DEWAN KHAN – BADIYAR BALA
After having an eventful weekend, I thought to shift your attention to Dewan Khan for the time being.
A luminary literary person that comes to my mind was not a frequent visitor to Dewan Khan but yes, he knew my father and our family very well and would Visit the place occasionally.
I am talking about none other than Prof. Rattan lal Shant who belongs to BADIYAR BALA. Presently he lives with his wife in “ Royal Palm” flats at Akhnoor Road after having shifted from Subhash Nagar,Jammu.
Sporting a trimmed grey beard , ever smiling , Prof. Shant is a well known and recognized Researcher, Dramatist, Short story writer, Poet, Translator, Editor and Critic.
His stories carry themes concerning Kashmiri Pandits pre and post migration. His stories reflect all dimensions of segregated, marginalized, isolated and
emotionally traumatized lives of people.
He is fluent in Hindi, Urdu, English and Kashmiri languages.I. So Prolific is his work that I do not know what to write on him and what not to write .
Prof. Shant’s short stories in Kashmiri include ,”Beyi Akh Doah”(Another Day),”Curfew”,”Haer”(Myna)
(Rupture) and many more. His “TSHEN” has won him Sahitya Academy award in the year 2007.
After 1990, he became a votary of Devnagri as script for Kashmiris who had to migrate out from kashmiri valley . According to him , this remains the only choice left to Pandits to preserve their Culture and tradition.
“ I do understand that without official support even Nastalique in Kashmir may someday be untenable and e-savvy generation may prefer Roman in case they let the language survive at all in face of the sweeping Urdu and English”(Excerpts from one of his interviews)
.
He has done quite a number of translations from and into Kashmiri, Hindi and English. Some of these are ;
”Poshimal”(Rasulmir), “Nundrishi”, “Awazon ke Arth”(D.N.Nadim), “Lalded”(Ved Rahi) besides dozens of others.
He is also a member of advisory committee of J&K Academy Of Art,Culture and Languages. He is a moving force behind “Sampriti”,which is an organisation of Painters, Artists and Writers.He is a friend, philosopher and Guru cum guide to a generation of writers that include Dr.Agnishekhar,
M.K.Santoshi, Kshema Koul and many more.
Prof. Shant is also associated with ,”Dialogue” which is a group of Artists and Writers. The group having members like Narinder Safaya Dr. Agnishekhar,Maharaj Santoshi, Prof.Arvind Gigoo, Dr. Ayaz Rasool Nazki, M.L.Saraf and Autar Mota and many more .
Prof.Rattan Lal Shant has not lost faith in the kashmiri Pandits honourable return to Kashmir . In one of his Interviews to Sh Rajindra razdan He informs ;
“Today, even keeping the flame of hope to return and live as before in our valley ,burning is an uphill task. I see the flame getting bright or dim, the
desire to return becoming intense or weak with changing weather and politics. I am conscious of the fact that our young studying, marrying or settling
far away from their parents may lose interest in Kashmir………………So far as writers are concerned, they only reflect people’s ( as well as their own)aspirations with honesty and fearlessness”
My best wishes for his long life and good health .
( Sudesh Raina )
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