Padamshri Surjit Pattar pens lyrics of “Attari Junction” documentary/ GREATER JAMMU/ Rashmi Talwar

Padamshri Surjit Pattar pens lyrics of “Attari Junction” documentary

Indo-Pak Last Rail Connect

Padamshri Surjit Pattar pens lyrics of “Attari Junction” documentary

Documentary to release in August to mark 76 years of Independence

Rashmi Talwar Attari – (Amritsar) 13th June 2023…..

Famed Punjabi Poet Padmashri Awardee  Dr. Surjit Pattar penned the lyrics of the upcoming documentary film “Attari Junction” based on India’s last rail connecting Attari with Pakistan on the Lahore side. Meantime it is seen over the years that a mammoth crowd of over 20,000 People visit the Wagah-Attari Border on the Indian side on average, daily, to watch the Beating Retreat Ceremony of the lowering of the flags; but, none visits Attari Railway Station, a 161-year old Heritage rich building and space that witnessed the Best and the Worst of human emotions, especially during partition and for decades later. Now it stands lonely, stupefied, and mute to the animosity between the economically disparate neighbours.

As the shooting began today, it came as no surprise -how both warring countries sitting side by side, simultaneously witnessed a common sunset. The manmade lines drawn did not dim the musical winds or the birds from crisscrossing, the melodies and drumbeats on both sides had an unhindered passage and audience beyond partitions. But the people of both countries are locked-in and are made to conjure up images of demonic forces across borders, by respective powers on both sides and the stakeholders in the continuation of this animosity.

Punjab’s eminent Author, heritage promoter, nature artist, and Director of the film- Harpreet Sandhu while talking to Greater Jammu said – “This short film will portray historical rich architecture of this 161-year old Attari Railway Station, which is a blend of Indo-Islamic and Victorian architectural styles. Its arches and ornate facades showcase an aura of grandeur and elegance of the architecture of the bygone era. Given the eyeball catcher- the Wagah Attari Retreat ceremony, this vital heritage of Railtrack has seldom been highlighted.  The Documentary film under the patronage of Sewa Sankalp Society has been scripted by Atul Tirkey, IRS Deputy Commissioner Customs, Attari. No one could do more justice to the film’s lyrics than the Internationally renowned Punjabi Poet Dr. Surjit Pattar. The film whose shooting will be wound up in three days at Attari will be released to mark the 76th year of Indo-Pak Partition”, he added.

Shooting the film “Attari Junction” –began with the clapboard Mahurat shot by MP Amritsar Gurjeet Aujla, and Deputy Commissioner Amritsar Amit Talwar, in the presence of a battery of IRS, IPS, and IAS officers.

The director further revealed  –“The film in trilingual languages are juxtaposed just as during those times. It will have the Deputy Commissioner Customs Atul Tirkey, as an actor speaking English, and I, Harpreet Sandhu, as Director, also a former Additional Advocate General, Punjab and Chairman of Punjab Infotech, would try to do justice to the film in Punjabi while retired Chief Commissioner Income Tax and Author Parneet Sachdev would be using Hindi.”

Is the purpose to only highlight heritage, even as all top officers are involved in this documentary? I asked –“We never wanted to it have a flimsy and commercial touch by bringing in famed Punjabi actors like Daljit Dosanjh. We have done a detailed script for nearly 8-months on how many kilometers was the stretch and at which times it was discontinued between the countries, the history behind it. Besides this, we looked into the outcome of this railway junction on the measurement of tourism, culture, trade exchange, and several other aspects. So I personally will not use the word that it’s a ‘big documentary’ but it is surely meaningful, compact and being made to solely highlight this 161-year old heritage of rail junction. My purpose and what I hope to achieve, is to spread awareness, about this last railway station that has witnessed the worst of Partition days. We all are putting in full effort. We have done extensive shooting of key actors playing commoners and have canned a fabulous train shot with a train arriving from Qadian to Attari. We also went up until the last gate and shot there as it was locked .” What did you do about the horses that used to gallop alongside the train on the Indian side?  No, we haven’t looked into that.  The necessary permissions for shooting the Documentary film have been obtained from various government agencies including the Northern Railway, New Delhi and Land Customs Attari, and the BSF authorities.

