Author : Sher-e-Kashmir, 1980
Literature is a magic world of beauty, imagination and harmony. It represents the most sublime thoughts and visions of mankind.
In India literature became a very effective vehicle in the hands of our mystic poets, sufis, saints and the like. While in the mundane sphere of politics divisive tendencies and emotional violence of turmoil, mystic poets blended the best in different faiths and preached the gospel of love, brotherhood and non violence.
They exposed the superficial differences between various faiths and identified the underlying unity of all religions. It was because of them that many dark hours in our history were illumined with hope and optimism.
I believe that the lamp of Indian unity shines because it gets its supply of oil from the springs of these noble souls. Nanak, Meera, Kabir and Farid-ud-Din Ganj Shakar are the beacon lights which still shine with unfading glow and guide the destinies of millions. I consider Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani ( RA) in the same line of great mystic poets. He hailed before Nanak and Kabir but the essence of his message is very akin to them. He was not only a mystic saint but an originator of a mass movement. Rishi Cult, which he synthesised and originated, was in fact a harmonising, force which imbibed the best from the celebrated Trika philosophy of Kashmir and Islam, which made its impact in Kashmir when the great Sheikh Noor-ud-Din lived.
Nunda Reshi rejected the semblance and embraced the substance. The impact of his teachings was so profound that Islam also attained an indigenous cultural flavour in Kashmir. Islam, as is well known to every student of history, did not come to Kashmir under the shadow of sword. It won the hearts of local population by preaching the message of Quranic universal brotherhood and equality of human beings. This spirit was reinforced and stabilised by saints like Noor-ud-Din. He and his disciples conducted themselves with such dignity and nobility that their instances inspired millions and popularised the faith they were preaching. His teachings led to a way of life which scorned scramble for wordly gains and petty favours and encouraged the spirit of sacrifice and selflessness.
We have the witness of Akbar’s Prime Minister, Abul Fazal, and emperor Jehangir that the Rishis revolutionised the concept of service. They did abstain from pleasures and comforts of life but they did not negate life. They devoted themselves to enrich the quality of life for common folk. The proportion of this movement can be imagined from Jehangir’s statement that in his time when the population of Kashmir was considerably less, the number of such God fearing Rishis was as large as two thousands. Sheikh Noor-ud-Din also campaigned for communal unity and subsequent generations of Rishis strengthened his efforts. I have myself seen the response of Kashmiris to the terrible strain which the division of the sub-continent put on the traditional way of life in Kashmir. When blizzards of hatred were invading this beautiful land from every side, the lamp of love which Sheikh Noor-ud-Din had lighted refused to succumb. If my humble efforts to repulse the onslaught of these dark forces of hatred succeeded, I must, in all humility confess that it was because of the inspiration and blessings of such noble souls as Shiekh Noor-ud-Din. It was a ray of the same lamp which was seen by the struggling Mahatma Gandhi when he exclaimed:-
“I see a ray of light emitting from Kashmir”. There could hardly be a more eloquent tribute to Sheikh Noor-ud-Din. In this context, I may be allowed to make this assertion that Sheikh Noor-ud-din deserves to get his place side by side with the greatest benefactors and leading lights of the Nation. Last year, we in Kashmir, celebrated his Hexa Centenary Celebrations and our researchers discovered new dimensions of his personality, sayings and influence. But it was rather a rude shock for us when we suggested to the union Ministry of Post and Telegraph to issue commemorative stamp in his honour, they replied that he is not known in India as widely as to justify such a gesture. Though the realization was very painful, the Ministry had a point. It also highlighted how the bonds which could contribute to greater emotional and idealistic unity between various cultural constituents of India have been allowed to remain dormant. On our part, we have initiated the process which could lead to greater appreciation of Sheikh Noor-ud-din’s life and teachings. Our Academy has already published some special journals in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and the translations of his works in different languages are also under preparation. It was in the same spirit that when the Sahitya Akademi suggested that we should host this seminar, I very gladly accepted the suggestion. We have tried our bit to make all of you comfortable and I hope that deliberations of this seminar will go a long way to put Hazrat Sheikh’s personality and contribution on the National horizon. I do hope that a National Institution like Sahitya Akademi will divert its resourcefulness to make this job more easy and more expeditious. I also share the feelings of writers community in Kashmir that it is time for the Sahitya Akademi to extend the chain of its regional offices to Srinagar in the same manner as it has been done in the case of Calcutta,Bombay, Madras etc. If Sahitya Academi does it, I have no doubt that it will pave way for a better understanding and appreciation of Kashmir, its ethos, its culture and its literature.
First Published on March-April 1980.
Second Publication, Golden Jubilee Edition of The Kashmir Today Magazine, 1998
