DR. BRIJ PREMI A PUBLICATION OF : LARGEST CIRCULATED ENGLISH MONTHLY OF J&K A News Magazine of Kashmiri Pandit Community Panun Kashmir PanunKashmir.org DR. BRIJ PREMI HIS WORKS – A REVIEW Copyright © 2009 by Panun Kashmir (PK) (http://PanunKashmir.org) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of Kashmir News Network. For permission regarding publication, send an e-mail to [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 EDITORIAL ............................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 DR. BRIJ PREMI WAS A GENTLE COLOSSUS ................................................................. 4 3.0 BRIJ PREMI’S WORKS—A REVIEW .................................................................................. 8 4.0 BRIJ PREMI—A TIRELESS SCHOLAR............................................................................... 9 5.0 BEACON LIGHT OF KASHMIR LITERATURE – DR. BRIJ PREMI............................ 13 6.0 DR. BRIJ PREMI— VERSATILE LITTERATEUR IN PASSIONATE LOVE WITH KASHMIRIAT.......................................................................................................................... 15 7.0 BRIJ PREMI—SOME REMINISCENCES .......................................................................... 18 8.0 BRIJ PREMI-MY FATHER ................................................................................................... 21 9.0 PREMI—MY FRIEND AND COMRADE ............................................................................ 23 10.0 SHAM LAL AIMA WAS A CREATIVE WRITER ............................................................. 24 11.0 PREMI-AN ANGEL NOT A FRIEND................................................................................... 26 12.0 REMEMBERING A FRIEND AND FORMER COLLEAGUE: A SHORT NOTE ON DR. BRIJ PREMI............................................................................................................................. 28 13.0 UNDERSTANDING MANTO................................................................................................. 32 14.0 MANTO AND KRISHAN CHANDER .................................................................................. 36 15.0 ‘MANTO KATHA’—A NOTABLE WORK OF DR. BRIJ PREMI................................... 39 16.0 A REVIEW OF MANTO KATHA ......................................................................................... 41 17.0 BRIJ PREMI’S BOOK PIRATED ......................................................................................... 43 18.0 BRIJ PREMI'S RESEARCH ON MANTO........................................................................... 46 19.0 DR. BRIJ PREMI'S MOMENTOUS WORK........................................................................ 47 20.0 THE FAMILY OF MANTO.................................................................................................... 50 21.0 MANTO AND MEHJOOR, THE POET-LAUREATE OF KASHMIR............................. 54 22.0 GHALIB IN THE WRITINGS OF MANTO......................................................................... 56 23.0 SOME ASPECTS OF MANTO'S PERSONALITY.............................................................. 61 24.0 MANTO-SOME ASPECTS OF HIS ART & PHILOSOPHY ............................................. 65 25.0 MANTO'S ALCOHOLISM..................................................................................................... 69 26.0 THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT IN KASHMIR........................................................... 74 27.0 KASHMIR KE MAZAMEEN................................................................................................. 79 Panun Kashmir i http://PanunKashmir.org TABLE OF CONTENTS 28.0 REVIEW.................................................................................................................................... 82 29.0 CORRESPONDENCE ............................................................................................................. 85 30.0 ABDUL QADIR SARWARI.................................................................................................... 91 31.0 PREM NATH PARDESI-PREM CHAND OF KASHMIR.................................................. 95 Panun Kashmir ii http://PanunKashmir.