Rare Photograph of 1963 Republic Day Parade at New Delhi Inbox x

Rare Photograph of RSS PARTICIPATION IN 1963 Republic Day Parade at New Delhi; INSTRUMENTAL IN KASHMIR'S ACCESSION WITH INDIA

 

Majority of today's generation are not aware, in 1963, Jawaharlal Nehru -  then PM of India had invited RSS at the Republic Day Parade, as a respect of gratitude on RSS Swayamsevak's for assisting Indian Armed Forces in fighting the Indo-China 1962 War.

 

During the China War in 1962, the Swayamsevaks of the RSS swung into action mobilising support to the governmental measures in general and to the jawans in particular. Pandit Nehru was so impressed that he invited a Sangh contingent to take part in the Republic Day Parade of 26th January 1963. At a mere two days’ notice, over 3500 Swayamsevaks turned up at the parade in full Sangh uniform.

 

Their massive march became the major highlight of the programme. When, later on, some Congressmen raised their eyebrows over the invitation to Sangh, Pandit Nehru brushed aside the objections saying that all patriotic citizens had been invited to join the parade.

 

Jawaharlal Nehru said that “given the spirit of RSS Swayamsevaks, even the Lathi could successfully fight the bomb and valiantly fought the Chinese Armed Forces”. Hence he especially invited an RSS contingent to participate in the Republic Day Parade of 1963! 

 

                                 

 

Video of RSS at Republic Day

Click to see Republic Day Parade  &  Swabhimaan Ghosh Shibir

 

These days it is a fashion amongst the Congress and other pseudo-secular leaders, people to speak ill about the RSS and the Sangh Parivar. They accuse the RSS of preaching hatred, creating communal tension and dividing the society on the basis of caste.

Before spewing venom against one of the most respected and World's Largest Voluntary organization, in India, these pseudo-secular leaders should have a deeper perspective of our history. They must know that the court of law had categorically stated in the Mahatma Gandhi murder case that it was the act of an individual and that no organization was associated with it. They must know how their own idols and icons had come to respect the RSS and had praised it.

In 1934, when Gandhiji visited a 1500-strong Swayamsevaks camp at Wardha, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the Swayamsevaks were not even aware of the castes of one another, not to speak of any ideas of untouchability. The visit had left such a deep impression on Gandhiji’s mind that he referred to it full thirteen years later.

 

In his address to the workers of Sangh in Bhangi Colony at Delhi on 16th September 1947, he said, “I visited the RSS camp years ago, when the founder Shri Hedgewar was alive. I was very much impressed by your discipline, the complete absence of untouchability and the rigorous simplicity.

 

Since then the Sangh has grown. I am convinced that any organization which is inspired by the high ideal of service and self-sacrifice is bound to grow in strength.” (The Hindu: 17th September 1947)

When Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar visited Sangh Shiksha Varga in Pune in 1939, he was surprised to find the Swayamsevaks moving about in absolute equality and brotherhood without even caring to know the caste of the others.

 

When Dr. Ambedkar asked Dr. Hedgewar whether there were any untouchables in the camp, the latter replied that there were neither touchables nor untouchables, but only Hindus.

After partition, when the Maharaja of Kashmir was harbouring the idea of retaining Kashmir as an independent kingdom, it was Guru Golwalkar of the RSS whom Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had sent to convince the Maharaja to join India.

 

Shri Guruji flew to Srinagar on 17th October 1947. After discussions with Shri Guruji, the Maharaja finally expressed his readiness to sign the Instrument of Accession to Bharat. Shri Guruji returned to New Delhi on 19th October, and reported to Sardar Patel about the Maharaja’s readiness to accede to Bharat.

After partition, Delhi was in the throes of violence and intrigues by the Muslim Leaguers. When later on Dr. Bhagwan Das, the great savant and a recipient of the Bharat Ratna award, came to know the details of the role of RSS in those crucial days, he wrote on 16th October 1948: "I have been reliably informed that a number of youths of RSS were able to inform Sardar Patel and Nehruji in the very nick of time of the Leaguer`s intended coup on September 10, 1947, whereby they had planned to assassinate all members of Government and all Hindu officials and thousands of Hindu citizens on that day and plant the flag of Pakistan on the Red Fort and then seize all Hindusthan."

