Monday 13 February 2017

Pundit Kanthea Kak And Gaffar Sabh

1960 and thereafter Pundit Kanthea Kak was residing at Safakadal Crossing until 1990. He was grandfather of the children of his four sons and head of the joint family consisting of more than two dozen mouths. The hearth used to be live from dawn to dusk. The family was most disciplined one with respect for elders. The Head was master of clean habits clad in neat and clean white toned ‘pushmina pheran’, snow-white turban, snow-white overall cotton cover, snow-white ‘chudidhar’ pajama. He and his eldest son aged mid sixties were petition writers. Lalea as we the youngsters used to call Pundit Kanthea Kak had mastered Shariat law, IPC and RPC. He was capable of quoting and referring the act meticulously at verbatim. His calligraphy was like a print. Impressed by his calligraphy and methodology, I once asked him about his academic qualification. I was surprised to know that he was a third primary school drop out.
Lalea a brilliant student in his class was in third standard when the English alphabet was introduced in the valley schools. The Pundit purohits and Maulvis declared that anybody writing or learning the English alphabet will get distanced from their respective religions. Lalea preferred to skip his schooling rather than to get distanced from his religion.

M Dass Public School Kanikadal started on 5th March 1973. It was a period of ‘Aes-Senghea’ when no Kashmiri Pundit would admit his ward in a school, when marriages don’t take place, when no auspicious function is performed. Er.Chaman Lal Hashia requested me to reserve admission for three children  from his family. I assured him admission after the inauspicious period was over. One day in the midst of inauspicious period Chaman Lal entered into my office hurriedly, filled in three admission forms and admitted his wards in the class with all the fervour needed for fresh entrants for school education.
I said to Er.Hashia: “Why did you admit them in the midst of the inauspicious period of ‘aes-senghea’?”
He said: “I saw the children of the priest who cautioned me of the aes-senghea period already admitted in the school. When I asked him the reason for not observing auspicious and inauspicious period, he told me that there is no inauspicious period for acquiring education. It was a hurdle to overtake others who kept them backward in all walks of life.”
The fatwa against female education pronounced by Mufti Bashir-ul-Din Sahib reminded me of the episode concerning Gaffar Sabh and Shaban Sabh.
Gaffar Sabh and Shabhan Sabh were colleagues in a High School. Daughters of both Rozy and Daizy respectively (Names changed) passed 8th class. Daizy the daughter of Shaban Sabh stood first in the district. Shahban Sabh consulted his colleague for the subjects his daughter should opt in IX class. His friend cum colleague convinced his friend that higher education was not advisable for girls. It was better to marry them and be free from responsibility. So Daizy despite her meritorious academic record was married to her mediocre cousin. Gaffar Sabh and Shaban Sabh soon parted on account of their new postings. During a gap of seven years one moved from school to school in the north and the other in the south of the valley. Both lost contact with each other. In the meantime Shahban Sabh became grandfather of a number of grand children.
One day, Shaban Sabh called at his friend Gaffar Sabh. Soon his daughter Rozy returned from her college with a white apron on her arm. She wished aslam ve alaikum to her high school teacher Shaban Sahibthe the colleague cum friend of her father. Shahban Sahib reciprocated. It was a big shock to Shaban Sab to know that Rozy was a third-year student at Medical College Srinagar and his brilliant daughter Daizy a shattered children producing machine. It was too late to mend.
Gaffar Sab was a controversial character. He usually used to give sermons on do’s and donot’s.  One of the sermons was for using ‘burqa’ and covering of head by Muslim girls with sari. One day he was on the road and his daughter without burqa and naked head was coming from the opposite direction. One Muslim boy nearby pretended and said with all obnoxious words: “Know not which devil’s daughter this brazen faced Muslim girl with naked head is marching like a man?”
In villages, rustic villagers go to their Peer Sahib for giving name to their new born baby. He names them as Sulea; Gulea; Nurea; Zunea ….etc. while he names his own as Peerzada Ishtiaq Ahmmad; Peerzada Shafaqat Ahmmad, Peerzada Amin Shah Sahib…. I have seen people in the village calling their family members as ‘ Oh Sulea kharev ho’ and in response he says “Ho zuntea kunee ho” Though neither is ‘khoer or koen’.

Professor Shahmiri, once as Director Women Education held a mass meeting of female teachers at Sheri Kashmir Park. She almost beat her forehead with remorse and cried: “Kashmiri Pundit lady if enters into department as middle pass acquires post-graduation qualification while in service and retires from a gazetted cadre and you Muslim lady teachers if enter Middle pass, you retire as middle pass.
If the advice to keep women at home and not to give them education is adhered to, it will be a colossal loss to the community. It will push them towards backwardness and a miserable life of poverty. Educated mother is a great divine gift to the whole family. Dr.Sir Syed Khan owes his stature to his mother.
Brijdass chu venan lasiv te basiv.