Adarsh Ajit
‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’
Today is Prem Nath Bhat’s martyrdom day. Born in 1932 in a middle class family, Prem Nath Bhat was silenced forever in the afternoon of 27 December 1989 at 3.45 pm. No one knows his faults for which he was gunned down. Nevertheless, if being Indian by heart and soul, working for all the communities, being secular, highlighting the problems of the community one belongs to, helping the poor secretly, being intelligent in one’s profession and being a bold journalist and giving warning signals to the Government of India about the actual situation on the ground are faults, then any true karmayogi would like to see Bhat’s faults as a lighthouse in these dark times and would follow his footprints.
Prem Nath Bhat’s soul would be receiving fragrant as well as thorny touches. Aromatic because the principles and ideas for which he laid down his life are being put into action by the present central dispensation. His idea of patriotism is being felt with new perfume. The stretching wings of militancy and separatism are being cut to size. The dream of total annexation of the state with India is becoming a truth. Thorny as nothing is being done for meeting the demands of Kashmiri Hindus especially their demand pertaining to their faith. Prem Nath Bhat in his articles had many times raised his voice on the desecration and encroachment of the temples and shrines of Kashmir going on from time to time. During the last thirty years, many Kashmiri Pandit temples and shrines were desecrated or encroached upon. For the remedial measures, Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust is going from post to pillar. Temples and shrines are life to a community. Soon after black dot of mass exodus, Kashmiri Pandits are delinked from their symbols of faith. And the surprise is that even after the formation of union territory of Jammu and Kashmir authorities at the helm of affairs turn blind eye to the demand of the passage of Temples and Shrine Bill. By doing a favour the Government would have boosted the morale of the Pandits and in turn giving solace to the departed soul of Prem Nath Bhat.
Bhat Sahab’s Tenth Day Kriya gave a torturing blow to the sensitive minds. His sons’ heads were tonsured by ‘blades’ (only meant for shaving purposes). Partially, it can be understood. New winds with murderous assaults were blowing those days. But, forgetting the martyrdom of a man who fought the war of patriotism, nationalism, socio-religiosity is agonisingly undigested and unaccepted. There is no one in India who can teach Kashmiri Pandits the lesson of patriotism and nationalism as they have lived, are living, and will go on living patriotism and nationalism themselves. They are the moving entities of nationalism and patriotism walking on the roads of India or outside, wherever they are. Nevertheless, the souls of Prem Nath Bhat and others would be receiving slashes on witnessing the use of Kashmiri Pandits like a football when and where they are needed for the establishments to rebut or counter the negative tendencies being exercised on the screen of Kashmir at national as well as international level. We owe many things to the martyrs without doing cheap politics. Without commenting anything on the return of Kashmiri Pandits, we dare to ask the establishments what is wrong in the clamour of the passage of Kashmiri Hindu and Shrines Bill when other communities are allowed to ply on such tracks. Cannot the men at the helm of affairs soothe the nerves of the martyrs? Does not Government owe responsibility to fulfil this demand? After all, why this right is being denied to them? If you have the courage to abrogate Article 370 and 35 A, if you can give decision on Ram Mandir, If you can reorganise Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, if you can open Kartarpur corridor, then why you cannot grant Temples and Shrines Bill/Act/Ordinance whatever in favour of Kashmiri Pandits?
The late Prem Nath Bhat worked tirelessly for the unity but at times felt gloomy on seeing the strewn sketch of Kashmiri Pandit community. He criticized the community members for leg pulling and mutual rivalry in his articles. He had advised for establishment of small centres for collective Sadhna to sit together, walk, and talk together. Nevertheless, this microscopic community did not learn to behave as a cohesive unit even in exile. To the surprise, even they are divided on celebrating their iconic religious days not to speak of political unison. This is the biggest prick the souls of the late Bhat Sahab and other martyrs would be getting.
Today Kashmiri Pandits are observing the martyrdom of Prem Nath Bhat in Abhinav Theatre and community speaker would be highlighting the problems of the community with the pivotal thrust on the passage of Temples and Shrines Bill before any Chief Guest. They have been observing/exercising this prescribed format for a long time now. If we cross-section ourselves then we draw conclusion that such days stand restricted merely within a custom functions. No demand highlighted so far by the Pandits has been met not even looking into the day-to-day problems, not to speak of their prime and focussed clamour. But yes ‘struggle’ is in the nature of Pandits since centuries and Prem Nath Bhat was a powerhouse of struggle. This legacy is going on, as struggle is the crown of manhood and glory of faith. ‘Bound by your own karma born of your nature, that which from delusion you wish not to do, even that you shall do helplessly against your will, O Kaunteya,’ says Lord Krishna in Gita in Sloka 60, Chapter 18.
If Prem Nath Bhat had exerted for himself he would have been in a big political cabin. However, he was meant for the society. His karmas were focussed towards his nation and his community. He was a philanthropist and a social leader as well. He often condemned community’s flaws, gave suggestions for their corrective purposes, and worked on these. Today the youth of the Kashmiri Pandit community, despite facing hammers from every side, have excelled and are excelling in every department of life. They have made us a proud community. But it is also true that community as a socio-religious cohesive unit stands at the cross roads. Grave social evils have venomously crept into the community’s socio-religious fabric. Everybody knows about these negativities of the community but nothing is being done. Though some negative trends are global that injure the health and identity of a community, but being a minuscule community, we cannot afford to watch merely going the situation out of hands. Things have dangerously posed a threat to the status of the community for which it was/is known. No doubt, there are scores of Kashmiri Pandit scholars, political and religious leaders etc but the community is in awful need of a social reformer /social leader. None has emerged so far. However, some are soothing the nerves of poor, downtrodden, and ailing Pandits. Nurturing big dreams is all okay but while chasing the full-size destinations we must also look behind and see the existential status of the community. This is the day when Pandits should do post-mortem, deep self-appraisal, and self-introspection for plugging up the loopholes. It is better late than never. That would be the best homage to the late Prem Nath Bhat. He was a rock to look into multi-dimensional issues of the community.
Nothing is wasted, nothing is in vain. The seas roll over but the rocks remain.
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