He added: "Why have I said all this? Because if those high-spirited and self-sacrificing boys had not given the very timely information to Nehruji and Patelji, there would have been no Government of India today, the whole country would have changed its name into `Pakistan`, tens of millions of Hindus would have been slaughtered and all the rest converted to Islam or reduced to stark slavery.

 

Well, what is the net result of all this long story? Simply this - that our Government should utilise, and not sterlise, the patriotic energies of the lakhs of RSS youths."

During the China War in 1962, the Swayamsevaks of the RSS swung into action mobilising support to the governmental measures in general and to the jawans in particular. Pandit Nehru was so impressed that he invited a Sangh contingent to take part in the Republic Day Parade of 26th January 1963. At a mere two days’ notice, over 3000 Swayamsevaks turned up at the parade in full Sangh uniform. Their massive march became the major highlight of the programme. When, later on, some Congressmen raised their eyebrows over the invitation to Sangh, Pandit Nehru brushed aside the objections saying that all patriotic citizens had been invited to join the parade.

WHAT DID THE CONGRESS LEADERS THEN SAID

 

Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, then Vice Chancellor, Banaras Hindu University, happened to take a delegation of foreign dignitaries to a RSS shakha which continued to be conducted despite the heavy rain. The visitors were immensely pleased and Radhakrishnan was impressed to meet research scholars, lecturers, graduate and postgraduate students participating in the shakha.

 

Above all, Gandhiji first visited an RSS camp on December 24, 1934 at Wardha along with Mira Behn and Mahadev Desai. On watching the parade organised in his honour, he said: “I am tremendously pleased. Nowhere in the country have I seen such a spectacle.” He was much impressed with the absence of caste differences including that of untouchability. He readily vacated his tent for Keshav Hedgewar and at the end of his visit, he declared that he saw no shortcomings in what he saw of the RSS.

 

“From all points of view you are doing excellent work. If there is any shortcoming at all it is that this organisation does not admit people of other religions”. By the next day, Hedgewar had arrived in Wardha and he responded to Gandhiji’s invitation and answered all questions and clarified whatever issues about the organisation that were raised.

 

When I visited the RSS camp, I was very much impressed by your discipline and the complete absence of untouchability. - Mahatma Gandhi at the RSS rally, Delhi 16.9.1947

In the Congress those who are in power feel that by virtue of authority they will be able to crush the R.S.S. RSS uses the "danda" you cannot suppress an organization. Moreover "danda" is used by RSS meant for protecting the nation. Using of "danda" is for "Dandam Dasha Gunam Bhavet". After all, R.S.S. Swayamsevaks are great patriots. They love their country. - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in a public meeting, Lucknow 6.1.1948

I am surprised to find the Swayamsevaks moving about in absolute equality and brotherhood without even caring to know the caste of the others. - Babasaheb Ambedkar at Pune Camp, May 1939

On November 20, 1949, Zakir Hussain told a Milad Mahfil in Monghyr about RSS, "The allegations against RSS of violence and hatred against Muslims are wholly false. Muslims should learn the lesson of mutual love, co-operation and organization from RSS". - Dr. Zakir Hussain

 

On November 3, 1977 at Patna, at the RSS training camp, Jaya Prakash Narayan said: “I have great expectation from this revolutionary organisation which has taken up the challenge of creating a new India. I have welcomed your venture whole-heartedly.”

 

Yours is a revolutionary organization in the forefront of social transformation taking place today. You alone have the capacity to end casteism and wipe the tears from the eyes of the poor. - Jayaprakash Narayan at RSS public function, Patna 3.11.1977

The name of RSS is a household word for selfless service all over the country. - Koka Subba Rao, Rtd. Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India, 25.8.1968

RSS has played an honourable role in maintaining Hindu-Sikh unity before and after the murder of Indira Gandhi in Punjab, Delhi and other places. - Sardar Khushwant Singh in Sunday Column

 

The attempt by Congress leaders to deflect attention from corruption by seeking to tar the image of the RSS does not come as a surprise. For long years, self-styled pseudo-secular politicians have criticized the RSS as a communal organisation. Few of the critics take the trouble to find out what precisely it stands for.

