The Kashmir crisis which took very violent turn in 1990’s has played havoc with the region and its people, both in and outside the valley. At this painful and crucial period of our history, scores of poets and writers appeared on the scene with their poetry and other narratives containing keys to the door. This is the time when it has become increasingly important to assess the effectiveness of these efforts. Many scholars have adopted a critical perspective and appreciated and sometimes questioned the efficacy of these new literary productions. Many of these writings have tended to be confrontational and at the same time patronising while their empirical base has often been rooted in Kashmir’s simplistic societal problems of poverty,instability, political turmoil, destruction of socio-cultural institutions and democratic fibre etc.
From time to time some among these writings were brilliantly translated into English for larger audience by Mushtaque Barq, the scholar and translator par excellence. While offering these translations, Mushtaque Barq constructively builds on dominant perspectives which are useful and necessary for readership. His greatest contribution is the use of inclusive, pragmatic and participatory approach that is blending the traditional Kashmir’s mystic genre of poetry with the contemporary literary expressions. He deserves keen appreciation for such a brilliant and necessary task that will go a long way in reconstructing and articulating Kashmiri literature.
Amidst these circumstances a great poetical work entitled Lalli Nillvath Tchale Na Zanh (Collection of poems) By Nighat Nasreen of Mirpora, Kachuwa Muqam, Baramulla, Kashmirhas arrived. One is surprised as to why and how this collection of poems has gone unnoticed by people and media. At the very outset her frame of reference has to be applauded. She has dealt with a wide range of issuesthat pose important questions for Poets, Writers, scholars and social activists to ponder over. She has offered composed ninety two (92) poems so diverse in nature yet so connected and striking .she has build a women’s imagery of menexpected to with stand the pressures that they face.
Su chu Khoshvun khoshvun sonta hava
Su chu dalvun dalvun badesaba
Su chu myanen khaban hund tabeer
Suchu lutfan myanen rut tameer
Su chu chasman myanen sorma schul
Su chu deka tika mani dekuk anmol…
Her approach is very innovative and thorough. This is a philosophical work that should force scholars to grapple more seriously with women’s and men’s problems, emotions, their individual sufferings, social structures and collective phenomenon, society, culture, mysticism and several significant insights emerge from Nighat Nasreen’s excellent work. Her poems on women’s life, identity, existence womanhood, patriarchy and its tragedies are not contrary to popular wisdom
Agar samkhey ta vanzes
Baharas sur sapdeov
Phulai zan rota gamech
Makanas dare bar vaeth
Dewaran tras gomut
Ye zalrev zal volmut
Agar samkhey ta vanzes …
Kitabav manz sa tasveer
Khemech kagaz kemov chai
Vuchas bas ash aqi
Su ma sores pagahtam
Neseb rachen chu tavun
Vathei bar kaba gahan
Amaran henz amarat
Dazeth pai gas pholthei
Khayalan hez sa asti
Agar smakhey ta vanzes
Her ( Nighat Nasreen ‘s) poetry will continue to be important for researchers and for future research and debate. It is a useful work for personal relations, spiritual stimulation and mystic reflection .It contains several Tasawuf oriented important insights doused with deep emotions that should be reckoned with. It provides additional paths to look into pressing concerns of personal and spiritual life
Nakor ma shikvai
Na ker shikayat
Ba chas ti Bawan
Fakat havavas
Na kar sa gravey
Na razfashie
Agar vachey kath
ye kath te vanezes
The poetess has done very important work and has moved us some distance in direction of understanding the ambivalent attitude adopted towards resolution of women’s problems. Simultaneously Nighat Nasreen seeks to bring into focus the shifting social, cultural trends and preferences of public. She attempts to provide a comparative perspective that was missing for long time while she acknowledges that there is a tension in seeing Kashmiri women in our society in a holistic way. As integrally related sets of people and the institutions do figure in her poetry.
yele zakhman feke feke noon pavan
yele nane naba mandenen sham gayav
yele vakhatan asnish buth fereyav
yele harna chasman ash dar lajey
yele taqdeeran asi rokh badlov
It is potentially a significant contribution to Kashmiri poetry and literature and undoubtedly a leading work that we have to engage with it for times to come. Her work is an important bridge between the structures and process of transition from material world to mystic path. With her powerful, imaginative, intuitive power and shared goals, she recreates the humanism by avoiding diversity and fuzzy categories relentless pursuit of individual’s pain and suffering coexistence and provides deeper understanding of human mind in our contemporary times. It reflects intellectual passion, animates her thoughts and integrates potentially desperate threads into unified whole. Her genre of poetry is introducing a new beginning which is curiously embedded and in it synergy appears mystically sanitized. It will inspire and enliven a great deal of poetry This interesting book serves as a catalyst for sensitizing people towards problems that all Kashmiris, irrespective of gender and social position or status, face these days while pursuing their daily lives.
Unfortunately our times in Kashmir have seen more than its share of destruction and brutality not only at the hands of our ruling establishment but various other agencies that have impacted our life and times but this poetry of Nighat Nasreen obscures all that by bringing into existence a conceptual revolution in Kashmiri poetry that will give vigour to Cultural Studies that has not been explored in our Kashmir yet. Her poetry neutralizes many vocabularies and i not the product of some abstract thinking but the real social crisis and the determinant experience of human life. It resonates with the hurts of history in Kashmir and hard facts about Kashmiri society and popular culture.
Her poetry enables us to see the resemblances between our own story of challenges in life and those of others, calling ever more attention to the social problems that underlay diverse experiences.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Professor Rattan Lal Hangloo (originally from Hangalgund Kokernag Kashmir)
Honorary Vice-Chancellor Noble International University toranto Canada (USA.campus.)
Distinguished Visiting Professor SRM University Amravati Andhra Pradesh India.Former University Professor (at the History department of Hyderabad University) and Vice-chancellor University of Kalyani and Allahabad University,
