RNI Registration No. MAHMUL/2004/13413 Price: Rs. 20/- Website: www.milchar.com ~ E.Mail: [email protected] Vol. III, No. 5 ' Official Organ of KPA, Mumbai' Sept-Oct 2006 Mouth-watering Peaches - A Taste of Kashmir Project ZAAN: Website : www.zaan.net E-mail: [email protected] feyp+kjò cdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdc MILCHAR MILCHAR In this issue Official organ of g Message from the President Kashmiri Pandits' Association, Mumbai v Between Ourselves (Regd. Charitable Trust. Regn. No: A-2815-BOM) - M. L. Mattoo Page 3 E.Mail: [email protected] g Editorial [[ v Ah! Kachroo Sahib Editorial Board - M.K.Raina Page 4 g A Memoir Editor-in-Chief : P. N. Wali - T.N.Bhan Page 5 Executive Editor : J. L. Manwati g Reaching Out Coordinating Editor : M. K. Raina v Imperfect Mankind Members : T.N.Bhan - S.P.Kachru Page 6 Basanti Raina g Our Heritage S. P. Kachru v Preservation of Culture ... Consulting Editor : J.N.Raina (Pune) - Prof. R.N.Bhat Page 7 Sp. Correspondent : Vivek Raina, Jammu g Poem v 26 January 1997 Webmaster : Sunil Fotedar, USA - Dr. K.L.Chowdhury Page 8 g Matrimonial Page 8 Milchar Development Committee g Book review Surinder Wazir, Basanti Raina, v M.K.Raina's 'kénh nón kénh són' S.P.Kachru, Sunil Kher, Neena Kher, - Dr. B.K.Moza Page 9 Vinod Razdan g Terror Scenario v Terrorism in Kashmir Yearly Subscription Rs. 200 - Dr. Shiben K. Raina Page 14 Life-time Subscription Rs. 2000 g Remembering our Roots v Some Famous Teerthas Advertisement Tariff - Arjan Dev Majboor Page 17 Matrimonial (upto 50 words) Rs. 100 g From the Pages of History v Satanic Holocaust of Kashmiri Pandits Each Extra word Rs. 5 - Dr. Satish Ganjoo Page 20 Back Cover Rs. 1500 Back Inside Cover Rs. 1000 g Viewpoint v Nisar: Too Good To Be Spared Inside Page Rs. 750 - B.K.Dass Page 23 Inside Half Page Rs. 500 g Counterview Views expressed in the signed v Nisar: Too Good To Be Spared articles are not necessarily those of the - Kapil Kaul Page 24 Kashmiri Pandits' Association g Biradari News Page 26 or Milchar. g Letters Page 28 Articles can also be e-mailed to: [email protected] g Hindi-Kashmiri Section Page 30 Sept. - Oct. 2006 cdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcd Page 2 feyp+kjò cdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdc MILCHAR Message from the President - M.L.Mattoo N Between Ourselves amaskar. Wish you all a high integrity and Happy Diwali. dedication and we will N My recent trip to Jammu has always miss him. given me further insight of how things have started changing in Kharghar Project: Our particular to Samoohik Maikhla. I was architects have already invited by All State Kashmiri Pandit issued a tender notice Conference to attend this community in 2 newspapers (Free Yagneopavit function. It was preceded Press Journal and a Marathi daily) on by performing all functions like 7th October 2006 and we are awaiting Mehandiraat, Devagon etc. In this builders' response for the construction function, 21 boys participated, who work. We as a community have been were from different parts of the world. complacent regarding the collection of One boy was from US, 2 boys were from funds after the initial impetus. Kashmir valley and the rest were from Repeatedly we have been requesting Jammu. The KP community should be the members about their thankful to ASKPC organisers for such contributions, but it seems members reformist activity and congratulate are waiting for the work to start. With them for doing so year after year. They the present funds available, it will not also take lead in conducting marriages be possible to start the construction of poor girls. on continuous basis, in case we decide This trip gave me another to start piling work on 9th December opportunity to meet various sick and 2006, the Mahurat date. destitute families in the Camps at NOIDA Association has also Muthi, Purkhoo, Mishriwala, Nagrota purchased a piece of land at NOIDA. I and Udhampur. On behalf of KPA, a met their working committee monettary help of about Rs. 15000.00 members who have been collecting was offered to various deserving funds for their project. I was really families. surprised that in the last 4 Sundays, Last month once again, we they have moved from door to door and witnessed the sad demise of Shri have collected Rs. 20 Lacs. The J.N.Kachroo, a founder-member of community population there is about Project Zaan and Member of the 800 families, but their life- Milchar Editorial Board. Shri Kachroo membership is about 400. I would used to take lot of interest in KPA request our biradari to pick up further activities and was a regular contributor initiative from here and send their to Milchar. Father of Shri Suriender cheques to KPA by the time we arrange Kachroo, our Ex-General Secretary, for door to door collection. Kachroo Sahib was the man of very ll