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 dropout.
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 from his daughter Daizy.
One day, Shaban Sabh called on 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 Sahib 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 do not’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 nor koen’.
Professor Shahmiri, once as Director Women Education held a mass
meeting of female teachers at Sheri Kashmir Park. She 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 and the
society as well. 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.
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