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 Writer’s Journey in the Samjhauta Express

In the year 2007, a land passage through the road route between India and Pakistan was denied to the Hindu Jatha to Pakistan on the occasion of the Maha-Shivratri annual celebration at Katasraj shrines in Pakistan. The Hindu and Sikh Jathas as well as Muslim Jathas to Ajmer Shrief came under the Indo-Pak Agreement of Pilgrimage to visit shrines in each other’s countries.

It was a time when a popular Pakistani actress had flouted the rules of specific city-based visas to visit Agra without a visa for the city of the Taj Mahal and was apprehended by Indian authorities. This took a toll on Pakistan over the Indian reprimand to the Pak embassy. A petulant Pakistan thus resorted to tit-for-tat retaliation denying the easy land-crossing to Indian Hindu Jatha, to divert it to the cumbersome rail journey on the rail Samjhauta Express.

Samjhauta Express was started in 1976 as a bi-weekly and was a symbol of a ‘train of emotions’ to help bridge the gap for the separated families of both countries.

So we arrived at the Attari Railway station at 8 o clock for the train of emotions, after much emotional trauma of being diverted at the last minute from the Wagah road route to the Attari rail route. The train arrived hours late. In the meantime, we explored the heritage rail station and absorbed the mechanism, of how the trains operated through an exhaustive hotline system of giving or holding back clearance to the train as per the whims and fancies of authorities of both countries. This time the special treatment of delayed clearance was reserved for the Hindu jatha. The old system of Red and Green flags to indicate stop and go were used. The bogeys were all 3^rd class and non-AC 3-tiers with iron bars on windows just like the ones before the partition of 1947.  Finally, after an exhaustive procedure of processing hundreds of cross-country travellers and loading baggage, most of us found ourselves sitting on sacks of luggage as the loaded train finally and painfully groaned out of the Attari station.     

Although overjoyed at its finally starting to move, the train journey conjured up images of the year 1947 bloodied trains during partition which reached Amritsar and Lahore with dripping blood of cut-up bodies. My attention was diverted soon as I watched horse-mounted BSF personnel galloping alongside the train on the Indian side up until the gates opened up to no man’s land, and I caught the scenes in my portable Sony camera.

The train went into a deep sleep after every 15 minutes, as if its old bones felt tired under its heavy weight. In an interview with BBC, I told the channel how a distance of 3Kms stretch between the two countries took 12 hours to cross! This fact was highlighted as the catchword in every other channel.

Just a few days later in the early hours of midnight on 19^th February 2007, a bomb blast took place in the Samjhauta Express at Chandni Bagh in Panipat Haryana India, in which 68 people were killed mostly Pakistanis. We, as the Hindu jatha of 175 people were still in Lahore after visiting Katasraj shrines in Pakistan.  I had got a little ‘Palm Plant’  packed in Lahore, as a take-back memory home to Amritsar -an emotional keepsake of the soil of Pakistan and Lahore that once was the soil of the land of my paternal grandmother and my Multan-based grandfather.

However, we were rushed before the schedule to return to India due to security issues following the Samjhauta Blast.  But I wouldn’t leave without my green plant. So while sitting on sacks again on the return, my little greenie also sat with me. My husband who waited for me at Attari railway station for nearly 4-hours before arriving at Attari was pointed out by a fellow also waiting for his mother arriving from Lahore that “People have picked up trees from Pakistan to bring to India!” My husband gaily pointed out that the person who could bring a tree from anywhere could only be Rashmi Talwar, his wife.

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Ashwini’s book ‘Amrita & Victor’ paints the intimate, flamboyant, free-spirited, colorful life of celebrated painter Amrita Sher-gil/ GREATER JAMMU/ Rashmi Talwar

Ashwini’s book ‘Amrita & Victor’ paints the intimate, flamboyant, free-spirited, colorful life of  celebrated painter Amrita Sher-gil

Rashmi Talwar

Book: ‘Amrita & Victor’ by Ashwini Bhatnagar

Pages: 214

Publisher: Fingerprint

Ashwini’s book ‘Amrita & Victor’ paints the intimate, flamboyant, free-spirited, colorful life of  celebrated painter Amrita Sher-gil

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 9th June 2023—Through the prism of letters exchanged between Amrita Sher-gil and Victor Egan, her cousin, who became her beau and life partner much against the standard norms of society, Ashwini Bhatnagar’s book ‘Amrita and Victor’ explores the celebrated artist’s tumultuous journey of love and colours across continents, that created a rare bridge between Indian and Western art.

