Kashyap Bandhu - "Martand's" First Editor

Prof. T. N. Moza, Jammu

Reproduced from the Vitasta Annual, 1985 - Martand Number

With the short space of a few pages, it is a formidable task to assess the multifaceted personality of late Shri Kashyap Bandhu and his contribution in the field of social service, politics and journalism in the j & K State.  As a political leader he always thought ahead of times.  Even in his "swansong speech" which he delivered at the Conference of All-India Kashmiri Pandits, held in December 1985, in Srinagar, he rightly advised the Kashmiri Pandits to look to Srinagar rather than to New Delhi for support or assistance.  This advice could come only from the mouth of a leader of maturity and high political acumen.  He had the correct understanding of the political, social and economic problems of the J & K State.  Even up to the last minute he struggled hard to help the members of the community in one way or the other.  The letter which he has addressed to my brother, Dr. B.K. Moza, the Editor of the VITASTA, from his death-bed speaks of his sincerity and good intentions to contribute an article for the Special Martand Number of the Vitasta, Calcutta.

Kashyap Bandhu had his early training and initiation in journalism at Lahore where he was associated with the publication of the Weekly Arya Gazette which was the official organ of the Arya Samaj.  In fact, his entry in politics, he owes to Arya Samaj an organization which did not only desire to rid Hinduism of its evils of casteism and other social evils but also actively involved itself in the freedom movement by responding to the clarion call given by Mahatma Gandhi when he launched the historic Non-Cooperation Movement.  The Arya Samaj' was one of the few organizations which responded befittingly by throwing thousands of its workers in the freedom movement and also set up a network of educational institutions all over India for promoting the cause of Independence and realization of its objectives.  It was in Lahore that Kashyap Bandhu came in contact with the top-ranking Nationalist leaders who were fired with patriotism and imbued with highest sense of idealism.  Kashmir could not remain uninfluenced by what was happening outside the J & K State.  Accordingly, in the thirties of the present century, Sheikh Mohammad Abd.ullah founded All J & K Muslim Conference, which subsequently was changed into National Conference.  Kashyap Bandhu actively associated himself with All-j & K Yuvak Sabha for some time.  It was in this period that the Daily Martand, the second Daily of the J & K State, was started.  Kashyap Bandhu's contribution in the launching and stabilization of the Daily Martand remains unexcelled.  As a Kashmiri Pandit leader, it was uppermost in his heart to rid the Kashmiri Pandit community of the decadent customs, rituals and other sterile practices.  Appropriately, through the columns of The Martand, Kashyap Bandhu made full and vigorous use of his facile pen to propagate the ideas of social reform in the community through his colunm, Challant.  Every reader looked avidly to a copy of the Martand, to go through Challant.  The Daily Martand was able to increase its circulation and earn respectability in the eyes of the Government and the other political parties, thanks to late Kashyap Bandhu.  He along with a band of dedicated social workers, was able not only to popularise the social reforms among the Kashmiri Pandits, but also succeeded, in ample measure, in raising funds for the continued existence of the Martand.  Among those workers and writers who assisted Kashyap Bandhu in the achievement of his objectives were Shri Shyam Lal Gurtoo, Shri Shambu Nath Ogra, the revered father of Shri M.K. Ogra, Pt.  Sat Lal Sadhu, Pt.  Ram Chand Abhai and other sincere workers.  The Daily Martand became a popular newspaper under the stewardship of Pt. Kashyap Bandhu as its first Editor.  However, with the assumption of the Presidentship of the Sabha by Pandit Sheo Narain Fotedar, he along with Pt. Jia Lal Kilam resigned from the Yuvak Sabha and joined the National Conference.  Pt.  Shambu Nath Ogra also joined the Weekly Kesari which came out under the editorship of Kashyap Bandhu.  Bandhu Ji gave reasons for his new political stance by writing an editorial captioned "Tabdil-Iqulab" i.e. "Change of heart".  The paper was banned when Sheikh Abdullah started the National Demand Agitation in 1938.  He with Jia Lal Kilam, Shambu Nath Peshin, Shyam Lal Saraf, Shambu Nath Ogra and other Kashmiri Pandit leaders courted imprisonment.  The Weekly Kesari was banned by the Maharaja's Government.  Subsequently with the release of the National Conference leaders, Kashyap Bandhu started again his weekly, The Desh, which was a strong supporter of the National Conference Movement headed by Sheikh Abdullah.  Pandit Jia Lal Kilam also started his own paper the weekly Quam-i-Dard and Pt.  Amar Nath Kak published his weekly Vichar.  Pt.  Shambhu Nath Ogra was its Editor.  Kesari & Desh which were edited by Kashyap Bandhu were the popular weeklies which attracted attention of the readers all over the State.  Through his column he highlighted the hardships and difficulties faced by Kashmiris and articulated their grievances against the feudal autocracy.  The humorous column of Kashyap Bandhu which reappeared in Kesari and subsequently in Desh poured sarcasm, scom and contumely on the functioning of the Maharaja Hari Singh's Government.

