Mahatma Kashyap Bandhu
Jia Lal Geeru, Noorpora*, Kashmir
[*The piece is an obituary published in THE MARTAND dated 27th December 1985
and reproduced in the VITASTA ANNUAL 1985 - Martand Number]
Shri Tara Chand 'Bulbul', better known as
Kashyap Bandhu, breathed his last on December 18, 1985 at his ancestral home at
Geeru (renamed Noorpora) a village 35 kilometres to the south-east of Srinagar.
He was eighty-seven, and is survived by his wife and a son.
'Bulbul' demonstrated extraordinary intelligence, an independent bent of mind
and what could be called revolutionary ideas in twenties of this century, from
his early childhood. He aspired for higher education and could go ahead
but for general poverty and lack of facilities in the field then. He
entered the then Land Settlement Department as Munshi, but could not get along
with what he found a suffocating feudal administrative and social set-up.
He wrote a lampoon on the set-up, resigned his job, left his home, and went to
Lahore where he stayed with one of his village friends who was working in the
Railways. Unable to find a job he went to Quetta where he came into
contact with some revolutionary personalities impressing them with his dash and
fervour. He returned to Lahore and took up editorship of Arya Gazette, the
then organ of the Arya Samaj. Here he came into contact with many other
important personalities of the then Punjab like Raja Narindra Nath, Bhai
Paramananda, Khushal Chand of 'Milap' and Deshbandhu. In fact Deshbandhu
became his political guru and Tara Chand re-named himself as Kashyap Bandhu.
He leamt Sanskrit, and got married in a reputed Kashmiri Pandit family which had
long ago migrated from Kashmir.
The entire country was in turmoil during those days as the independence
movement was assuming new dimension. Kashyap Bandhu also was arrested in
connection with Saunders murder at Lahore. This was his first arrest.
He was set free soon on being found innocent.
In 1931, when the boat of Kashmiri Pandits was caught in the whirlpool of
communal disturbance in the Valley, Kashyap Bandhu rushed to the rescue of the
leaderless, rudderless and slumbering community. With his fervour for
social work and organisms capacity, he immediately set to the task of
establishing the Sanatan Dharam Yuvuk Sabha (now ASKPC) at Sharika Bhawan after
reclaiming the swamp around the ancient Sheetalnath Temple. He also
started a movement of social reform female education, widow re-marriage,
limitations on dowry as also the supreme necessity of unity among Kashmiri
Pandits. By his constant preaching he succeeded in making the Pandit women
give up the old headgear and the cumbersome pheran and to switch over to the
saree. Sheetalnath became the centre of the activities of the Biradari and
Kashyap Bandhu, pioneer of the movement. Youngmen of the community took up
the professions of barbers, tailors, masons and shoe-sellers. The daily
Urdu Martand, established by Bandhuji, became the voice of the community.
His magical pen made the paper a force in the Valley. He succeeded in
getting around him many selfless and patriotic young men of the community like
Jialal Kilam, Prem Nath Bazaz, Shiv Narain Fotedar and Prem Nath Kanna along
with whom he was imprisoned during the Bread Agitation started by Kashmiri
Pandits in 1933-34.
A visionary that he was, Bandhuji approached Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the
President of J & K Muslim Conference, in 1932 seeking creation of a joint
front by Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir. The ideas materialized in 1939
with the creation of J & K National Conference under Sheikh Sahib and
Bandhuji was the first to join it along with some of his colleagues in the Sabha.
He started an Urdu weekly Desh preaching socialism, upliftment of villages and
villagers as also demanding civil rights for the populace irrespective of any
consideration of caste or creed. The presentation of the ."National
Demand" to the then ruler, and later the Quit Kashmir movement in 1946 saw
Bandhuji in jail so many times upto 1947.
The independence of India and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, and the
consequent economic blockade disrupted life in J & K. The loot and plunder
by the raiders sent thousands of refugees, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs from the
north and west of Kashmir to Srinagar. It was a very critical period in
the history of Kashmir. Rising to the occasion, Maharaja Hari Singh
acceded to India and invited Sheikh Abdullah to form an emergency Government in
the State. Bandhuji was made the Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation
Officer. It was his job to accommodate and feed the refugees in very
adverse circumstances and this he did very smoothly and ably.
After stabilization of conditions in the State in 1984, Sheikh Abdullah was
appointed Prime Minister and Bandhuji became the Director-General, Rural
Reconstruction. He had the Rural Development and Panchayat Departments
under his direct control apart from Co-operation, Agriculture and Animal
Husbandry Departments under his supervision. He again rose to the
occasion. With his rural background and rustic sense he became
instrumental in laying foundations of real rural development with HALASHARI
(voluntary labour) constructing village link roads and canals, raising nurseries
and plantation beats etc. Shopian Aharbal Road, Nowpowra-Babarishi Road and
other roads and canals and plantations at Dub Akcora, Tulamulla and Ganderbal
are among many of his achievements during this period. With the change of
Government in 1953. Bandhuji was arrested alongwith Sheikh Mohammad
Abdullah and others. He declined all overtures from Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad
for changing sides. The final release of Sheikh Sahib in 1964 and the
process of liberalization set in motion by Mr. Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq in 1964
gave Bandhuji another chance, as Project Officer of Sonawari Project, to
complete his unfinished job of rural development in the Valley.
Only about two weeks before he breathed his last, Bandhuji addressed a
congregation of Kashmiri Hindus in Srinagar emphasising the unity of the
Biradari.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
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