The book weaves a love story interspersed with Amrita’s creativity that astonished art connoisseurs, including Jawahar Lal Nehru. “The extraordinarily talented, incredibly beautiful, and deliciously free-spirited Amrita refused to paint Nehru- she found him too handsome!

Amrita born in 1913 in Budapest Hungary, to a Sikh Aristocrat and named after Amritsar or the Amrit Sarovar of Golden Temple, was the daughter of Umrao Singh Shergill, scion of royal Majithia family of Majithia- a Township 25 Kms from Amritsar. Umrao’s forefathers were generals in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army. Amrita is the daughter of a man who missed by a whisker, to become the grandson-in-law of the Maharaja, had he not fallen in love with Hungarian Marie Antoinette, a travelling companion of the Princess Bamba, whom he was to marry; Bamba, being the daughter of Prince Duleep Singh, son of the Maharaja.

During a talk with Majha House founder Preeti Gill, about the half-Hungarian, half-Punjabi renowned and unconventional Hungrian-Indian artist Amrita Sher-gil and her Hungarian cousin Victor, Ashwini disclosed to a packed audience how the book, on the distinguished artist, lingered in his mind for 20 years after a discussion with renowned writer Khushwant Singh, where I heard Khushwant using unsavory language to describe Amrita. “I confronted him, although I had no clue about her, to be told to go find out about her and write a book. This triggered me to explore the life of this mysterious Hungarian Indian artist,” shared Ashwini.

On whether Amrita was moral? Ashwini said – “It is not a question of morality but ethics, and aesthetics”. “I never really saw Amrita through the moral glass. I saw her as a highly sensitive artist, who drew and triggered her creativity not only from her traumas in early life but also her explorations- of the rational and irrational, the state of wild and untamed, from a place of the unknown, the rough, the bare and the nude.”   From her partner she felt a high voltage need for support, acknowledgment, and justification for her wild bouts involving multiple sexual partners and unconventional behavior. “And as an artist, seeking and finding support is as natural as life,” the author answered.  

Drawing a comparison with a book he wrote on actor Meena Kumari, Ashwini said he could draw parallels between the two extremely talented beauties Amrita and Meena Kumari, who flouted every social bond and emerged on the wings of their own talent.  Though illustrious in their respective field of arts both sadly, died young.  Their talents didn’t go unescorted there was someone who gently supported and encouraged them to take a flight to fulfill their inner rushes of creativity. I never felt Kamal Amrohi to be the villain in Meena Kumari’s life and didn’t pen his personality as such. Similarly, the character of Victor too is supportive in my book much to the chagrin of those who felt he was a sissy and dumbo to Amrita’s untamed promiscuous life. From a place of exploration is where Amrita drew her creativity to paint unusual human and other subjects with intensity and a refreshing style. In fact, my take on both these men is varied and gentle, supportive and humane for the flamboyance of the frothing fountain of talent of both women, that they loved and supported.”

Ashwini, the author-journalist, also a film writer, having worked in editorial positions in top national dailies, was in Amritsar, for the book release, at the city’s cultural hub -Majha House.  

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Viral video of Former PM Indira Gandhi’s Assassination by her bodyguards in Canada/ GREATER JAMMU/ Rashmi Talwar

Viral video of Former PM Indira Gandhi’s Assassination by her bodyguards in Canada

Rashmi Talwar

Viral video of Former PM Indira Gandhi’s Assassination by her bodyguards in Canada

Larger underlying issue: Indian FM 

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 8^th June 2023— Lashing out at Canada over a free run to Khalistan radicals, the Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S Jaishankar, in a direct warning said “It’s not good for Canada!” The FM fumed over a video, that became viral,  purportedly taken on 4^th June in the streets of Brampton, a pocket area of Ontario Province, with a sizable Sikh population. That makes the event held merely two days before the observance of Operation Bluestar day i.e. ‘Ghallughara Diwas’ on 6^th June, by Sikh radicals. 

The video depicted the former PM Indira Gandhi with her signature crop of black hair, with raised her hands, supposedly in alarm, dressed in a white Saree, smeared in blood, as cut-outs of Sikh bodyguards in NSG Uniforms, as two killers Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, were depicted firing at her from a light machine gun and a revolver. The scene was recreated from the actual assassination of a PM in office on Oct 31^st, 1984. It was the same year of army Op Bluestar in the Golden Temple to flush out terrorists from the holiest Sikh shrine in Amritsar.

