Shafi Ahmad
He has a stout body, sports a long and wide moustache as big as a yoke above the plough, could have been a boxer if law abiding and law studying traits did not overcome him, has wide forehead what we in Kashmir believe ,the man possesses big fortune . He exhibits two big ears always ready to listen and even overhear those who whisper to conceal their inner intensions rather sinister conversations. Possession of big ears has, by psycho analysts , long been considered the seat of memory, receptivity, inquisitiveness and awakening. Large ears reflect an extroverted personality and adaptive ease. Psychoanalysts believe long-nosed people have leadership qualities. Such persons are also known to find their own way to success in life. It also helps him in using nose for the news and even smelling the book gist ,may be, from few particular pages . His Thez Nus(the longer /higher nose bridge) is a representation of respect he commands both by intelligence and wit . A Karakul cap above his idea storing and thought provoking machine adds charm and esteem to his persona. In his big body frame he conceals a blood pumping system, an emotion generating device , a malleable spherule which make him a philanthropist and a good Samaritan thereby making him a donor with open purse. He has elegance in his moving steps , grandeur in his seating stance, eloquence in speech and grace in conversation. He is Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani , the former judge of JK High Court.
He is not a donation poot(chick) but passed the competitive examination with flying colours to enter the judicial service and rose steps by his grit and acumen. He reached the top court in the state and heard some of the contentious cases which needed endurance, perfection and bravery during trials involving certain bigwigs but this homosapien put his heavy foot down to pin the men in power . He headed some of the commissions after retirement and effectively used his experience to mitigate the sufferings of the people who came for redress. He delivered lectures on important issues in the society viz ‘Civil Rights of Women and “Challenges to Kashmiri Society: Social, Political and Environmental. Judicial officers are the people who command respect as a general rule and command more till in the chair but Justice Kirmani has added to the admiration even after relinquishing the court/office. Of late the literary and social functions in the city are incomplete without his presence . People yearn that their book release and other social functions are presided over by this man who is judge(judgement of content), jury( award of positive or negative verdict) and excecutioner(throw bouquets and brickbats) moulded in one. He judges the books or the themes, studies the themes as the jury and executes the verdict about same. And his presence is considered as a seal of approval for the function. These functions look very ordinary if he does not preside and the scenario bores if he does not spread his smiling lips and make the gathering burst into laughter, attract the attention with his deep delving expressions, make people understand the intricacies of situations with his apt words, to the point explanations and readings between the lines. He is known to be with man with open hands when showering praise for a commendable work and miser for a weak link in between. With his intelligence quotient he shoots a passing remark for a poor thread in the function , the book release or the serious discussion .This ace commentator picks the positives and negatives like worms on a garden by the Hud Hud bird.
His word flow on any subject is like a brook flowing calmly and slowly without spreading noise as he is found well prepared to elaborate what he says and even what the original author has not been able to explain. And he is so well prepared always and versatile in oratory that he speaks on all subjects and all genres like fiction, non fiction , poetry etc. His sarcastic remarks hit like an arrow and his humour awakens the people in deep slumber. His one liners like ,” jab Dili ka mizaj bigdata hai to Kashmir main political hawayen sanyen sayen karti hain(When temperament in Delhi gets unpleasant political scenario in Kashmir gets subdued) .” and “Bahut zyada jhag say mujhay andaza huwa ki retirement sahih hai kyon ki main nay tooth paste ki jagah shaving cream brush par daali thi.(Lots of foam made me realize that retirement is fine as I had put shaving cream on my tooth brush)” , are enough to rejuvenate already exhausted minds.
But he seems to be fatigued when asked to jot down what could become a treasure of knowledge and even shirks the work when a steno is offered for recording his valuable insight for the posterior !
Shafi Ahmad is a writer and columnist.
