A CHANCE MEETING WITH SH. N.D. JAMWAL

Last week Sh.O.P.Sharma
had sent me an invitation
to the painting exhibition
organised by "Jammu and
Kashmir Centre For Creative
Arts " (JKCCA). Mr. Sharma
is the Director. Jammu Kala
Kendra was the venue for
the exhibition to be opened
at 4 pm on 8th April, 2017.

Yesterday morning during our
telecon, Sh.Triloke Koul asked
me whether I would come to
Kala Kendra. I said that I shall
definitely come to meet him.

I reached on time, yesterday
at 4 p.m and I was pleased to
meet personalities and great
artists like Sh.Triloke Koul,
Sh.Gokal Dembi and Sh.Narsingh
Dev Jamwal. After greetings
and exchanging pleasantries,
I sat besides Jamwal Sahab
whom I saw after ages. I had
long time back seen him when
we used to live in Khilone Wali
Gali near his residence. During
our tete-a-tete Sh.N.D.Jamwal
told me;

" I have shifted from that house
long back. Now I live close to
nature in my native place. It
is not too far , on the Akhnoor
Road, much before Dhoomi.
It is a nice peaceful place on
an elevation.
The days in the city were different.
I was active with my "Friends Club"
where alongwith Preduman ji and
others we were doing lot of
theatrical activities. Times have
changed now. I am on the wrong
side of age, energy levels have
declined and I am on a pace maker.
But before saying good bye to
this world, I will certainly do an
exhibition of my works which I
have been doing over quite some
time now.

I am pleased to know that you are
doing something meaningful. We
shall talk and discuss in details.
Note down my land line and cell
number ( I promptly noted down)
and come over for a chat.

Ab woh din kahan rahe ! (gone are
the days) when your father Mohan
ji, Bhat Sahab, Kachru Sahab and
Parimu Sahab dominated the
scene by their contributions. I
believe that in this entire region,
Kashmir was a step ahead of
others in pre independence era
as well as post independence era
in terms of art and literary activities.
Your grand father, Pt.Shiv Nath
Raina and his contemporaries.
Your father, Mohan Raina ji. Look
at his figurative work, the portraits
done by him and come to his
landscapes. Look at the "Chinars"
and "Autmn"in his landscapes.
Sometimes, I think that ,Chinar
was Mohan ji's favourite . I have
seen his so many landscapes with
the Chinar and yet each different
from the other.

Unfortunately in our country not
much has been done and is not
being done to promote art because
the institutions which were created
to promote it are busy in organising
some " mushairas", lighting lamps
by dignitaries and doing ,Wah, Wah.

No one has done a real study or
research in the history of art and
painting in our state. A few who
have written is distorted to suit
their own interests. I don't find any
substance in most of them.
Sharma Sahab(JKCCA) at least
is doing praise worthy activity
to promote art by organising such
activities.
Be in touch and call me before
you come over to my place "

With this I pay my regards and
take his leave.

Sh. Narsingh Dev Jamwal is a
veteran and prolific Dogri writer.
He is an accomplished poet, critic,
playwright, sculptor and a painter.
He holds a special and a prominent
Place for his contribution in the
development of theatre and
literature in Dogri language.
Sh.N.D.Jamwal is a Sahitya
Academy Award winner --1978
for his novel "SANJHI DHARTI
BAKHLE MAHNU ".The novel is
written in Dogri.

I wish Mr.Jamwal a long, healthy
and eventful life.

( Sudesh Raina )