Saed-Muqar and Kuli-Faqir

Among many other professional beggars, kuli-faqir, and Saed-muqar are two tribes of beggars in the valley. Kuli faqir are notorious for their cheating, koker chuer and other petty thefts. They even steal clothes on the rope meant for drying. Their men folk stay back and take to gambling while women folk earn for them. They are nomads and speak a number of languages including pastu. Until my exodus, one such tribe was at Parimpora-bypass crossing. Saed Muqars are professional beggars and they neither cheat anybody nor do they steal from any household. Kulifaqir and Saedmuqar shift to Mumbai and other places of Maharashtra during winter months. On their arrival Maharashtrians pass a word of caution "Chiuenchue aa ghaia". Saedmuqar are not cheats. They like Govinda, Jackie Shroff and other retired Bollywood actors caution people of evil to come and ask for some money to ward off the evil against money. There is one more class of beggars from Chachebal Kulgam. They pose as Hindu in Hindu locality and as Muslim in Muslim locality. They keep two types of caps in their bag. Some of them pose as students from Khanbal College and collect money and ration for flood/ fire/ earthquake and other natural calamity  victims as per the circumstances. Nineties they posed as Kashmiri Pundits in Delhi and other cities.

https://youtu.be/fn7cTdNEA4M

“Are you Mujahid or Soieth or Tuetch or Nabedhie?" said B K

Around 2002, the days of Holi, I along with my students and colleagues was at Ram Dass  Sarai, Golden Temple,  Darbar  Sahab, Amritsar. The next day after our arrival at 9 AM while on way to grocer’s shop for some grocery, I spotted some Kashmiri hawkers at the main entrance of the temple. One was selling warm waist coats and the like and the other was selling shawls etc..

I wished “Adab  Arz” to the one who was selling waist coats. He responded: “Adab  Arz”.

It was substantially after a long time that I got opportunity to chat with a Kashmiri. I seized the opportunity. Soon we entered into a chat. I said that I am a Pandit from Srinagar, living in exile due to the turmoil in the valley. He was from Ashmuj-Kulgam and so was the one selling shawls.

I said: “Are you Mujahid or Soieth or Tuetch or Nabedhie?”(Mujahid is the one who got Arms training across the border:  Soieth is the translation of wick and the name is given to those who are locally trained; Tuetch in Kashmiri is the translation for mop and the name is given to those who without any training carry gun on their shoulders and accompany Mujahids and Soieth ; Nabedhie is the translation for sugar crystals and the name is given to renegades who fight against Mujahid, Soieth and Tuetch)

He said: “I am none of the four. I am simply making my livelihood when back home; it is chill cold and no source of income to sustain.”

I said: “It is the first day of the holy month of Ramzan. Your appearance with Nimaz mark on your forehead speaks much about you. You with trimmed beard seem to be an orthodox Musalman. I am sure, you are on fast. Speak the truth.”

He said: “I am a Mujahid.”

I said: “Wherefrom did you get your training?”

He said: “I fought for ten years against Russian forces in Afghanistan”.

I said: “What Arms and ammunition do you know to handle?”

He said: “I can down supersonic or any plane in one shot (eisharay say jihaz ko gira sakta huen)

In the meantime, the shawl vender joined us.

I said: “What about him?”

He said: “He too is a Mujahid and he too fought against Russian forces for ten years.”

One younger boy around twenty selling wrist watches joined us. He was from village Kilam.

I asked about him. He said that he was none of the four categories of the militants.

I said: “How is it possible that he could be immune to militancy when the village Kilam is adjacent to militancy infested village Ashmuej and shares the common water mill for grinding their grains. He said that why should he lie when he spoke plainly about himself and the other one. I asked the watch vender for the reason of his being in Amritsar. He said: “The youth in Kilam suffers torture at the hands of STF forces. Any youth in action shoes and jeans is the target of the STF inspector, let loose by Farooq Abdullah Government.”

“When so trained in warfare, why he left the battle field and took to a hawker’s job?” said I.

He said: “Some of us turned traitors. They got heavy toll killed and many arrested.

Organization, heads asked us to disperse for the time being to escape arrest and the bullet in an encounter. You must have seen a good number of Kashmiris working as Cycle rickshaw pullers. They all are here to escape saboteurs.

“You are not from Soibugh either” B K Dass

1995, militancy in the valley was at its peak and it had already spread its tentacles across the tunnel at Jammu the winter capital of the State. Bomb blasts at Jammu had become a routine matter. Bomb blast at Digiana had already cost a heavy toll of human life, besides maiming the limbs of many.

July, 1995 at 11 PM I was in a queue at Digiana STD Booth to avail of a concessional telephone call @ 25% of the routine rate. One in the queue pointed to another person and told me that he too was a Kashmiri. I asked the person about his name. He said that his name was Abdul Rashid (Name changed).

“Despite hostile environment, we Kashmiri Pundits are here at Jammu in scorching heat because of compulsion. What made you to be here at Jammu to suffer the hot climate along with us” said I.

Rashid: “I am posted here at the Police Station Digiana and frisk people to ensure safety and security of people.”

“In the Valley wherefrom do you come” said I.

Rashid: “I am from Sebdan.”

“Do you know Hriday Nath from Sebdan? His father was Mokdum of Sebdan” said I.

Rashid: “No I don’t know Hriday Nath.”

“In that case, you can’t be from Sebdan” said I.

Rashid: “I am from Soibugh.”

“Do you know Ghulam Hassan? He was working in Cooperative Department and he died very young.”

Rashid: “No, I don’t know Ghulam Hassan.”

I said: “Then you are not from Soibugh either.”

Rashid: “I am from Wadwan, adjacent to Sebdan and Soibugh.”

Without referring to any name. I said: “It is a white lie. In any case, you can’t be from Wadwan.”

Rashid: “Why can’t I be from Wadwan?”

I said: “Hundred percent of the Wadwan habitants are followers of Jamati Islami. They are fighting Jihad. How come you are in J&K Police fighting against Mujahids?”

Rashid: “Koranus pueth tuel metie bunduk choen verien. Atie yelie ne drav kinhee, hendostan chue boed muluk te mai dichuekh nokrie tohie tulushie kurnea bapuet” (I swear by Koran. I too picked up gun as a militant and fought against the Government for four years. It did not yield any result. India is a great country that provided me with a job to frisk you people.)

Brijdass te Girdass chue venan lasiv te basiv