 

Since the run-up to the 1967 general election, the RSS has been widely used as a whipping boy to convince the Muslims that the critic is a secularist. 

BHARAT RATNA AWARD

BHARAT RATNA AWARD.... interesting facts

Interesting facts about

the ‘Bharat Ratna’ awards...

The Bharat Ratna,Jewel of India in English, is India’s highest civilian honour. Others being Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan , Padma Shri .It is generally conferred on 23rd of January for rendering outstanding services in art, literature, scientific achievements, social service and even sports . The award was instituted by the President of India on 2nd January 1954. Three people can get Bharat Ratna award in one year. The award can also be granted posthumously. The top 4 civilian honours -Bharat Ratna , Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan , Padma Shri do not carry any prize money. On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.

The medal or decoration is in the form of a peepal leaf, about 5.8 cm long, 4.7 cm wide and 3.1 mm thick. It is of toned bronze. On its obverse is embossed a replica of the sun, 1.6 cm in diameter, below which the words Bharat Ratna are embossed in Devanagari script. On the reverse are State emblem and the motto, also in Devanagari. The emblem, the sun and the rim are of platinum. The inscriptions are in burnished bronze. The ribbon is white. The awards are produced at Kolkata Mint.

Bharat Ratna medal

The perks associated with Bharat Ratna are:

• Free first class flight journey anywhere in India.
• Free first class train journey.
• Pension equal to or 50% of Prime Minister of India’s salary.
• Can attend the Parliament meetings and sessions.
• Precedence at par with Cabinet Rank.
• Eligible for Z category protection, if needed.
• Special Guest in Republic Day and Independence Day.
• Status equal to VVIP.

Holders of the Bharat Ratna decoration comes in seventh position jointly with former Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers of the Union, Leaders of Chief Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission of India and the respective Chief Ministers of States.

List of 43 recipients so for.

	Name	Image	Birth / Death	Awarded	Notes
1.	Chakravarti Rajgopalachari		1878–1972	1954	Independence activist, last Governor-General
2.	C. V. Raman		1888–1970	1954	Physicist
3.	Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan		1888–1975	1954	Philosopher, India's First Vice President (1952-1962), and India's Second President(1962-1967)
4.	Bhagwan Das		1869–1958	1955	Independence activist, author, Founder of Kashi Vidya Peeth
5.	Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya		1861–1962	1955	Civil engineer, Diwan of Mysore
6.	Jawaharlal Nehru		1889–1964	1955	Independence activist, author, first Prime Minister
7.	Govind Ballabh Pant		1887–1961	1957	Independence activist, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Home Minister