On a moving vehicle, the life-size statue of Indira Gandhi is seen standing on artificial green turf representing the time when she was crossing the garden in her PM house, and the two cardboard uniformed bodyguards opened fire at her. She is seen flaying her arms in alarm. A board, half hidden by her figure, reads “Revenge for Op Bluestar at Harmandir Sahib” (Golden Temple).

The Tableaux called the ‘Shaheedi Float’ on Public display as a floater on a street in Brampton was created to mark the 39^th anniversary of Op Bluestar. In the video,  some nearby and distant homes and pines could be seen. In an adjoining road to the tableaux, women in Punjabi salwar Kameez were seen in groups as the tableaux moved on the street.

Dr S Jaishankar taking umbrage to the allowance of such horrific assassination, display against a former PM of India, during a vocal address, castigated Canada, and said- I think there is a bigger issue involved. And the bigger issue involved is really the space that Canada has continuously given. Frankly, to us we are at a loss to understand, other than the vote-bank politics, why would anybody do this.          Because if you look at their history, you would imagine that they would’ve learned from their history and not repeat it. So it isn’t one incident,  I think there is a larger underline issue about the space which is given to separatists, to extremists  to people who advocate violence, and  I think it is not good for relationships and it is  not good for Canada!”

Jitandar Singh, a communication expert, wrote in a post on Twitter in response to the video “A country allowing such an event has to introspect. All these are clear signs of weak political leadership. Canadian citizens should worry about their political future. Appeasement does not help in the long run.”  And further added –“For the sake of the country, the Government needs to do everything to crush them using all possible measures and also their connections, and sympathizers here. They are rapidly growing in their adventurism.” He quoted “The farm law repeal, apology to the protesters, soft approach to them after their R-Day raid on Red Fort, yearlong highway blockades sent a wrong message. They have become more motivated and emboldened.”

Michael  Carvalho, another Twitterati, responded –“Political sensitivity towards Sikh minority especially in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta seems to hinder a full-scale crackdown.

The most tragic irony of this situation is that the Khalistani propaganda hurts Sikh sentiments and Sikhs in their own home country and is actually tarnishing Sikh tenets. The  Sikh community in India is greatly against the Khalistani elements propagating Khalistan from foreign shores.

A professor at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar lashed out at such elements and asked them to send their children and come themselves to give the supreme sacrifices of giving their lives,  if they desire a Khalistan. “We certainly don’t want it!”.

It may be mentioned, that last year the same radicals held a controversial referendum for the formation of Khalistan, in the Brampton area.

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Ujjal Dosanjh Indo-Canadian Sikh politician

In a recent interactive session at Majha House, a cultural hub in Amritsar Ujjal Dosanjh, the first India-born Canadian provincial leader, when queried over Khalistan displays in Canada explained it as an attention-seeking and importance-creating tactic of migrated Canadian youth. A Sikh lady countered the Canadian politician –“I think the Indian diaspora in Canada,  needs to ask some of us in India whether we want a Khalistan or not. It seems our opinion doesn’t matter and we are the ones who will be subjected to it”, pipped in Deepa Swani.

Dosanjh then was at pains to explain his views and stated-“In 1984,  time of peak militancy in Punjab –“I called out Khalistan as a pipe dream!  I still stand by it. It won’t happen, because people in Punjab don’t want it.  And some of us suggested to self-professed Khalistanis to -Go buy land in Alberta where land is quite flat like  Punjab, and set it up (as Khalistan), don t bug the people back home in India”.

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Manipulation for political gains!

“The era of foreign entities stirring up communal tensions in India is regrettably resurfacing in high-frequency Incidents where armed Sikhs attack the Indian diaspora. Incidents of attempts to vandalize temples in Australia, and disrespecting the Indian flag in the UK are recent glaring examples that experts put to tactics to ‘spite’ India due to his sovereign stand in the war between Ukraine and Russia. India preferred to be neutral instead of taking sides between EU & US-supported Ukraine and Russia supported by China. India preferred to look after its own and its people’s interests instead of being dragged into the war.

This is one of the prime reasons to rile India by encouraging anti-India sentiment in countries abroad.

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India’s Gigantic Response with a Gigantic Indian Flag!

