Veerindar Patwari – A Mystic Urdu Writer
Kashmiri Pandits and Kayasths have contributed a lot to the development of Urdu language and literature. There is a galaxy of Kashmiri Pandits who have left their mark in Urdu literature, some were settled outside Kashmir like Pandit Daya Shankar Naseem, Ratan Nath Sarshar, Brij Narain Chakbast, Brijmohan Dattatreya Kaifi, Badri Nath Sudarshan and Anand Narayan Mulla while others remained rooted to their place of birth, the Kashmir valley, till the migration of the community due to militancy in 1990 like Prem Nath Pardesi, Prem Narh Dhar, Dr Brij Premi, Veerindar Patwari, Amar Malmohi, Deepak Kanwal, Deepak Budki, Ashok Patwari, Premi Romani etc. I have named just a few though the list runs in hundreds in both categories.
Veerindar Patwari is one of the most reputed contemporary Urdu writers who has written short stories, novelettes, stage and radio dramas, Tele-serials, Tele-dramas, documentaries and poetry in Urdu, Hindi and Kashmiri since 1965. He was born in Sopore, Kashmir on 11 September 1940 in a family where literature runs in everyone's veins. His father, Pandit Prem Nath Patwari, a school teacher with knowledge of Urdu, Persian, Hindi and English, used to write Urdu and Kashmiri poetry with pen name of 'Masroor Kashmiri'. Veerindar has two brothers, Dr Ashok Patwari and Rajinder Patwari both of whom write short stories in Urdu. Veerindar Patwari served as a Civil Engineer in State Government and ultimately retired as an Executive Engineer.
It was unfortunate that Veerindar Patwari had to witness the partition of the country at the age of seven which resulted in lot of turbulence in Kashmir besides the direct effects of Tribal invasion closer to his home. The State of Jammu and Kashmir, however, remained less affected compared to the rest of the country and the troubles settled down gradually. But that was not destined to be the end of the travails of his community. They had to face unsolicited terror threats and killings by militants and, as a result, leave the valley en masse and seek refuge in hotter regions across the country. As if that nightmare was not enough, Veerindar Patwari met an accident while driving his car and was completely maimed. He could neither move nor speak. To be frank it was his second birth. However, his courage did not desert him and he continued to write though very slowly. In one of his letters he wrote to me,” Yes, I can read and write, think and understand, the march of time is making me aware of of my age but the flight of imagination reassures me...that I exist, I...Veerindar Patwari.” Unfortunately, high doses of medication took toll of his energy and he felt exhausted with little effort thereafter. Coupled with migration and accident, another tragedy fell upon him as he lost his daughter in 2002. She was very dear to him and highly talented. She wanted to pursue singing as a career.
Veerindar Patwari has written more than 290 short Stories in Urdu which stand published in reputed magazines of the subcontinent, about 24 short stories in Kashmiri and 17 stories in English. Besides short stories, he has penned down 12 dramas in Urdu. The books published by Veerindar Patwari are: {Urdu Short Stories} (1) Farishte Khamosh Hain 1981, (2) Doosri Kiran 1986, (3) Bechain Lamhon Ka Tanha Safar 1988, (4) Awaz Sarghoshyon Ki 1994, (5) Ek Adhoori kahani 2002, (6) Ufaq 2003, (7) Dayere 2009, (8) Aflatoon Ke Daur Mein 2012, (9) Lalarukh 2013, (10) Naseh, (11) Tamashayi 2022; {Urdu Dramas} (1) Aakhri Din 1983, (2) Insaan 2006; {Hindi Novellette}Kab Bhor Hogi; {Kashmiri Short Stories} Alam; { English Short Stories} Whispers; and, {English Autobiography} I Am A Bhatta. Moreover, Meri Awaz Suno (Poems) is under print. For his creative works he has received many an award from various Urdu Academies and institutions and as many as seven M Phil scholars have written dissertation on his different books.