8.	Dhondo Keshav Karve		1858–1962	1958	Educator, social reformer
9.	Bidhan Chandra Roy		1882–1962	1961	Physician, Chief Minister of West Bengal
10.	Purushottam Das Tandon		1882–1962	1961	Independence activist, educator
11.	Rajendra Prasad		1884–1963	1962	Independence activist, jurist, first President
12.	Zakir Hussain		1897–1969	1963	Independence activist, Scholar, third President
13.	Pandurang Vaman Kane		1880–1972	1963	Indologist and Sanskrit scholar
14.	Lal Bahadur Shastri		1904–1966	1966	Posthumous, independence activist, second Prime Minister
15.	Indira Gandhi		1917–1984	1971	Third Prime Minister
16.	V. V. Giri		1894–1980	1975	Trade unionist and fourth President
17.	K. Kamaraj		1903–1975	1976	Posthumous, independence activist, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu State
18.	Mother Teresa		1910–1997	1980	Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of Charity
19.	Vinoba Bhave		1895–1982	1983	Posthumous, social reformer, independence activist
20.	Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan		1890–1988	1987	First non-citizen, independence activist
21.	M. G. Ramachandran		1917–1987	1988	Posthumous, film actor, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
22.	B. R. Ambedkar		1891–1956	1990	Posthumous, Chief architect of the Indian Constitution,Crusader against Untouchablity, Dalit Icon, Social Reformer, Historian, politician, economist, and scholar
23.	Nelson Mandela		b. 1918	1990	Second non-citizen and non-Indian recipient, Leader of the Anti-Apartheid movement
24.	Rajiv Gandhi		1944–1991	1991	Posthumous, Sixth Prime Minister
25.	Vallabhbhai Patel		1875–1950	1991	Posthumous, independence activist, first Home Minister
26.	Morarji Desai		1896–1995	1991	Independence activist, fourth Prime Minister
27.	Abul Kalam Azad		1888–1958	1992	Posthumous, independence activist, first Minister of Education
28.	J. R. D. Tata		1904–1993	1992	Industrialist and philanthropist
29.	Satyajit Ray		1922–1992	1992	Filmmaker
30.	A. P. J. Abdul Kalam		b. 1931	1997	Aeronautical Engineer,11th President of India
31.	Gulzarilal Nanda		1898–1998	1997	Independence activist, interim Prime Minister
32.	Aruna Asaf Ali		1908–1996	1997	Posthumous, independence activist
33.	M. S. Subbulakshmi		1916–2004	1998	Carnatic classical singer
34.	Chidambaram Subramaniam		1910–2000	1998	Independence activist, Minister of Agriculture
35.	Jayaprakash Narayan		1902–1979	1999	Posthumous, independence activist and politician
36.	Ravi Shankar		1920–2012	1999	Sitar player
37.	Amartya Sen		b. 1933	1999	Economist
38.	Gopinath Bordoloi		1890–1950	1999	Posthumous, independence activist, Chief Minister of Assam
39.	Lata Mangeshkar		b. 1929	2001	Playback singer
40.	Bismillah Khan		1916–2006	2001	Hindustani classical shehnai player
41.	Bhimsen Joshi		1922–2011	2008	Hindustani classical singer
42.	C. N. R. Rao[		b. 1934	2014 (announced)	Scientist
43.	Sachin Tendulkar		b. 1973	2014 (announced)	Cricketer (FIRST IN SPORTS CATEGORY)

