Nazir Jahangir
You can call it outspoken criticism. I want no one should bring it into any conflict or controversy. I don’t want my opinion snowballs into any controversy. That can force me to stop writing further on this account. Hope, friends display magnanimity in this regard and see it in broader context of critique.
I am of the opinion that there has never been any precise and unbiased evaluation of any work in the Kashmiri literature. The reason is simple, it is because we lack a genuine and credible critic in Kashmir. As a consequence, no such analysis of Kashmiri literature which could faithfully represent or describe truth did not surface. That is why I consider all alignment of Kashmiri literature as self-styled, imaginary and conceptual and not analytical or reasonable. When any creative or literary work has not been reasonably evaluated so how can you claim setting of standards and how the standing of a writer in literary field is determined? All such claims can be deemed a foolish gesture.
Everywhere there are always some people who engage themselves in intellectually stimulating opinions and ideas and avoid taking constructive actions in life. Here in Kashmir we are in great supply of this lot. In fictional writing a self-made positioning has been arranged and an impression created that Akhtar, Kamil and Hari Krishen Koul are graded the first-rate fiction writers. Be it clear, I don’t challenge their integrity or the caliber of writing but fail to understand that how and who has ranked them when no reliable and reasonable evaluation of their works is in sight? I want to ask people who put some Kashmiri writers on top step that while the stair itself is yet to be built so how they identify the steps for writers? That is just a mental innovation, I’m afraid!
I don’t find any element of imagination in the works of Akhtar Sahib, Kamil Sahib or Koul Sahib. Nothing of imaginative nature seems involved in the fiction writings of these writers. Indeed, all the three are great in their craft and superb in fleshing out a story. Their stories speak itself that we have been woven by great artists. Their stories have a very good literary grammar.
There are only a few writers in Kashmir who can be counted on the fingers of one hand whom I think having literary credibility, and I agree the said three intellectuals are among them. However, I hold the view that a great writer has high flights of insight and a great writer is created by a high level of imagination, otherwise the one who does not reflect the heights of imagination and insight in his creative art cannot be a great artist. I have discovered the element of creativity in the works of these writers greatly missing.
If we take Kamil Sahib’s “Kukar Jung” (Cokfight) fable, then our elders here know it very well that in Kashmir the women of lower class in Kashmiri society, which were considered lower class in terms of ancestry and caste, would resort to snide remarks while scornfully jeering at its adversary. There is nothing new in it as it was a practice with the slum dwellers. Where does any imagination involve in this story? Yes, the story is well-knit and displays the beautiful craft of the writer. This I judge as the best expertise but not the better art. I can say that the diction of slum dwellers presented in a story exhibits the perfection of skill not the flight of insight.
Same is the case with Akhtar Sahib’s and Koul Sahib’s stories, whether it is “Pondich” of former or “Yali Watan Khor Cho Yewan” of later.
Anyway, what I say that is my view not any divine word which can be final, nor my view is any universal truth. Anyone can deviate from what I said. I represent none except myself. If anyone is fret over my views, my apologies in advance.
Maybe my claim is true?
You produce any piece of literature or creative work of our writers which you deem of artistic merit, whether that is of a living writer or a departed one, I am confident I can prove that no any work whatsoever stands with the true established norms of writing and is full of errors and flaws. My opinion is that every work of our writers lack the credibility in one way or the other, even some of our those writers, considered big, seem having resorted to plagiarism?
I confess not being a big writer or critic and accept being a mediocre fiction writer, but in spite of this little capacity I find myself capable to critique the works of these self styled writers and prove them lacking profundity. All the material in Kashmiri literature seems ordinary to me.
Just a few writers, which could be counted on the fingers of one hand, hold some dignity and worth or I can say depth. Otherwise, majority of our writers, claiming being literati, are or were in false belief to be litterateur. They suffered from pleasurable but unproductive mental activity. This is the lot of people who use a tool, language, or technique to stimulate or entertain their own mind.
Unfortunately, people sitting on our heads have niether any knowledge of literature nor a taste or aesthetics. Majority of them are hollow and shallow.
A new group has emerged here who write some nonsensical articles or critique and having vain hopes being litterateur. They are merely fools with decayed minds, liers and fraud.
We know clowns and literary jugglers succeeded in collecting awards and taking over positions while as bona fide writers are ignored for the deserving honors. A genuine writer and a great son of this soil named late Herday Koul Bharati was ignored for a deserving Sahitya Academy Award and other State Awards. Sahitya Academy Award was given to him after his departure. How pity!! Late Hari Krishen Koul was the best short story writer and playwright Kashmir ever produced but he too was not admired at state level for what he deserved. I wish some bridges or colleges or hospitals should be named after them. Their significant contributions to Kashmiri literature should be admired. Akhtar and Kamil, Nadim, Rahi, Firaq, Nirdosh, Naji Munawar, Margob too are our historical figures. Important places need to be named after these great writers to recognize their impact on our culture.
Anyway, roster of dawn and dusk consumes our literary survival like the life we live.
Nazir Jahangir is a noted journalist
