thinking of his bretheren - the Kashmiri Pandits. This was the only brief
period in the recent past history of Pandits when they remained united under one
banner of Sanatan Dharm Yuvak Sabha. He held sway over the masses through
his bold pen writing the sarcastic "Challant" and "Pagal Ki
Diary". The Pheran Pooch and Zooj gave way, so did the ageold custom
of not marrying widows. Girls education got the thrust and the Pandits
danced happily to his tune.
But the rebel in him would not die. A brief
communal incident at Kanikoot and then in the down-town city impressed upon him
the fragility of the KP's isolated political stand. Rebelling against the
majority belief, he walked out of the Yuvak Sabha as well as the Martand, joined
hands with Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in 1938 and thus was born National
Conference. Pt. Jia Lal Kilam remained shoulder to shoulder with him.
A fine bond of friendship grew between Mirza Beg; and him probably because both
had a rural background and had the problems of rural Kashmir uppermost in mind.
The rebel in him did not lose any chance. In the early forties Sheikh
Mohammed Abdullah while speaking to a Friday congregation at Hazratbal, spoke
about the religion in a way so as to denigrate other religions as compared to
Islam. Kashyap Bandhu along with Jia Lal Kilam resigned the same day from
National Conference. The Muslim friends had to do lot of cajoling and the
tall man had to personally say sorry before the duo went back.
On the political scene the forties were years of
turmoil. Kashyap Bandhu was in and out of the jail many a time. This
gave him lot of time to use his fascile pen. Kesri was first brought on
the scene. The Government banned it. Kesri was followed bv "Desh".
Both were edited by Kashyap Bandhu. During the post 1947 turnmoil
Bandhuji's priorty was to attend to the needs of the migrants coming from areas
devastated by tribals. He ensured that all the Pandits who had been forced
to tear their sacred threads got it back through proper Yagnas at Maidan Chogol
in Handwara. He ensured the safety of Sh.Keshav Nath Khaibri and family.
This gentleman had married a Muslim lass of village Manzhar in Kopwara and lived
there only. This incidentally was the only Pandit family in the whole of Manzhar/Halmatpora
Nalla even upto the ninetees.
Different people give different reasons for his not
being included in the first ever Cabinet headed by the Sheikh. As far as I
know, the reason was the rebel in him. He would not succumb to pressure or
influence and would follow his one track mind decisions, which Sheikh thought
was not good for his cabinet colleagues. Having been given the charge of
Director General Dehat Sudhar and rehablitation, he would always take his own
decisions, although he was under the charge of Masheer Maal Mirza Afzal Beg.
Post 1953 scene, Kashyap Bandhu was incarcerated along
with Sheikh and Beg. He refused to be influenced by Bakshi G.M. and
although repeatedly cajoled by him, remained stead-fast in his loyalty to the
tall man. But lo and behold-when Sheikh took over the reins of power in
1975, he refused to join his cabinet because his one track mind believed Sheikh
had taken a wrong decision.
Even between 1947 and 1953, the great man lived with
Warikoo family only (with whom he lived right from early thirtees) and drew a
token salary of Rupees One hundred only and refused government accommodation or
normal salary. Upon my enquiry he told me that all National Conference
bigwigs had once decided that they should live simply, preferably in two room
cottages, around Pologround and draw salary only as was required and should
avoid ostentation. This one-track mind gentleman was the only person to
stick to the vow taken.
Upon being entrusted the job of development of Sonawari
in 1964, he believed he had done his job by the end of 1967. Any amount of
persuasion by Sadiq Sahib did not make him change his mind.
This kind of attitude towards life was more pronounced
on the domestic front. In the late forties his wife wanted him to
construct a small house at Srinagar for the family - the three of them, Vibhu
was born. He refused. He believed the family strength was thirteen
not three. He included his two brothers and their families in it. So
he want ahead and constructed a tall four storey house enough to accommodate
thirty people comfortably. The marriages in the family were all low key
affairs. In my case he was looking for a Daan-Pass and Gaan-Pass Bahu.
A girl who could take care of the kitchen and the cow. During the marriage
only one or two members of each relation were invited. Only 25-30 people
were there in the Baraat. I might have been probably the only groom who
has gone to get married sitting in the backseat of the van. He was sitting
in the front. There was no Gandun; Ghar Achun; Phir Saal etc. I was
made to visit my Susral to accompany my wife even before they could ask for a
Phir-Saal. (Can this ever be repeated, I wonder.)
Upon developing differences with the attitude of the
Kashmiri Pandits he refused to come down to Srinagar even for consultations.
Hordes Of gentlemen from the community dropped in for weeks but the gentleman's
one track mind refused to budge. Sh H. N. Jattoo was the front runner but
Bandhujee would not agree. The community bowed to the rebel. Dr.
Peshin took over the reins. Whether that went in favour of the community
or not only history will say.
Having had deep love for Kashmir and his village, he
refused to leave even when everyone left. His wife moved down to Jammu, he
refused to leave. His brother's family left the rebel turned Yogi.
Finally, me and my mother also left. He said good bye. The man was
into his eightees. He did not know from where his dinner was to come.
But still he encouraged everyone in the family to move on - if it made them
happy. He refused monetary support even from those who were very dear to
him, even when he had no money. On my last meeting with him in October
1985 before I left for ladakh alongwith family where I was transferred, he told
me, that long back God had made a promise that he shall get his two time food,
with two vegetables and a cup of curd all through. And this he got until
the end.
On Dec the 18th 1985, he had his dinner and was in deep
thought. The Radio was on. Suddenly he called for Ama Sheikh and
asked him to call Pt. Radha Krishen, the local Doctor because he felt some
pain in the chest. Ama ran fast. Within ten minutes Radha Krishen
arrived. But Kashyap Bandhu had left his mortal body. The body was
in sleeping posture but his eyes were open set on the photograph of Maa Jagat
Amba.
Any better way to leave this mortal world? And
that is how Karam Yogis leave.
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