pushkar n bhat

Shiv Ratri

Ashok Raina, Beltsville, MD A number of festivals are celebrated by Hindus in India and all over the world. One of the most prominent of these festivals is Shiv-ratri. For Kashmiri Pandits, Shiv-ratri is the most important religious festival. Celebration of this festival has remained proverbial from ancient times. In Kashmiri, Shiv-ratri is also known as Har-ratri and Herath. It is said that Lord Shiva called Devi Jagatamba by the name Hairte on this day which eventually got transformed into Herath. Shiv-ratri is celebrated on the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Phalgun. In Kashmir we have maintained the ritual of Vatuk-puja, along with the worship of Shiva and Shakti on this day. A historical episode reflects the faith of Kashmiri Pandits in Shiv-ratri. It is said that Jabar Khan, the Pathan governor of Kashmir, forbade people to perform Vatak-puja in Phalgun and instead ordered them to celebrate it in July. Helplessly, people obeyed the order but to everyone's surprise (harath) it snowed on that day in July. Since then the people of Kashmir reacite, ''Jabar Janda-Haras awu Wandha" (Jabar the rag-man, winter came in July).
Lord Shiva is omnipotent and omnipresent, being beyond all emptiness, the primal source of all. He has five functions: evolution sustenance, involution, preservation and assimilation. Just as a seed evolves into a tree, and in due course of time involutes back to seed, likewise the universal divine Shakti, the energy aspect, has to return to the absolute transcendental rest (Parma Shiva state). An interpretation for the significance of Shiva-ratri may thus be the celebration of the union of Shiva and Shakti, also referred to as Shiva's marriage to Parvati. The 9th century Kashmiri saint-poet Utpaldeva describing Shiva-ratri wrote, "When the sun, the moon and all the other stars set at the same time, there arises the radiant night of Shiva spreading a splendor of its own."
The worship of Vatuka is dealt within several Tantric works. Vatuka, like Ganesha, has been described as a mind bom son of the Mother Goddess. He is the deity who saves his devotees from all sorts of misfortunes and calamities. When Kashmiri Pandits were driven out if the valley in the first half of the fifteenth century, a few families in the remote villages stayed back. It is speculated that these people may have started worship of Vatuka for their protection, the custom having been continued by others when they retumed to the valley in the later part of that century.
Kashmiri Pandits used to clebrate Shiv-ratri festival over a period of 23 days. First six days (hurye okdoh to hurye shayam) were devoted to cleaning of the house and buying puja articles. Next 2-3 days were the days for devotional prayers. Dyara daham was designated for giving presents to married daughters and newly weds. Gadkah and Vager bah were special days for the worship of Bhairavas. Herath truvah is the day for Shiva worship. Herath Kharch (gift of money) is given by the eldest person to all members of the family on the following day. Herath truvah is the day for lord Shiva's worship. On Doon mavas, the prasad of walnuts and rice cakes (tomala-chuut) are distributed, in past, this often continued until Tila ashtami. The latter day also marks the end of winter, and is celebrated by burning kangris and singing the chorus of 'ja-tun-tn'. On the social side, there used to be great joy all around. People wore new and their nicest clothes, and families would sit together and enjoy the game with sea shells.
Since a number of us have migrated to far off places, all over the world, it is rather diffucult to perform the Vatak-puja in the traditional way. However, we need to maintain the spirit of this, the most important festival of ours. Jotshi Prem Nath Shastriji has recently produced an audio tape for a relatively simple Vatak-puja together with a Mahimna Stotram. Offering and eating meat and fish on Shiv-ratri is stictly a Kashmiri Pandit ritual, probably to please 'Bhairavas'. However, there were people like Gurtus and Razdans, who observed strict vegetarinism during the Shiv-ratri festival. Most of us have given up the tradition of offering and eating meat on Shiv-ratri day.
One other practice was the celebration of salam on the day following Shiv-ratri. Muslim neighbors and friends used to visit us and wish happy Shivratri. People would also invite their relatives and friends for a sumptous dinner. Since for us the significance of this day is gone, we can either do away with it or at least call it by a different name.
AUM NAMAH SHIIVAYA
In writing this article, I have used information from articles written on this subject by Janki Nath Kaul Kamal, Balji Pandit, Sarwanand Kaul Premi, B.L. Khar and Swami Moti Lal.

 

Arti (Tiku) Kaul gave a superb performance of Kashmiri
and Hindi songs in Northern California, in June 1996.
 
 

My Kashmir

KANCHAN AUTAR MATTOO

Kanchan Autar Mattoo is pursuing his masters degree
in fine arts at the university of California (Irvine). She sits and waits for us,
along the whitest of white peaks.
She does not understand
why we destroy her land,
her children, her life.
She wishes to be at peace
with the ones she bore
from the depths of her womb.
No one god holds true happiness,
she cries.
Allow yourselves to be one with me.
For, I am she who you fight over.
For, I am she who hundreds have
died over.
For, I am she who has been abandoned.
For, I am Kashmir,
and I want my children back.
 

KOA east-coast camp participants. About 230 people attended
the 1996 camp held at Sunrise Resort in Connecticut.
 

