Ramesh Kaul
POETRY. SOCIAL ACTIVISM. ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION. All put together in humour & satire. Using the Kashmiri language, he loves most. In a style that is understood by the common folks who remain glued to his ever-growing discourses on YouTube, watched by millions – right across all faiths.
He talks on a wide range of crucial and burning issues in society – decline of Kashmiri culture, corruption, hypocrisy in society, degradation of the environment and its disastrous effects. Hardships and contradictions of life, as well as historical anecdotes on a very wide range of subjects, come naturally to him in his extempore talks.
Thy name is ZAREEF AHMAD ZAREEF- unassuming, humble and sweet to talk to…taking you to a ‘moment’ as if you are there.
Zareef Saheb’s burning passion is not just about bringing us the ‘moments’ but to ‘preserve’ the essence of Kashmir’s basic fibre – its language, proverbs, pronunciation and expressions that were part of the culture but now disappearing fast.
Born into the family of traditional artisans in Ali Kadal, Old Srinagar, in 1943, he was a very keen participant in seminars and debates right from his early life. And later, while serving in the Department of Information (Cultural Wing), he organised public shows, dramas and mushairas.
Having creditably finished his tenure at the Department of Information, he began consolidating his vast repertoire of knowledge about Kashmir’s history and culture that has earned him the honour of a ‘living repository’.
No wonder then that Zareef Ahmad Zareef is often described as a living encyclopaedia of the Kashmiri language. He has consistently chosen to write in Kashmiri at a time when many writers have shifted to Urdu or English.
In his use of humour, he never sounds bitter. His wit allows him to speak uncomfortable truths while remaining approachable.
In his cultural outlook, he treats Kashmir as the shared heritage of every Kashmiri, irrespective of religion.
His method is never to impress scholars. Instead, he stays very close to language spoken by ordinary Kashmiris that preserves its living form. Future generations will look to his work to understand how Kashmiri was truly spoken and felt.
Whether reciting poetry or speaking just informally, he effortlessly weaves together folklore, historical anecdotes and linguistic nuances. I have personally experienced this
while talking to him many times over, for something or the other. Listening to him is like listening to a Kashmir that once was.
The depth of his subtle satire in poetry can be gauged in the poems from his books ‘Taaran Garee’ and others that attempt to highlight commercialisation in the sacred institution of marriage and degrading values in society using his biting wit.
On social evils:
“Before anything – the in-laws ask:
Where the bride-to-be works,
what her grade is like, and the job?
What trickery! What deceit!”
On environmental degradation:
“In Wular they grow paddy,
Dal and Anchar claimed too.
Now joined hands to fill up Wyeth.
What trickery! What deceit!”.
On cultural degradation:
“With blood I stained the glass,
fashioning a mirror out of it.
There I saw myself – a stranger.
What frenzy is this?
“My eyes have grown weary
from searching.
What frenzy is this?
The city of love I once found
is lost to me now.
What frenzy is this?”
Regarded as one of the strongest contemporary voices in keeping Kashmiri literature alive, Zareef Ahmad Zareef’s contribution is significant, with a number of books and awards to his credit. Among these are:
BOOKS
“Khabar Togme Wanun”– 2007 (On problems of the society).
“Taaran Garee” — 2012 (Satirical poems)
“Kath Cha Taeti” — 2014 (A collection of essays on social, political and cultural topics).
“T’choenche Poot” — 2016 (Children’s literature, which received Sahitya Akademi Award).
“Buzeiy Ne Kaensi Zaeree” — 2019 (A collection on satire).
“Jyoi roazi Pakaan” – 2023 (A collection of research essays).
HONOURS/ AWARDS
Sahitya Akademi Award for his book “T’choenche Poot”.
Chairman, Ahad Zargar Memorial Research Foundation, Kashmir.
Chairman, Valley Citizens Council, Kashmir.
Member, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, ‘Kashmir Syllabus Committee’.
Green Citizen Award for ‘Contributions towards protection of environment’.
Zareef Ahmad Zareef collects moments that deserve never to be lost but preserved for future. Let’s honour him by preserving what he writes and narrates.
Ramesh Kaul can be reached at mail.rameshkaul@gmail.com