Kashyap Bandhu with other Kashmiri Pandit leaders such as Pt.  A ar Nath Kak, Pt.  S.N. Fotedar, Pt. Shambu Nath Dhar, Pt.  Janardhan Teng offered satyagraha in the Durganag Temple Agitation.  Kashyap Bandhu and other Nationalist Pandit leaders were also imprisoned in this agitation.  It was again given to Kashyap Bandhu to have been incarcerated in the historic Quit Kashmir Movement launched by Sheikh Abdullah in May, 1946.  Kashyap Bandhu was lodged in Kathua jail.  Later the Maharaja's Government, at the intervention of Mahatma Gandhi and the pressure on the nationalist public opinion, was forced to release Sheikh Abdullah and other Nationalist leaders in 1947.  In the Emergency Government, constituted by Sheikh Abdullah, Kashyap Bandhu looked after the rural affairs.  He was also made the Director of Dehat Sudhar Department when a regular Government was set up by Sheikh Abdullah.  He continued in this capacity till 9th August. 1953, when he was imprisoned again by Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed's Government with the deposition of Sheikh Abdullah.  After his release from the prison he practically retired from the politics though in his personal capacity he had the courage of conviction to support Sheikh Saheb.

Bandhuji literally was a "folksy" type of leader who had understood the problems of the rural folk.  The amelioration of their lot was uppermost in his heart.  He highlighted the rural news in all the papers which he edited.  Viewed in the present context, whatever he preached in the thirties and forties of the present century has been incorporated in the twenty-point programme.  He was a journalist par excellence.  His features "Challant" or "Pagal Ki Diary" attracted State-wide attention.  Some of his well-written and thought-provoking articles were reproduced by the pre-1947 Lahore Press.  He combined clear thinking with a sense of humour and sarcasm.  The "Challant" always reflected social evils of the community and also oppressive rule of feudal autocracy.  I still remember the heading of the "Challant" captioned, "Banami Shukar Divta Wazarati Shumali".  A dig was made on the then District Commissioner of the district for his policy of extortion and oppression.  Kashyap Bandhu left an indelible mark of his personality on the Martand which he edited for some time.  His contribution to the betterment of Kashmiris will ever be remembered by the right thinking people.  The Daily Martand during the course of his editorship attracted articles and contribution from well-known Kashmiri writers such as Pt.  Premnath Pardesi, the noted short story writer, Master Zinda Kaul, Pt.  Dinanath Nadim, Pt.  Brijmohan Datatriya Kaifi, Mahjoor Kashmiri, Pt.  Arjan Dev Majboor, Shri J.N. Jagyasu, Pt. Dinanath Dilgir, Pt.  Shyamlal Wali, Tirath Kashmiri (revered father of Bansi Nirdosh), Prof.  Nand Lal Kaul Talib, Pt.  Ganghadhar Bhat, Dehati Kashmiri, Pt.  Dinanath Mast Kashmiri, and many other literatuers.  The words of a Sharikawar speech delivered by Kashyap Bandhu 'Shakhsityen ati jati hein, Organisation ki Puja Karo" (Personalities come and go, it is the organization which is to be worshipped) remains a fine piece of advice given by late Kashyap Bandhu, relevant as much today as it was in context of the thirties of the present century when he addressed mammoth gatherings of Kashmiris at Hari Parbat, Srinagar.  Kashyap Bandhu's forte lay in practising what he preached.  He became a legendary figure in the community when his social reform songs particularly the Popularization of Khaddar Saris namely "Chhui-mubarak Dhoti Maharenai" and "Mali Saban Tan Kari Prenai" became of household song and would be sung as a folksong (Chakri) by the women on the occasions of marriages and religious festivals.  Bandhuji's sense of humour is also revealed by a poem which he wrote in retaliation when a Jammu Muslim Conference Weekly edited by Allaha Rakha Sagar assailed Sheikh Sahib's secularism and nationalist ideology.  A hemistitch from the poem is reproduced :

"Talein Jo Gulgulay Pakiatan Ki Kadai Mein
Abbas dastpanah Sagar Halwai Ban jai"

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