Chinar-'Boiun' of Kashmir

by P.N. Wanchoo

Chinar,'Boiun' (Platanous Orientalis 'kashmiriana'), Plane tree, London Plane, Sycamore, etc. are the various species of platanous known to the world. In Kashmir, it is aboriginally known as 'Boiun', a word derived from the Sanskrit expression of 'Bawani', the Goddess who has been worshipped in Kashmir since time immemorial. The large hollow trunks of this tree have often been used as places of meditation and these trees are regarded as being sacred. For this reason, they are usually planted at places of worship. At many places of Hindu worship in the valley of Kashmir, chinar tree trunks are painted with red oxide (sendur) and a multicolored thread (nar-i-ivan) is tied around their trunks. The trees are irrigated with milk by worshipers. Chinar is also associated with 'Maej Bhawani'- Goddess Durga's shrines in Kashmir, such as in Tulamulla and Tikar (Kupawara district). Whether chinar is a native tree of Kashmir, or was imported from elsewhere, is unknown. Its mention is found in Kalhana's Rajtarangni (Raj VIII-2556-2706), being present in a shrine of Sharada in 'Saradavana'- in the upper Kishen ganga valley in north Kashmir. An earlier source, the 'Sarada Mahatmya', narrating the origin of tirtha and mentioning the various stages of pilgrim's routes reveals that at Ghausa - present day Goosu in Kupwara district of north Kashmir - a little grove of walnut trees and chinars existed by the side of Kamil river. Some foreign travelers, who traveled into the valley before amd after the Mougul era have made mention of the existence of chinar trees in the valley.
There is no doubt that chinar is a beautiful and a majestic tree in its finest form. As a child I have drawn much pleasure from climbing and hiding in the hollow trunks of manificient specimens that existed in the gardens, camping sites, and rural areas in Kashmir. I recall from my school days that the chinar with the largest circumference was about 400 years old, and existed at a camp site in Bejbehara. At the confluence of the river Indus and Jehlum (Vetesta) at Shadipur - also known as Priyag - a chinar tree has been known to be in existence for ages, and is used for immersion of ashes of the dead by Kashmiri Hindus.
The qualities, benefits, and experience of human relationship with this majestic tree symbilized its magnanimous and protective nature with that of the devine 'Mother Bhavni', and thus became known as Bouin in Kashmiri
One does not find any other species of chinar grow this large in size in other parts of the world, except in Kasmir. In general, chinar tree wood is heavy, hard and has a coarse grain. It is not much used for furniture making because of its heavy weight, and for the same reason it is used extensively for making butcher blocks and grain husking mortars (kanz and mouhals). While burning heat index (caloric value) of chinar wood is considered one of the highest, the shade of these trees in summer is the coolest and the healthiest. A walk over fallen dry chinar leaves makes a wonderful rustling and musical sound. Dry chinar leaves are burned to make light charcoal for use in the kangris.

Havan being performed at the east-coast camp.
 

YAGNOPAVIT CEREMONY - A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Rohit Wanchoo and Nishey Wanchoo

As the coming of age ceremony in the Hindu relegion, yagnopavit had many levels of meaning for me and my family. It not only represents an induction into the culture, but also is a show of responsibility and obligation. This sense of duty was nothing short of overwhelming. From this point onwards, we would have to provide our best efforts to be an ideal citizen at all times. We would now have to resist temptation and choose the right path, without exceptions. The reasons for our decisions could no longer be superficial, they now have to be concrete in principle and of steadfast morals. Before the ceremony itself, we had realized the magnitude of the experience of yagnopavit. We were aware of what was going on while sweat rolled off our folehead in front of blazing fire. But it was not until after the ceremony that we understood the ramifications of yagnopavit and the profound impact it would leave on our lives. It was not until after the ceremony that the emotions began to set in.
On May 19, 1996, it was a long day sitting at one spot in front of the havan fire. We shaved our heads as a mark of letting our egos depart. Later, we went around and asked for bhiksha. Earlier, we had celebrated manhdirat and devgon in prepration for the grand ceremony.
The day after the yagnopavit ceremony we felt different and, in some way, changed. We somehow felt lighter in our hearts and minds - not because of our shaven heads. We felt good about ourselves, even though we had not physically changed much, we felt transfonned. This poses a question "Was there really any difference in us?" We do not have any answers, but we know that we had crossed a landmark event in our lives. We do not know where it may lead us. We guess only time will tell.

 

The Sharda Peeth Rishi Model School at Battal Ballian camp is
fully operational, and will soon start computer classes.
 

Helping Our Own: KOA's Efforts In Refugee Rehabilitation

Forced and sudden exodus of our community from Kashmir in early l990 has been a very painful experience for all of us. Although they were able to escape from the cycle of deleberate and targetted violence against them, many of our unfortunate brothren had to seek shelter in the refugee camps in Jammu, Udhampur and elsewhere, and face enormous hardships in their individual and collective lives. In order to extend our helping hand to those in need and distress, KOA launched a number of projects. Six KOA sponsored projects currently in progress are:
l) KOA medical van and local volunteer physicians visit and treat patients in the refugee camps.
2) Nutrition and health maintenence program for about 150 children born in the camps is underway.
3) A school with four class rooms has been built in Udhampur.
4) Educational scholorships have been awarded for 55 students for higher technical education.
5) Financial-assistance is provided to persons affected with catestrophic illnesses for treatment.
6) Vocational training is provided to destitute women in the camps.
Young women receiving sewing training from qualified
teachers at Nagrota camp in Jammu.

