BY ER.SHAFI AHMAD
With a script in hand, he once entered the premises of DDK Srinagar to discuss the content with a producer. On his entry into the office room he got stuck like an erect pole , tall and straight. The arrogant producer drenched in swagger sat in his chair and one leg stretched on the table with his shoes on. The yes men seeking favours sat around listening to what was being told and accepting with affirmative nod through their heads as if aroma filled rose petals were pushed out of his mouth. The visitor took his steps back and then whispered ,”I will never enter here again. “ “And he did not come there again.” Tells a man closely associated with drama and film making but likes to remain anonymous.
Acclaimed poet and author Bashir Dada writes about him ,” Wo apnay Shahar say shahr e abad kay maskan tak , Kabhi na kar saka apnay zameer ka souda (From his life to grave he did not sell his conscience ). That was the famous writer Abdul Majid Mir popular in literary circles as Umar Majid.
He received early education from the prestigious missionary school Tindel Biscoe and later served there having retired as the head master . His zeal and enthusiasm for education, knowledge and literature is well known and evident from publication of his first short story titled ‘Ek Boodha wular kay kinaray’ at the age of 21 years in the prestigious daily “Aftab”. The story having been scrutinized by the person like Kh. Sana Ullah Bhat bears testimony of it having been penned by a person who knew the job.
“Umar Majid was an epitome of literature , he cherished and lived on literature. He always advised me that one can live through literature even after sleeping in the womb of earth. “ Says Dada while recollecting the good old days of his association with Umar both during their stay in Aftab and out of it.
Umar cared for his friends and acquaintances so much that he approached them even traversing long distances to persuade them to continue the work which he thought was beneficial to them. Dada Is the first hand informer about Umar reaching out to him travelling from Srinagar to Anantnag and enticing him to continue writing as it would help him in the longer distance.
“Wo dost fitratan ik sabr ka samandar tha, ki jis say mouj e rifaqat umadti rehti thi.(That friend was an epitome of patience. From him aroused the waves of fellowship.) writes Dada describing Umar’s intrinsic properties.
Ace writer Deepak Budki encompasses Umar’s writing traits in the following words, “Umar was greatly influenced by the modernism but did not abandon narration . His stories reflect non alignment , balance and moderate emotions. “
Umar did not lose eye on the happenings around and their influence on the social life .The times when life became cheaper in the backdrop of gun culture and armed skirmishes Umar felt the pain deep within and wrote pieces on themes like sanguinary episodes, bullet ridden bodies , localities engulfed in infernos , tears dropping down in silence , breasts subjected to beating , stories of despondency and desolation and what not. Explaining this in his own words acclaimed writer Deepak Budki writes, “Due to work place in the central part of Srinagar he became an eye witness to the processions, stone pelting , firing and cross firing ,bomb blasts so he was dejected with deaths, bloodshed and chest beating. He pushed this pain into his stories.”
Umar Majid describes one such incident in his letter to Kashmir Uzma editor Javed Azar. Ironically it was about a decade that Umar had remained in oblivion. When the literary circles were completely in gloom over the sudden disappearance of Umar from the publishing scene he returned from the creative status quo telling about the bloody incident . “One day when I was taking the class a huge blast took place. I ,along with others, ran towards the main gate which had been closed. I saw a man writhing in pain and blood oozing from his head. I almost dragged the man, took him in, and tried to give him some first aid. But the man whom I recognized as being Abdul Khaliq of Excellent hair Cutting had been hit by a splinter. Khaliq lost the battle of life while being consoled by my hands. Police came, took away the body and I remained stunned looking on my blood soaked hands. This incident impacted me to the extent that I lost love with words, affection with pen and only blood covered the landscape of my perception.
“ With this letter came a short story titled ‘Gumshuda janat’.
Usay Khala main wo manzar dikhaie detay thay ki us kay dard bharay dil ko thaise lagti thi
Dikhaie datay thay jaisay ki pankh phalaye
Siyah ajdahay jaisay hazar ha kargis
Faza main chaye huye kaalay badloon ki tarah
Wo cheel kaway wo shaheen numa kayi kargis.
(He could visualize the scenes in the space
That his emotional heart received pounding
He could perceive as if opened up wings
The dark dragons and thousands of vultures
Spread like dark clouds in the sky
Those crows, kites even some vultures like Shaheen).
Dada paid tribute to his companion in the above words forming part of his lyrical accolades.