Indian High Commission not only responded to Khalistan supporters, who tried to replace the Indian Tricolour with the Khalistan flag, in London recently, but also took a serious tit-for-tat approach, to the security breach issues at its HC offices in London, that was tactically overlooked by the British.

A giant size Indian National Flag, on the Indian mission’s building, was installed in minutes, replacing the desecrated small one as Khalistanis tried to take down the Indian flag and hoist their own.  India thus gave a clear signal of supremacy to Khalistanis and British alike.

Alternately, India also visibly reduced security in the British HC in Delhi as a retaliatory measure to drive home the point, leading London to immediately reinforce security around Indian HC in London.

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200 fishermen, 3 civilians repatriated to home country past protocol at Attari Wagah / GREATER JAMMU/Rashmi Talwar

200 fishermen,  3 civilians repatriated  to home country past protocol at Attari Wagah

Rashmi Talwar

Indo-Pak Border

200 fishermen,  3 civilians repatriated  to home country past protocol at Attari Wagah

Rashmi Talwar

Attari-Wagah, 2^nd June, 2023 —–

Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, today tweeted in the afternoon about the repatriation of Indian fishermen-“Pakistan is releasing 200 Indian fishermen and 3 civilian prisoners. Earlier, 198 Indian fishermen were repatriated on 12 May 2023. This is in line with Pakistan’s policy of not politicizing humanitarian matters. Compassion should take precedence over politics”. Replying to this tweet one Faraz Khan responded –“It means 200 families will be celebrating today plus three more of the civilians”.

An hour later three Indian civilians crossed over via the Wagah Attari Joint Check Post JCP to their homeland from the Indo-Pak border in Amritsar. They were handed over to the BSF and were detained for interrogation and immigration formalities. The three included one Bablu Ram Chander, an Indian who had unintentionally crossed the Indo-Pak border somewhere from the Kartarpur Sahib Sector in the year 2019. While the two Indian Sikhs Harjinder Singh and Balwinder Singh too had inadvertently crossed the border from another side of the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib Area belt falling in the Narowal province of Pakistan in the year 2020.

The three were lodged in the Kot Lakhpat Jail infamous for the incarceration of two former Prime ministers of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

Two hundred more Indian fishermen prisoners lodged in Landhi and Malir Jail, in  Karachi, apprehended from maritime waters from a non-tangible waterline border between India and Pakistan in the Indian Ocean were looking forward to freedom in their home countries. The 200 Indian fishermen were brought amidst tight security, to Lahore via Allama Iqbal Express train from Karachi by the Edhi Foundation. The Edhi Welfare Trust arranged the safe transportation of Indian fishermen to Lahore The prisoners were taken in a fleet of tempo traveler mini buses to Wagah from Lahore station accompanied by security vehicles.

They were handed over by Pakistani Rangers personnel to the Border Security Force at the border’s Joint Check Post (JCP)

While crossing the border into India at about 9.30 pm, each of the prisoners was handed over an Indian flag by the BSF personnel.

All 203 of them were issued ‘Emergency Travel Certificates’ by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad before they crossed over to their homeland, officials informed. Indian fishermen had been nabbed by the Pak Navy in the maritime areas of the Indian Ocean. Fishermen from both countries often stray into each other’s territories without any intention of doing so. 

The Pakistani fishermen’s repatriation is part of India-Pakistan’s Treaty of Understanding of prisoner repatriation of each other’s country after completion of jail terms due to border trespass.

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Divided JammuKashmir melts in Collective grief of Prof Ved Kumari Ghai, Her death unites two sparring communities in JK /Greater Jammu/ Rashmi Talwar

Divided Jammu and Kashmir melts in the collective grief of Prof Ved Kumari Ghai,

Rashmi Talwar

Divided Jammu and Kashmir melts in the collective grief of Prof Ved Kumari Ghai,

Her death unites two sparring communities in Jammu and Kashmir

Rashmi Talwar

Amritsar 01 June 2023—-

‘Zamana Kar saka na uske kadd ka andaza

Woh aasma tha, lekin sarr jhukaa ke chalta tha’

[“The world could not estimate his stature,

He was the sky but walked with his head bowed.]

With this couplet in praise of Prof Ved Kumari Ghai, a global cultural criticRavinder Kaul,  summed up the pain and memory of a stalwart scholar of Jammu and Kashmir, who passed away at the age of 91, in Jammu recently. “Many of my memories are attached to her. She gifted me a copy of the English translation of ‘Nilamata Purana’ which she had painstakingly translated”, he wrote on his wall.

