View of Srinagar from top of Jama Masjid. From 'The Happy Valley: Sketches of Kashmir & the Kashmiris' by W. Wakefield (1879).

March 30, 2014 at 12:58am

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Girija Dhar Rare pic , thanks.

Tayab Dev very rare pic....thanx for posting.

Farooq Nazki dogra rule poverty begar and terror

Ashok Kangan FAROOQ U WILL ALWAYS REMAIN SAME WHETHER IT IS PATHAN ,,MUGAL OR TODAY'S MUSLIM RAJ 

Abu Aishan oh

great, so it is muslim raj, i thought it was Martial law..........!!! BTW wehave spread all over the world now and have progressed in every sphere of life. Our labour is imported from Punjab and Bihar and Rajasthan.                

 B K Dass: Even we import Mujahids from across the border and other states of India. 

Bashir Budgami great 

Brij Krishan Dass Poverty and beggary continued until late sixties. I along with many used to deposit my 'chandi' ration card at the ghat at 5AM. A big pile of ration cards would get turn by parts over a fortnight. 1960 I was appointed as Government teacher at Zainapor High School@ Rs.96/PM. 1961, I purchased Raleigh Bicycle for Rs.210 or 250 on installment of Rs 10/e. 1963, I purchased suit length of 3 mts. from Mehra Cloth House, Kokerbazar for Rs.100 with cash payment of Rs.30 and the rest in installments of 10 each. 1965, my roll no. slip for MSc Mathematics final examination got held up for want of Rs.300. God helped me as I unexpectedly got a draft for Rs.300 from Information & Broadcasting Deptt. Delhi as my daily wages for one month @Rs.10/day as I along with other graduates had worked as demonstrator at Information & Broadcasting stall at the Exibition Ground Srinagar to explain the Chinese aggression, Macmohan line, Chishul, Nefa border on the map of India. Until rising of the Peace Brigade @ Rs.29 and 15 annas/e, every evening there would be a call by the beggars: “Khandorev dheive na butea minda khodaie sundhie navi”. Abdul Gani Sofi from Chrari Sharief used to cook meals for Master Mohammad Abdullah Dev and Mohammad Shafi Qari. In return he would get coaching from them and two times meals. 1961, both his teachers got promoted as Headmasters. Mohd. Shafi Qari handed the  responsibility of Gani Sofi to me. For his admission fees for Degree final, Abdul Gaffar Shah offered his help and paid his fees of Rs.35 from his ‘zakat money’ he had apportioned for such benevolent jobs. Gani Sofi retired as a Government teacher in 2009.

 January1961 I purchased one sack of kangri keri from Assadullah sodagar at Zaindar Mohalla. It was snow all around, no coolie was around to carry the sack full of kangri keri. Assadullah gave call to Rashid 3rd year Medical student at medical college Srinagar. Rashid carried the sack on his shoulder to the third storey. He left his torn out shoes at the threshold and went upstairs barefooted. I paid him ‘dhonie’ (two annas-one eighth of a rupee). He said: “A little more for going up three stairs.” I paid him one takka (1/32 of a rupee) more without any negotiation. Last I know, Dr. Rashid was HOD at Ludhiana Christian Medical College. During the last few decades, India marched ahead quite fast and so my Kashmir. Until late sixties only a few owned a bicycle in the mohalla. Anybody having a Bicycle fitted with' pump-lump te ganti' was envied as hero of the area. 1968,Cooperative  Department used to club a few villages together and book a tractor in the name of their Cooperative Society. The tractor was imported from Russia. Many of my friends used to ease on the street drains and drag on the road in absence of water. It was known as 'khakher'. Masha Allah, today there is hardly any family that does not own one or two cars. Each house has each room attached with washroom. Most of the people were suffering with favus infection. Today all look like Hollywood actors. Until 1960 and thereafter for some years, Medical laboratory was only at SP College. Girls College Medical students used to share the laboratory of S P College. Today 'shehrea -gamea' all Hr. Secondary Schools have facility for both medical and non medical, besides art subjects. Thank God. We have come out of the poverty and now live relatively a quality life. 

Mid fifties one of my friends along with his brother from a different mother, both orphans and two of their  cousins went to the tailor for giving him measurement for shorts. All the four were in 'pheran' and only one of them had shorts on and the rest were without any undergarments. They in turn changed the only shorts and managed to give their measurement. The youngest of them retired as Headmaster, the eldest and the next to him both BSc. with diploma retired as Assistant Engineers,the fourth Matriculate with diploma also retired as an Assistant Engineer.

Vijay Koul I believe but for the turmoil kashmir must have progressed to great extend given the talent there.

Bansi Lal Kashkari Those were the days we still cherish to remember.Lanat ho un sab ko jinhoney is janat ko jahanum banaya.

View of Srinagar from top of Jama Masjid. From 'The Happy Valley: Sketches of Kashmir & the Kashmiris' by W. Wakefield (1879).