Please Donate Generously to Help Young Kashmiri Students in Need. Contact Tej N. Koul

 

KOA medical van operated under the auspices of
Shriya Bhat Medical Mission.
 

Kashmiri Hindus and the Cast System

By Subhash Kak It is generally accepted that all Kashmiri Hindus belong to the same community or jati. Is that because they belong to a single cast or varna resulting from conversion of other casts to Islam? Or, does this represent a vatient of Hindu religion where the caste system does not exist?
Let me first deal with the designation Pandit that is applied to Kashmiri Hindus. According to Henny Sander in her book " The Kashmiri Pandits" (1988), this designation was requested by Jai Ram Bhan, a Kashmiri courtier in the Moughal court of Empror Muhammad Shah (1719-1749), and the request was granted. Apparently, before this period, both Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims were addressed as 'khuajah' in the Moughal court.

 

Some children of Mishriwalla camp, Jammu, gathered
for their medical check-up. Kashmiri Hindus call themselves 'Batta', which is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bhartri' meaning 'master'. Such an appellation may be a reflection of the community's self-image that emphasizes success and excellence, and it may not have any sociologic implications. Two subgroups that were considered separate are 'Buher' (Kashmiri for grocer) and 'Purib' (Kashmiri for easterner). It appears that these subgroupings, that have all but disappeared now, reflected the profession or business in the case of Buher, and an ancestry that could be traced to an immigrant from east India, in the case of Puribs, Kashmiri Hindus also have other names that indicate ancestry outside of India; for example, the name 'Turki'. The dominant philosophical and religious current in Kashmir is that of Shaivism. According to the texts of the Shaivites, all those who accept the (Shaivite) 'Kula Dharma' came to be known as 'Kauls', irrespective of their background.

An open-air school in Battal Ballian camp, Udhampur.
Sun or rain did not dampen the urge of these children to learn. The fact that Kashmiri Hinduism is universal does not mean that social inequality did not exist in Kashmir. Such inequalities reflect the social and political ideas of its times, and did not spring from any fundamental religious considerations. To return to the question: do Kashmiri Hindus have a cast system? The answer is an emphatic no. Kashmiris are brahmin in the sense of Brahma Purana, according to which, every human being desirous of knowledge is a brahmin.

KOA-Midwest region get-together camp.

Internet Jokes Russians space riders are called "cosmonauts', the American ones are called "astronauts";  what does one call a Kashmiri space rider? A tabakhnaut.

 

Participants at the mid-west region KOA camp held at
Indiana Dunes State Park, Indiana.
 

Greetings and Gripes

Ashok Raina Kashmiri Overseas Association is proud to bring you another edition of Miltsar. As you know, KOA publishes KPI newsletter as well as Miltsar. The newsletter is primarily meant for communicating news about our community, both here and in India, and is mailed to all Kashmiri Pandits in the United States. On the otherhand, Miltsar contains short articles and pictorial descriptions of events and is mailed to only paying members of KOA. Miltsar is designed to be a forum through which we can share our individual knowledge and expericnces of our religion and culture with the rest of the community. This issue of Miltsar also carries a summary of KOA accounts for the past five years.
It is both ironic and sad that inspite of my repeated requests to our membership for news and articles for Miltsar, the response has been very unethusiastic. I am, once again, appealing to all members of our community to take active interest in contributing to Miltsar. KOA Board and the Executive, along with the editor would welcome your comments and suggestions.

Simi Bhat performing an Indian classic dance at the
Southern California Shiv-ratri function.
 