Many a digital wall of Kashmiri Hindus /Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslim intelligentsia of Jammu and Kashmir and even Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, displayed photographs and videos embellished with paeans of praise for the Padma Shri Awardee, Prof Ghai, who held a universal appeal for most of the scholarly, the knowledgeable and informed, collective narrative of erstwhile undivided Jammu and Kashmir.

Born in 1931, Dr Ghai held a master’s degree in Sanskrit, Ancient Indian History and Literature; a Doctorate in Sanskrit, besides a Diploma in German and Danish languages.  She was also an author of a variety of books, and a theologist, heading the Department of Sanskrit at Jammu University. Varied communities of Jammu &Kashmir came together in collective grief on social networking sites, for one of the tallest woman intellectuals of this age, who left a sizeable knowledge pool for generations to learn, reflect upon, and as a reference point, irrespective of the communities they belonged to.

Ahmad Ali fayyaz, a senior journalist with a 44.5K following on Twitter, wrote a long and beautiful piece. Opening his lines from the Nilmata Purana translated by the scholar Prof Ghai:

“O controller of the enemies, the holy region of Kasmira is possessed of all the sacred places.

There are sacred lakes of the Nagas and the holy mountains;

There are holy rivers and also the holy lakes;

There are highly sacred temples and also the hermitages attached to them.

In the center flows, making as it were, the parting of the hair; the Vitasta – the Highest Goddess visibly born of the Himalaya.”

 Janamejaya (asked): “O Twice-born, how did that which was a pure lake in former Manvantaras, become a province in Vaivasvata (Manvantara)?”

Related to this he writes: “Arguably, this is the first history on ancient Kashmir written in Sanskrit sometime in 6th to 8th century CE and brought to us in English by Prof. Ved Kumari Ghai of Jammu in the 1960s.” Adding-“If the Rajatarangini by Kalhan, is important from the point of view of the political history of ‘Kasmira‘, the Nilamata is no less important for the cultural history of that part of the country”, he quoted the writer Dr. Ghai as she wrote-“It is the National Epic of Kashmir along with Rajatarangini, encompassing modern-day regions of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Khorasan, Tajikistan, modern Dardic regions of the world”.

“Nilamata Purana” was actually Dr. Ghai’s Ph.D. thesis approved by Banaras Hindu University in 1960 and later published by J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Language in 1968.

In memory of this academic, Fayaz wrote “This erudite scholar of Sanskrit, Hindi and Kashmir’s ancient cultural history, who was professor and HoD of Sanskrit at the University of Jammu for a long time, her passing away in Jammu this week is the end of an era!

Take One Digital Network played out a visual interview with Dr Ghai recorded in October 2022, where Dr. Ghai, one of the few survivors left, to have met Mahatma Gandhi shared her experience at length about the Father of Nation, with correspondent Rajinder Kitchloo. The Padma Shri Awardee, Prof Ved Kumari Ghai, a Gandhian herself, hoped the next generation of footprints, would also follow in the steps of the Mahatma. “Mahatma was an amazing man, who said what he did and did what he said! She held the Mahatma, as a man of ideal,s true to his word to the core – leading by action, where his own ‘Actions spoke louder than his words’. Alternately his soothing words could douse flaming tempers within minutes which otherwise could wreak havoc, she observed, in the interview.

Meeting Mahatma Gandhi in Jammu: she recounted her divine experience and espoused Gandhian Values.

Mohsin Shakil Manhas, a urologist and medical Anthropologist from Muzaffrabad, in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, wrote on his Twitter handle: Dr Ghai, is one of the greatest scholars ever born in J&K . Immensely appreciate her amazing academic work especially on ‘Nilamata Purana’

Avtar Mota, researcher, banker, writer, and blogger extolling the virtues of Dr Ghai wrote under the headline ‘Scholar Extraordinary’-

 Kashmiris, in particular, remain indebted to Dr. Ghai for her scholarly translation of Sanskrit Nilamata Purana (2 volumes) into English. She also translated Kashmiri poet, Rajanka Ratankantha’s’ Suryashatakam’ written in Sharda script (100 Shlokas in praise of the Sun God) into English. “Sun worship across cultures is as old as THE human civilization”. Along with that Dr  Ghai, authored many other books –‘Kashmir Darpan’, ‘Narendra-Darpan’ and ‘Kashmir Ka Sanskrit Sahitya Ko Yogdaan’ ( Kashmir’s contribution to Sanskrit literature).  With her scholarly husband, Prof  Ram Pratap, Dr. Ghai co-authored books-  Urmika ( a collection of  Sanskrit poetry ), Mere Geet Tumhaare hain (Hindi), Rajendra-karnpur, Bhallat-shatak, and Sanskrit Sahitya Aur Nibhandh. Her scholarly book “Studies in Phonetics and Phonology”, was widely appreciated and received.