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Panun Kashmir iii http://PanunKashmir.org DR. BRIJ PREMI 1.0 EDITORIAL A Genius in his Art Every one who knows Urdu knew Dr. Brij Premi. He was a genius in his art. His contribution to the fund of Urdu literature and historiography on Kashmir is well-recognized. Dr. Premi enjoyed high status in the field of Urdu literature at the sub-continental level. He was a highly cultured person, possessed great literary taste and scholars liked to interact with him. Abu Syed Qureshi, well-known Urdu scholar and Manto’s friend said of him:”Premi’s love is immortal. I highly appreciate Premi’s firmness of mind and inquisitiveness, his interest and love.” Dr. Brij Premi was a multidimensional scholar and served Urdu literature with dedication. He excelled in all genres----short story writing, literary criticism, research etc. He wrote beautiful prose, and avoided being prolix. Dr. Premi’s language was lucid, simple and focussed at the average reader. He disliked use of too many Persian words in Urdu vocabularly, which made it unintelligible to the common people. His usage was always appropriate, suited to the requirement of the situation. He did not have to labour for words. These came spontaneously and effortlessly. His elegance in writing kept the reader glued to it. Imagery in his prose was superb. He gives graphic description, at times relating even the minutest detail and literally transports the reader to the locale\situation he is describing. This is true of his essays as of his travelogues. At the same time there is no element of exaggeration in this. He was down to earth in his writing. Dr. Brij Premi was a patriot par excellence. He had deep commitment to the welfare of the downtrodden people. Early in his life he came under the influence of Pandit Prem Nath Pardesi,a great litterateur who subscribed to progressive views. Cultural Front played a vanguard role in heralding a renaissance movement in Kashmiri literature. Dr. Premi was influenced by it and also contributed to it. He held Left views and has left for posterity two outstanding works ------A literary biography of Prem Nath Pardesi and history of Progressive Writers’ Movement in Kashmir. These two seminal works have a permanent place as rich source material for undertaking comprehensive assessment of the Left movement in Kashmir. His progressive ideology brought him in close contact with big names in progressive Urdu literature----Krishan Chander, Ahmed Nadeem Qasimi, Abu Syed Qurieshi, Salam Machli Shahri ,Ali Sardar Jafri ,Khwaja Ahmed Abbas,Jan Nissar Akhter Dr. Qamar Rais, Prof. Mohd. Hassan, etc. Dr. Premi was also influenced by social realism of Munshi Prem Chand. Though Dr. Premi contributed much to historiography of Kashmir, his authentic and pioneering work on Saadat Hasan Manto has no rival. There is mounting evidence on how counterfeit academics continue to plagiarize Premi’s researches on the great short story writer. Premi was as much influenced by Manto’s social radicalism as by his display of pride in his Kashmiri origins. Dr. Brij Premi loved Kashmir and was deeply rooted in its spiritual and historical tradition. His excellent work on Kashmir’s patron saint-poetess Lalleshwari ,on Pir Pandit Padshah ,Martand Ruins and admiration for Shams Faqir,the great Sufiana poet ,indicate this. His love for Kashmir was not contrived but natural. He delved deep in to Kashmir’s past to keep it alive in the present. His patriotism and catholicity in outlook were outcome of this. It is a great moment for Kashmir Sentinel, an institution committed to renaissance task, to bring out a commemorative number, to honour the memory of this great son of Kashmir and Kashmiri Pandit community. Our special thanks go to Dr.Premi Romani ,illustrious son of late Dr. Brij Premi , who worked overtime to get writings of his father translated in time for the issue and also extended cooperation as and when required. We also express our gratitude to Prof. ML Koul, Prof. RK Aima,Prof. HL Misri , Sh. Predhuman K. Joseph K. Dhar, Prof. ML Raina , Sh. MN Kak , Sh. Upender Ambardar . They are distinguished academicians in their respective fields. It was with the spirit of labour of love that they undertook the Panun Kashmir 1 http://PanunKashmir.org DR. BRIJ PREMI difficult task of translation work. Lastly, we thank our guest writers who contributed to this thematic number. 1. Publications of Brij Premi a) Books : i. Harfi -Justajoo Joo (Literary Criticism) (1982) ii. Jalwae -Sadrang (Papers on Literature, Art and Culture (1985) iii. Sadat Hassan Manto-Hayat Aur Karnamay . Research and Criticism (1986) iv. Zauq-i- Nazar - (Literary Criticism) (1987) v. Roshan Charag - (A booklet for Neo- Literature submited for publication to S.R.C. University of Kashmir (1981) vi. Murgbani (A booklet for neoliterature published by S.R.C. Kashmir University (1981) vii. Chand Tehrerein (Literary Criticism and other Articles (1988). viii. Kashmir Kay Mazameen (Research Papers and Literary Criticism (1989) ix. Jalwe Sadrang - (Second improved and enlarged edition (1989) Compiled by Dr Premi Romani