 

Wishing you all a very happy New Year
and Shiv Ratri Mubarik

Kashmiri Overseas Association

Paradise Lost

The First Exodus (1389-1413)

The scheming wily and guily Shah Mir became the founder of the Muslim rule in Kashmir. By encouraging inter-marriages he poisoned and weakened the family life of the Kashmiri Hindus to the advantage of the Muslim minority as this tactics built a reliable and strong base/plinth for the propagation of Islam in Kashmir. By fraudulently getting Kota Rani, Bhatta Bhikshana and Bratta Autar murdered he removed forces of resistance from his way and became instrumental in letting Islam set its root deep in Kashmiri soil. The counselors of Kota Rani did not let her have tit for tat, following their ethos of non-violence, reverence for moral and ethical values.
Terrorised by Tamur the Lame - Syyid Mir Ali Hamdani along with 700 Sayyids, his followers, landed in Kashmir and drove a wide and deep wedge between the majority Hindus and minority Muslims. He dictated the Sultan Qutubud-Din to make the persecution and torture of the KPs a state policy. The code he prescribed for the sultan was a model of hatred, distrust, intolerance, bigotry and malignity against the KPs. He compelled the Sultan to officialise the presecution and massacre of KPs unless they embraced Islam. He is the architect of desecration and demolition of the Kalishree temple near Fatah Kadal in Srinagar and raising on its plinth a mosque known as Khanqah-i-Mulla. With his repressive and precautionary measures backed by state terrorism he achieved the conversion of 37,000 KPs to Islam during the latter two of his three visits. The Sayyids headed by Mir Ali Hamdani openly preached extermination of Hindu religion and Hindu politics from the soil of the Kashmir in order that Islam might flourish and get unshakably entrenched in their place. Following in his father's footsteps Mir Mohamad Hamdani urged Sultan Slkandar (1389-1413) notoriously known as the iconoclast (Sikandar but-shikan) to wipe out infidelity (Hindus) root and branch, from Kashmir and let not even a weed of it survive. The two reinforced by the rabid neo-convert Malik Saifudin unleashed a massive war against KPs with the target of genocide of this highly cul­tured people. Sikandar having pawned his soul to the Sayyids threw all norms of civilized Ilfe and tolerance to winds and issued an atrocious and barbaric Government decree or­dering the KPs to opt for conversion or exile, flight or death. They let loose the floodgates of a reign of terror on the KPs to pressurize them to embrace Islam. Sikander enjoyed and exulted in breaking down images of Hindu deities. No temple anywhere in the city town or village escaped paying the heavy toll. Numerous Hindus fled, numerous were converted and numerous were brutally killed. Many poisoned themselves. This marks the first ominous exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from their nativefair homes. It is this mass migration that occasioned the plight of KPs to the neighbouring regions of Kishtwar and Bhadarwah via SMITHAN pass and to various provinces of India via Batote (Bhatta wath, path of the Bhattas or Kashmiri Pandits).
In the wake of this damned decree of Sikandar, seven mounds of the sacred thread of the murdered Brahmans were burnt by Sikandar and all of their sacred books were thrown into the Dal Lake. The KPs numbering over one lakh were drowned in the Lake and were burned at a spot in the vicinity of Rainawari in Srinagar City known as Bhatta Mazar (The grave yard of the Bhattas, the KPs) beyond present day Jogilanker. According to the living memory of the KPs only eleven KP families stayed back in Kashmir, the rest, rather than abandoning the religion of their father's, chose to migrate leaving behind their beloved homes hearths, lands and everything, only to protect their religion and faith.
Jonraj, the contemporary historian draws a graphic picture of the traumatic experiences of the first exodus. Crowds of Hindus ran away in different directions through passes and bypasses. Their social life was totally disrupted, their life became miserable with hunger and fatigue. Many died in the scorching heat. Some disguised as Muslims roamed about the country searching for their distressed families. Hindus lolled out their tongues like dogs, looking for dog's morsel at every door. (Jonraj: Kings of Kashmir). Then the Sultan exclaimed proudly that he had succeeded in extermi­nating all traces of Hinduism from the valley by massacring the Hindus, by ravaging, looting and ransacking their prop­erties and more than most by kidnapping and raping there women folk. Jonraj laments the trampling of the Hindu ethos by the Yavanas (Muslims) whom he compares to locusts descending on and destroying a paddy field.

Kashmiri Overseas Association, Inc.

Promote, Preserve, and Protect – Kashmiri Pandit Ethnic & Socio-Cultural Heritage