Dr. Ghai’s scholarly papers on ancient Indian history and culture assisted two generations of writers with her knowledge and erudition. Being invited on foreign platforms for her academic assignments, the HoD PG Sanskrit Department, University of Jammu, received several awards and honours including the prestigious Padma Bhushan. Chairperson at Gandhi Sewa Sadan, Vasudev Katumbkam Welfare Society, and Member of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board she was associated with literary and social organizations, in addition to her teaching and research work. Dr. Ghai’s conceptual clarity and erudition were remarkable and praiseworthy. She also taught Panini’s Grammar and Sanskrit Literature at the Institute of Indian Studies, Copenhagen University, Denmark (1966-67 and 1978-80), and remained associated with Stockholm University.

A very polite lady who was firm and clear in her beliefs and elocution. She wrote -“Nilamata  Purana is a mine of information on ancient practices in the  Kashmiri society. I am happy to see how beautifully Kashmiri Pandits have carried forward many rituals and practices from ancient times. The practice of Dwar-shobha  and Bhoomi-Shobha appear in every Kashmiri Pandit marriage as ‘KROOL’ and ‘VYOOG’. Kashmiri Pandits continue the Vasanta festival of Nilamata as ‘Soant’. The spring season was given a festive welcome. People held prayers so that the gardens of Kashmir were full of flowers, rivers had adequate water, fields gave enough to eat, cows yielded milk, fruits ripened on trees, and intellectuals retained the power of their pen. It looks good when elders invest their time and energy to pass on these good things to the younger generation for the continuity of the civilization, heritage, and culture, it secures these tangible and intangible heritage,” Ghai concluded.

Fayyaz Sheheryar, former Director General All India  Radio, and Board member Prasar Bharti condoled –Prof Ghai, a rare combination of Scholarship and Decency. Pray for eternal Peace for her.

Nida Nawaz wrote -“A brilliant Hindi poet of J&K – Rest in Peace, Humble Tribute, Was indeed an icon of Sanskrit and Hindi Literature”.

S Khursheed Qadri, former DG, of the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, Tourism and Culture Department consultant, writes – “Great Scholar of Sanskrit Literature and a noble soul”.

NB Vishen, a well-known lawyer with a 4K following  –May God grant Sadgaddi to her Soul.  Om Shanti!

Iqbal Mir,  a journalist on development reporting–“She was a scholar. Both Great and dignified Lady. Her death is a great loss to research and Literature”.

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Mohammad Ali Jinnah majorly responsible for Indo-Pak Partition’: Pak-Swede Author / Rashmi Talwar

‘Mohammad Ali Jinnah majorly responsible for Indo-Pak Partition’: Pak-Swede Author

Rashmi Talwar

‘Mohammad Ali Jinnah majorly responsible for Indo-Pak Partition’: Pak-Swede Author

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR, 30^TH May 2023—–

Professor Emeritus, Stockholm University, and author of 11 books, Ishtiaq Ahmed, hosted by ‘Rotary Imagine’ Chandigarh while talking to the writer, said–“Mohammad Ali Jinnah was majorly responsible for Indo Pak Partition of 1947!”  “Should I write it?” “Yes! You can write it. There are no two ways about it,” he said this thoughtfully, unhesitatingly while discussing his book- “Jinnah: His Successes, failures, and Role in History”.

KP Fabian wrote in columns of ‘The Hindu’ national newspaper, about the book on Jinnah, -“As an attempt at ‘historical reasoning’ by a political scientist.” And added, -“MA Jinnah has been praised, and dispraised for the partition of India. There is however a distressing shortage of genuine history written by professional historians”.  

Fabian further writes-“In Pakistan, there have been at least two schools of thought. One celebrates Jinnah as the creator of Pakistan. The other school argues that Jinnah was using the Pakistan card as a bargaining chip and it was Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru who rejected Jinnah’s legitimate demand for a fair share of political power, who should be held responsible for the partition of India and the concomitant horrors.”