‘Murda Chinar is another famous short story by Umar Majid. Famous prose writer Salim Salik writes about this short story ,” With Murda Chinar published in Aftab literary clubs found a new lease of life .Umar had come up with a new theme and new treatment. Few lines from the story are as under. ’When I die Rehman Jarob gets a new lease of life. He collects my leaves , ignites them, these get red like human blood and then Rehman’s wife gets shine like horizon on her cheeks.’
Famous short story writer Deepak Budki analyses Umar’s story telling in the following words , “ we see themes like police atrocities, official high handedness, sexual harassment , family torture, marital tyranny, inferiority complex and revenge, annihilation of human values in market based world, alienation , age old people and their borderline living ,and the educational system in his stories. Some of his stories have absorbed the soul of Kashmir .” Similar views are presented by experienced writer Noor Shah .He records ,” Umar’s short stories possess a unique style which proves he is adept at the art of writing. He picks his characters from the rugged terrain of his land and fits them at right places in his stories. “
Going through Umar Majid’s short stories one finds that Kashmir is the main subject he writes about ,possibly his own land has many stories in its womb which need to be explored and written about. Same is the case with his novels titled ‘Yeh Basti Yeh Log ‘ and Dard ka Darya. Jan Mohamad Azad the writer and critic of repute opines as follows , “The story of Yeh Basti Yeh Log is set in a village in south Kashmir. The story revolves around a tyrant and the common people living there .The story was written in 1970 and reflects the conditions at that time.” Mir Rehmatullah, a research scholar, has written about Umar’s two novels as , “ He has seen Kashmir village life minutely and so arouses the difference in social life as the theme. “
Brief account of Umar Majid’s short stories is summed up by Budki in one of his articles . His story titles ‘Meri gali ka gham’ is the conflict between personal gains and the collective pain. The story titled ‘Shahar ka Agwa ‘ reflects the sorrow of migrants losing their identity . Another story titled ‘ Mohamad Shamim ko ghar jana hai’ encompasses the religious brotherhood , common tradition and beliefs.
Post Script: Reputed poet ,dramatist, writer and actor Bashir Dada dedicates a poem to Umar Majid titled as ‘Umar Majid, a truthful story writer and true friend. Excerpts as under;
Juda zameen say kirdar aasmani tha
Usi ki apni kisis an kahi kahani ka
Who dost fitratan ek sabr ka samandar tha
Ki jis say moj e rifaqat umadti rehti thi
Who kya kamal tha us kay hathoon ka
Wo harf harf ajab titliyan udata tha
Mujhay yaqeen hai har shab koi sarosh e adab
Adab say choomnay jata tha us kay hathoon ko
Wo fikr o soch ki wadi main jab kabhi gum sum
Kisi khayal ko paikar main dalnay lagta
To jaisay qous- qazah kay darichay khul jatay
Hawa main goonjtay har rang o boo kay afsanay
Wo fan shinas tha ,Khushboo kitab chera tha
Mizaj naram tha ehsas reshmi aisa
Wohi mizaj us kay Qalam ki fitrat ka
Zaban salees thi bay daag tha libas e sukhan
Tarah tarah kay jo shahkar us nay likhay hain
Wo harf harf hain shahid , wo khwab jadugar
Zaban e Khama say kya khushboyen pakadta tha
Who rahbar tha faza main naye parindoon ko
Tarah tarah ki masafat say aashna karta
Naye safar yeh naye safeenay nikal padtay
To un ka sath nibhana wo badban ban kar
Baday hi shauq say fun aur adab ki duniya main’
Kabhi fazaoon main par tolnay jo lagta tha
Usay khila main wo manzar dikhayi
daytay thay
Ki us kay dard bharay dil ko thase lagti thi
Dikhayi daytay thay ki jaisay pankh phailaye
Siyah ajdahay jaisay hazar ha kargis
Faza pe chayay huye kaalay badloon ki tarah
Wo cheel kaway wo shaheen numa kayi kargis
Ki jin ka asal nasheman hai gumband e shahi
Dikhayi deta tha sab kuch dikhayi deta tha
Wo muz kay apni zameen par qadam jamaat tha’
Wo apnay chand sitaroon ko yeh daras deta
‘khudi na baich garibi main apna naam paida kar’
Wo apnay Shahar say ta abad maskan tak
Kabhi na kar saka apnay zameer ka sauda
Wo apnay aap main ta umara aisa qaidi tha
Kabhi na jis nay apni rihayi ki justaju ki thi
Er.Shafi Ahmad is a columnist and can be reached at wanishafi999@gmail.com
