By Kannupriya Mehta
“Agar firdaus barue zameen-ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast”
You read this line, and you know it’s about Kashmir. This line by Amir Khusrau, is symbolic of how Kashmir is not just a beautiful place but an emotion that runs deep into the heart of every Kashmiri. It won’t be wrong to say that Kashmir lies in the eyes of the beholder, and the eyes in this story are of Artists from the land of Saints and Sufis.
‘Kashmir’, as much 
as it is serene, it is tormented as well. For some it is hope, struggle, injustice, paradise, feminine and resilient. Every artist has his own way of describing and interpreting his homeland.
Walking through the streets of Downtown area of Srinagar, with camera in one hand and beloved Kashmir in heart, Aamir Wani, the most popular and admired Photographer of Kashmir runs his finger over the ‘click’ button of the camera and next what you see is magic, which gives him the well deserved and popularly known instagram handle- @kashmirthroughmylens. Dressed up in traditional Kashmiri ‘pheran’ he says, “ Kashmir is a place which makes a poet out of you, it’s beautiful and at the same time painful.” Aamir Wani, who initially started his career in the banking sector in London gave up his job and returned home to do something for Kashmir, and so randomly picked up the camera. It’s been six years since then.
That’s about artists, they go by the calling of their heart, embrace the truth and put forward the pain and suffering beautifully. “I would want the Kashmiris to retain their narratives and tell their stories”, said Aamir. He believes that one needs to put foremost the truth and wishes to see his home a happy Kashmir ten years down the line. Being the most militarized place in the world, Kashmir has its own story of pain and suffering. Yet the resilience of the Kashmiris and hope for a better future is what makes Aamir Wani pick up his camera and capture the unseen Kashmir.
“Che houv kah wochum nai Wafa dar mouji,
( could not discover anyone, loyal as you Mouji)
Mein nish chaien chaie lavee samsaar mouji
(for me your silhouette worths a universe Mouji)”
Sang Mohammad Muneem (Alif), in his most loved song ‘Ride Home’, also featuring local artist Noor Mohammad. “Kashmir in my compositions always comes in a feminine way”, said Alif. A tall man, with beard and a humble vibe never forgets to tie the Kashmiri shawl to his mic, while in concerts. May be it’s these little things that keeps an artist close to home. Alif laughs a little and says how poor he was as a student in studies but always used to write journals. His journey began when he started writing poetry first and got on stage for the first time in 1997. His art makes the journey from ‘baatin’ to ‘zaahir’. “I cannot change opinions or perceptions of people but share my honesty and things that happened to me,” said Alif. The muse for his compositions has been the air of Kashmir- the mountains, roads, Jhelum and people. When asked about how has the conflict affected his art? To this he said that one should not take anything for granted, and that both darkness and light co-exist. He believes that art can save and change the world. With immense gratitude in his art he says, “More than what I have given to Kashmir, Kashmir has given to me. It’s homage to Kashmir”.
The modern generation has its own story to tell. Despite all the hardships it chooses to remain hopeful. Yassir Mushtaq Bhat, a 21 years old Photographer sums up Kashmir as ‘hope’ and ‘sukoon’. It’s hard to find depth in the art of contemporary times but you find one in his work as he calls Kashmir his beloved. Walking through Chinar trees, crossing bridges, looking at the mountains, the Dal, shikaras and people , he clicks emotions. “I want people to exactly feel the emotions how I felt through my pictures,” said Yassir. With the zeal to create something new he wishes to portray Kashmir as a happy place to be in. With traditions at heart and modernity in thought, Yassir Mushtaq picks up the camera and wishes to see Kashmir as a peaceful placed, as his home.
Jalees Hyder chose pen over stone because it’s not just about the might of pen but remembrance of past. Back in history the Rebel Queen, Habba Khatoon sang revolutionary songs. “The violence is not remembered but the voice is,” said Hyder. In times when the youth fancied militancy, Jalees chose to write. His work prominently revolves around conflict and ethics. Ones he visited the downtown area of Srinagar and greeted an old man ‘Assalamualaikum’ to which the old man responded by showing his identity card. The depth of such psychological trauma acts as driving force in Hyder’s writings. “I dream of opening a creative writing school, and make literature accessible for the youth of Kashmir”, said Jalees Hyder.
Aaishan Khan, a Cartoonist who firmly associates Kashmir with struggle. Marking his presence on social media through his work on Kashmir calls himself an extension of conflict. A young man, beaming with ideas portrays the physical, psychological and emotional struggle of Kashmiris. “A majority of the Kashmiri population suffers PTSD and depression”, said Khan. He encourages artists from today’s generation to polish their art and make homeland proud. Keeping in mind the uncertain fate of Kashmir, he hopes to see Kashmir sustaining through the years to come.
When the times get tough, music gets going. One more such artist, Khalid Ahmed, is a singer at Parvaaz Band. With the look of Rockstar, music running in veins, heart only for Kashmir. He sees Kashmir as a beautiful paradise but is uncertain about the future. “Kashmir is one of the most unpredictable places”, said Khalid. When you are growing up, few things affect you sub-consciously, conflict in Kashmir has been one such aspect for Khalid.
Every Artist from Kashmir hopes to bring about change through their work. An artistic revolution is what they desire, which has nothing to do with violence. Age is not a bar anymore. We have these artists portraying the happy Kashmir they want people to visit. “Kashmiriyat! It is the climax to my struggle”, said Jalees Hyder. Glory is not of the future, glory goes back to the past. The land of Sufis and Saints awaits it’s future with all it’s blooming Artists.
The author can be reached at kannupriyamehta272@gmail.com