Prof Ishtiaq Ahmed, a midnight-child, born in 1947, a few months before Partition on 24th February, in Lahore, penned the book following deep research and historical reasoning of the period under the British. He has been invited to India by “Vasant Vyakhyanmala” Nashik, literally meaning ‘Spring lecture series of Nashik, celebrating its Centenary- Year in May 2023 – The Maharashtra-based organization has a glorious and proud history. It has the most distinguished names on its speakers list including Mahatma Gandhi, SV Savarkar, Pandit Nehru, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Jayaparkash Narayan, Vinoba Bhave, Balasahed Thackeray, Lata Mangeshkar.  

“Invited as an academic for the keynote address on the lecture series on the political-affairs segment; his topic was, “Centenary: “The tale of two brothers lost in a fair”- connected to India-Pak socio-political trajectory and what should be done and how should they deal with each other”. Significantly, the lecture series is a part of the month-long centenary celebrations by the pre-partition organization- ‘Vasant Vyakhyanmala’, where a number of noted speakers have been invited, marking its 100 years.  

Coming back to the ideas and political role of the Founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah – Prof Ishtiaq Ahmed writes in his book –“Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been both celebrated and reviled for his role in the Partition of India, and the controversies surrounding his actions have only increased in the seven decades and more since his death”. In his book Ishtiaq Ahmed has placed, Jinnah’s actions under intense scrutiny to ascertain the Quaid-i-Azam’s successes and failures and the meaning and significance of his legacy. Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed states that he used “a wealth of contemporary records and archival material, tracing Jinnah’s journey from Indian nationalist to Muslim communitarian and from a Muslim nationalist to, finally, Pakistan’s all-powerful head of state.”

The book asks and answers many valid, uncomfortable, and burning questions about Jinnah being a party to the drawing of the Radcliff border line dividing the nation into two. “How did the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity become the inflexible votary of the two-nation theory? Did Jinnah envision Pakistan as a theocratic state? What was his position on Gandhi and federalism? These are some of the queries the book raises and allows to flow into ‘historical reasoning, by the author. The volume according to experts is a path-breaking examination of one of the most controversial figures of the twentieth century and asks these crucial questions against the backdrop of the turbulent struggle against colonialism.

Ishtiaq Ahmed, talking about his other critically acclaimed book -“The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed” said, ‘It all began in 1936. Until the Muslim League captured Punjab, there was no chance of making Pakistan.” Going into the depth of the partition tragedy he said –“In 1936, the then president of the Indian National Congress Pt Jawaharlal Nehru said in Lucknow, “An independent India would finish feudalism”. And added -“Rights of farmers will be protected. We will make socialist India, which will be inspired by the Soviet Union,” quotes Nehru.

Following this statement, alarm bells rang among the Britons and the Muslims. “In north-western India, big landlords were mainly Muslims. The landlords were convinced by the leadership of the Unionist Party to support and stop the Congress in its tracks. “Thus, Punjab Unionists won elections.”

In 1937, Jinnah announced Muslim opposition to the Congress. “This was the beginning of a hate campaign, where demonizing and dehumanizing the Hindus became a new normal,” said Ahmed. Ahmed junked the theories accusing the Congress of Partition and pointed out that it continuously resisted the move and agreed to it only in March 1947. “Thus, a separate electorate system led to Partition,” he said.

Ahmed said 80 percent of fatalities and 75 percent of displacement were recorded in Punjab during Partition.

He said the violence started after July 10, a year before the partition in 1946.

Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru ensured that the Muslims who wanted to stay in India should be allowed to live there. Thus the demographics of mixed communities remained the hallmark shaping  India even today in its present scenario. “It took me 11 years to research this voluminous book of 750 pages”, inserts the author.

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BOX

The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned, and Cleansed

·   Won a prize for best non-fiction book at Lahore Literature Festival,  and the Coca-Cola Prize at the Karachi Literature Festival in 2013.

·   It took 11 years of research.

·  The book unravels the 1947 Tragedy through Secret British Reports and First-Person Accounts.

 · “More than one million people died and 14 to 15 million people got displaced. Total population of Punjab, including princely states was 34 million,” he said, adding that weapons used by Punjabis during World War-I were widely used in 1947 carnage and otherwise.

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