The short stories of Veerindar Patwari do not only focus on individual problems but also on collective problems of the society. As regards his personal misfortunes, he mentions them in his stories like accident he met, his physical handicap, death of his dear daughter and other personal experiences he had due to migration out of the valley. His treatment of human psychology too is worth emulating. One thing you find in his stories is that he is not detailed and explanatory in his diction. He remained under the influence of modernism for long and consequently uses metaphors and symbols in his writings. Since he is well versed in classical literature, cultural history and Hindu religion and aesthetics, he often uses the religious symbols which have deep meaning associated to them. He uses allegories from Panchtantra and Puranas to give subtlety to his stories. He often uses the mystical experiences that he came across in life, more so during the bad times and natural calamities befallen on him. Some of the common symbolic names and terms you come across in his stories are Shiva & Parvati, Kamdeva & Rati, Vishwamitra & Menaka, Vishnu, Sheshnag, Rakshasas etc. He even refers to Rustam, Sohrab and Afrasyab from Persian mythology. Many of his stories depict the meaning for which they stand eg. Vishav as Universe and Vasundhra as Earth in the story 'Gunah'. Though a modernist in his approach, he does not totally abandon descriptive narration and his stories carry an undercurrent of purposiveness and social message such as highlighting differences between Virtue and Vice or Action and Destiny which again is the influence of Hindu philosophy. Gautam Buddha's teachings seems to have made an everlasting impact on his mind. In many stories he has focused on problems faced by poor individually and collectively, menace of drinking, corruption and nepotism in administration and other social evils. In 'Karb' he has highlighted the effects of AIDS. In his stories female characters are either spiritually elated or become escapists. The women characters in the stories are full of love and compassion but wherever necessary they also revolt against the injustices done to them.
Being a Kashmiri, Patwari has a deep affection for his land of birth. In his stories he describes the beautiful ice-capped mountains, rumbling streams and brooks, serene blue lakes, animals commonly found in the valley like Hangul (stag), bears, migratory ducks etc. On social front, he has exposed the political and Contractor mafia existing in Kashmir which has denuded our forests. The Politicians also have been under his lens. More than anything else the happenings in 1990 which resulted in the valley coming under the grip of terrorism, forced migration of Kashmiri Pandit community due to rampant killings and continuous threats by militants, inaction by the then governments, plight of Kashmiri Pandits post migration besides the changes in political and social milieu of the whole country form the dominant theme of his short stories. His stories 'Meena Bazar' contain symbols like Human skeletons, skulls, bomb-shells; 'Saza' mentions Hangul, an animal facing extinction like Kashmiri Pandits and 'Khauf' which mentions Kutta, the canine animal. Some stories refer to the terrorism in Kashmir like 'Dastak' and 'Dushman'. Despite the description of horror as experienced by him, he remains an optimist and craves for the return of good old days and even uses the symbol 'Olive branch' for peace to come.
The plots of the stories are well knitted and leave a lasting impression on the reader. They often depict surrealistic tendencies of the author. In many of the stories he even raises questions for individual or collective conscience. In his story 'Saza' he is at a loss to understand why a son of the family with a history of patriotism and sacrifice takes refuge in terrorism. In 'Sang Choor' a serpent symbolically representing the evil is able to create a communal rift between two religious sects. The blind girl in 'Aik Adhoori Kahani' represents darkness, while the Ant and the Fly represent leader and the robber. Similarly Hangul points to the dwindling population and extinction of Kashmiri Pandits. His characters have both positive and negative traits but he backs only positive ones with conviction. In 'Qaidi' he says, “I felt for the first time that to be a good person you need not be a Hindu or a Muslim since every human being is a Satan. Satan is an evil force which creates wedge between a brother and a brother and for his evil design can sacrifice both.” A few stories are detective in nature as well.
The subjects of the stories are varied and are not repeated. These encompass topics like individual psychological aberrations, unsatisfied desires (Nakaam Khwahishein), daughter's love (Ek aur Eejad), dreams of an adopted child (Darpok), inscurity and escape (Jawab), Human base nature (Gunah), Miracle of destiny (Anjali Ki Kahani), Electra Complex (Aankhen), Child abuse (Sharm), Old age care (Robot), Communalism (Azab) etc. As regards style of the writer, he is direct, uses symbols profusely, and his language is simple. However, at times where the author uses the symbols from classics, they pose a problem to the reader who are generally not familiar with such symbols. The writer says his stories demand the style from him and he readily accepts that.
Last but not the least, I must confess that Veerindar Patwar has a style unique to him and in Urdu literature you may not find a copy of that. His love for Kashmir can be seen and felt from every word he writes despite the crippling effect of the accident he met many years ago. I wish him a long life and hope he keeps contributing whatever possible to the Urdu Literature.
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