Sept. - Oct. 2006 cdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcd Page 3 feyp+kjò cdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdc MILCHAR Editorial - M.K.Raina N Ah! Kachroo Sahib he Editorial Board, 'Milchar' tic members of Lalla Ded Educational announces with deep regret, and Welfare Trust, under the inspir- T the sad demise of its ing guidance of Shri Kachroo Sahib, seniormost member Shri conceived the idea of organising some J.N.Kachroo on 14th September 2006 sort of 'Story-telling' or 'Quiz Contest' at Mumbai. Shri Kachroo in Kashmiri language to in- Sahib's departure from the culcate interest in our scene has been a great loss youngsters in their mother- to the Mumbai biradari in tongue. Initially, one page general and the Kashmiri hand-outs were released Pandits' Association in par- along with the Milchar, giv- ticular. ing tit-bit information about Shri Kachroo Sahib got our culture, language, birth associated with 'Milchar' in place etc. to our youngsters. the year 2001, when its Edi- These hand-outs created in- torial Board was re-consti- terest not only in our young tuted to bring in profession- generation, but also in the alism in its publication. senior members of the com- Apart from the valuable Shri munity. It was here when guidance he provided to the Shri Kachroo Sahib and his Board, Kachroo Sahib ini- Kachroo Sahib team discussed the blue tiated the column 'From the was instrumental print of the project with Pages of Histrory' in in launching the Kashmiri Pandits' Associa- 'Milchar' in January 2001 tion for the larger interest and continued it till August Project Zaan, of the community, and KPA 2005 when he could not a Kashmiri literary decided to give logistic sup- concentrate much on writ- port to this laudable effort. ing due to his ill-health. His platforn in the Consequently, on 30th contribution to refurbish year 2000 April, 2000, Project Zaan the journal has been enor- in Mumbai. was re-launched as a joint mous. The vacuum created project of Lalla Ded Educa- by his departure as far as 'Milchar' is tional & Welfare Trust and the concerned, can not be filled for a long Kashmiri Pandits' Association, time to come. Mumbai. Apart from his contribution to The periodical 'Hand-outs' ulti- Milchar, Shri Kachroo Sahib was in- mately gave way to the 'Information strumental in launching the Project Digest Series', of which 5 volumes have Zaan, a Kashmiri literary platforn in been published till date. This also in- the year 2000 in Mumbai. It was actu- cludes the publication of 'Basic Reader ally in late 1998 that some enthusias- for Kashmiri Language', the first of its Sept. - Oct. 2006 cdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcd Page 4 feyp+kjò cdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdcdc MILCHAR kind in the country incorporating the prizes for various events, it would be Standardised Devanagari-Kashmiri worthwhile, if some sort of Award is Script, in March 2001, . The 'Reader' also started in the name of Shri was further revised and republished Kachroo Sahib. It is hoped that the in June 2004. organisers will not find the commu- From the start, Shri Kachroo Sahib nity wanting and many well-wishers had the young boys and girls of the will come forward to finance the community in mind, who he wanted to Project. If such a thing happens, it will be in touch with their language and be a humble tribute to the great per- their roots. So he conceived the idea sonality of Kachroo Sahib on behalf of of conducting quiz programmes on the the Mumbai biradari. yearly basis, where these youngsters could recite stories, poems, riddles etc. in Kashmiri, and also answer A Memoir question related to Kashmir and That night on 14 Kashmiri, based on the information September 2006, suddenly given in 'Information Digests'. Thus my world stood still, my started the 'Quiz Contests' of Project life came crumbling down Zaan, which were held year after year, like a building of cards and I was initially for only youngsters, and finally shattered. Boitoth (Shri J.N.Kachroo), for seniors as well. First such Quiz the dearest person who was my friend, Contest was held at Kashyap Bhawan guide and philosopher for the last over on 30 April 2000 at the re-launch of five and a half decades was recalled Project Zaan itself. With the help of to the eternal home by his Creator. Shri Sunil Fotedar of Texas, USA, the What the Lord giveth, He taketh back Project was also put on internet in the and so it had to be ! year 2001. Besides teaching me academic Though the Project Zaan could not subjects from first principles, he do well during the last couple of years taught me precept and practice, how mainly due to lack of funds, it was to live a fullfilling life, by loving without hoped that the things would move in expectations and service before self.