Vijay Wali
Pandit Dina Nath Koul’Nadim’ needs no introduction in literary circle of the state. An illustrious son of the soil he was not only a reputed poet, honored with prestigious awards like Sahitya Academy Award and Soviet Law Nehru Award, but was thinker ahead of his times, a trend setter short story writer and a great Dramatist too.
Born in 1916 in a middle class Kashmiri Pandit family living at Shashiyar, Habba Kadal Srinagar, he lost his father at an early age of eight only, but with whole hearted support of his mother and despite all odds he studied up to B.Ed to be a Bachelor of Education.
During 1930’s when Nadim touched prime of his youth, the Independence struggle of India was in it’s final stages. Young and conscious mind of Nadim was observing the common people suffering under the grind of Imperialism and monarchy, gave birth to his poetic expressions. As usual, Nadim was also influenced by poets of national repute and started writing preliminarily in Hindi language, but ultimately found that he could express himself better in his mother tongue and started writing in Kashmiri.
Because of sheer force of his vocabulary and strong emotional content representing thoughts of common masses, Nadim soon gained recognition amongst the literary circles as well as common masses.
Nadim kept writing about the beauty of nature and also turbulence of Independence struggle of the country. He beautifully blended the metaphors of the folk lore and the issues facing common masses. It is said, when the famous legendary poet of Kashmir, Gulam Ahmad Mehjoor was asked that whom he finds competent of carrying forward the legacy of popular poetry, he promptly pointed to a young man, who was none other than Dina Nath Nadim.
Nadim’s poetry, a mile stone in Kashmiri poetics, carries in it the ancient cultural legacy of Kashmir. He was also a trend setter in many other genres of Kashmir literature. Apart from being a poet of repute, he was a short writer also. His short story entitled “Lakhachi” based on innocent human emotions was first of its kind which opened the arena of short story writing in Kashmir language along with another of his short stories “Jwabi Card” are considered to be master piece of Kashmir literature.
Dina Nath Nadim was bestowed with a fine dramatic sense also. His two famous operas”Bombur Yemberzal” and “Vitasta” have since become great classics. His operas are based on common beliefs and ancient cultural ethics of Kashmiri people, while as “Bombur Yemberzal” the first opera of Kashmiri language, also foundation block and mile stone of rich and standard dramatics of Kashmir, is a romantic story of Bumble Bee and Necrosis. “Vitasta” or “Vyeth” is a poetic representation of travel of great river Vitasta through the valley of Kashmir. Both operas became instant hits because they touched the finer chord of the audiences.
His characters wore vibrant colors as he metamorphed nature in characters like Bombur, the Bumble Bee and Yemburzal, the narcosis, and narrated a love story of theirs. With his active guidance the opera proved to be a classic entertainer. The rhythmic verses of this cultural extravagenza have become part of the folk lore now.
Vitasta is another of his master pieces. The story of the famous river’s passage and travel through valley is the subject matter ornamented with hues and colors of nature, lakes, rivers, mountains, brooks who form the character of the narrative.
These operas and the songs are so popular that a song of “Bombur Yembarzal” found its way to Bollywood in shape of “Bombro Bombro” number of feature film “Mission Kashmir”. Another of his songs from opera “Vitasta” stands immortalized with content as ‘Vyeth aayi Mahreni Sonuye”
“The mountain peaks have started cradling light in their lap,
Vitasta, the bridge has come to us.
Wuller and Neelnag lakes have met,
Flowers of love are blooming.
After a long time the moon is free of eclipse.
Vitasta, the bride has come to us.”
Nadim was an optimistic poet, despite all the trouble of times; he had a clear vision of bright future. Hope and rightful aspirations were his main focal points.
“I have the hope of tomorrow
Tomorrow the world will shine.
In the light of day the gardens and flowers will bloom.
Earth will lighten up and so will the greenery.
In heart the fountains of love will flourish
Tomorrow the world will shine.”
Nadim was a great patriot who as an alert solider on the literary front, confronted enemy’s invasions, wherever they occurred, for example reacting to Pakistani misadventures. He promptly raised his voice, which became a guiding force for the people to defeat nefarious designs of enemy initially. The reaction coming deep from his heart was too strong to be overlooked and charged the masses with positive energy of unity and strength.
“I will not sing today,
Of flowers, nightingales and lilies
And sedative
Melodious,
Intoxicating
Sweet song,
I will not sing any such song
Because, today the dust of war is hiding faces of lilies
And clouds of smoke chocking the voice of nightingale
Flowers bound by crinkling chains
Eyes of lightening muffled by fog.
The hills and mountains hiding.
Black clouds engulfing peaks.
I will not sing today.”
The sheer power of his narrative made one to think and ponder over the thoughts contained in his poetry. Pandit Dina Nath Nadim not only carried on the legacy of traditional poetry of the region but also experimented successfully with new and foreign genres like’ sonnet’ and’ haiku’ from English and Japanese literature. These new forms became an instant hit, because of his thought and content, based on popular folk ethics, common concerns and familiar vocabulary.
The greatest quality of Pandit Dina Nath Koul Nadim, as a poet was, his mastery over illustration, scenic representation of the story with forceful dramatics. Nadim was a master craftsman of “Samakari”, the visualization or picturization, which provides a listener a passage to have a, near possible to access to actual feeling of the content. One of his free verse poems stand as testimony to his great acumen. In fact Pandit Dina Nath Nadim has been a trend setter in the field of writing free verse in Kashmiri language. Before him Kashmiri literature had a long history of Sufi poetry influenced by Persian poetry. Those who appeared in between, either imitated or followed Persian Poets, or tried to copy famous Urdu Gazalists of the subcontinent. Pandit Dina Nath Nadim was the first literary figure who had the unique potential of writing free verse which had a rhythm of its own and never lagged behind the formatted verses or Gazals or Songs in creating a systematic rhythmic order, which is a specialty of traditional poetry. Nadim had the art of repeating certain words in same line to create required emphasis, important for transmitting essence of the thought. One of the poems penned by him shows his great mastery of creating a realistic screenplay of the atmosphere of the poem.
“Blooming almond blossoms
People all over
From the electric wires
Where did go
The flock of birds
The rush of festivities
A sunny day
Lap full of baked soya beans
Warm warm
A tree of toy windmills of paper
Festivals of colors
Innocent wishes subdued
“You seem very warm ”
Whistle for a paisa
I want one
“You are warm”
Wait to drink water
Toy horse of pottery broke,
Would like to have another one?
“Your face has turned red”
You don’t seem well
You seem tired…………..”
Nadim used his words meticulously but never shrieked from repeating a word as many times in same line to enhance the effect. Pandit Dina Nath Nadim along with with Rehman Rahi and Amin Kamil was the founder of many foras for preservation of literature. Nadim was amongst first literary personalities instrumental in forming the local unit of Progressive Writers Association during literary revolution that followed independence of the country.
It is said that Nadim had a left bent of mind, but in fact, he was humanist who was pained at suffering of the masses .A study of his creative works reveals, that he is more concerned about his own country and people along with being fascinated by beautiful nature .Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Tagore and all national personalities can be readily found in his poems,as he has dedicated some of his poems to Palestine also.
Nadim was a poet of masses; he dedicated poems to great revered Rishis like Nund Rishi thus reiterating his faith in secular traditions of the country.
It’s true that Nadim wrote aggressive poems on atrocities by then rulers, social imbalance and in support of down trodden, but was always connected to the ground and traditional ethos. Dina Nath Nadim breathed his last breath on 08 April 1988 but his works have immortalized him for ages to come.
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