UL 13 EdM-KS-0109  2006 Editor's Mail Koshur Samachar

Shailja Bhardwaj Ambardar  on Gross distortion by NCERT

You will be aware of NCERT's move to bring post- independence events into the classroom such as Gujarat riots, Ayodhya incident, anti Sikh carnage etc. Ayodhya and the Gujarat riots will be part of the chapter called Recent issues and Challenges, while 1984 anti-Sikh killings will appear in the chapter on regional aspirations and conflicts. The chapter on Gujarat riots is said to have an overview of the incident and the large-scale killing of "people of a particular community". The point. To be noted is that the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits, in Kashmir, which subsequently led to their mass exodus in 1990 has not found its deserving place in the books. The mass exodus of the 3.5 lacs Kashmiri Pandits was not only a brutal incident in the history of India but also a major incident in the world history. Never has this world witnessed such a mass exodus of any community. I feel that this incident of international importance should get its deserving place in the political and historical spheres of the world. The treatment of Pandits as pariahs, by the historians and NCERT amounts to defaming their sacrifices. It is shameful for the modern historians and NCERT that the mass exodus and plight of a whole race occurring in 21st century has not been documented.

Shailja Bhardwaj Ambardar

Reader, Hindi Deptt, Faculty of Arts, MS University, Baroda

S.N. Gurkha on the Clarification

It gave me pleasure to go through the article - A Tribute - End of an Era by K Surender. The

tributes paid by the learned writer Sh. K. Surender are upto mark and worth reading. But the writer has displayed ignorance of some facts about Razdan family. As being a senior member of Razdan family, I want to clarify some points. The writer has said that late Sh. Shyam Lal Razdan had inherited the art of Kitabat from his father late Shri. Kanthjoo Razdan, which is absolutely wrong and incorrect. The reality is that the late Sh. Kanthjoo Razdan was an official in the Excise department of his Highness Govt. and after his retirement he started his own business at Rajori- Kaddal, Srinagar. Late Shyam Lal Razdan after completing his education joined his hands with this business. After returning from Lahore, his business collapsed. Sh. Shyam Lal Razdan became unemployed. But after this setback he embarked upon to learn the art of calligraphy (Kitabat) and got his apprenticeship under the versatile guidance of his elder brother, late Shri Kash Nath Razdan, who retired as a Head Katib Govt. Press Srinagar. It is pertinent to write here that I have also learnt the art of Kitabat (calligraphy) from my elder brother, late Kashi Nath Razdan who was a reputed Katib (calligrapher) in Northern India.

S.N. Gurkha

Editor-in-Chief, Weekly "JANAT-E-KASHMIR

J L Ganjoo on Preserving Culture

In the columns of Hindustan Times, dated the 2nd August, 2006. I had some interesting lines to read. These are reproduced herein "Raisina Bengali School on the same road is not very different. In 1925, behind the Wellington hospital (Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for the uninitiated), a few bureaucrats, who had just moved in from Calcutta, gathered their children and started a small school. The aim was their children could learn Bengali culture. But here we are, doing little to promote our culture, our customs and our language etc., except building a few Ashrams and places of worship, which will least help us to keep our identity distinct from other groups or sects. It is also suggested that to keep our Kashmiri identity separate and alive, we begin to address our community members, even in private communication, as PANDIT as was our custom. That would not belittle little out status, reputation or dignity, but instead provide it more glamour and make it more dignified. Let us do a serious thinking and begin to initiate some constructive steps towards this noble cause of preserving our culture, our customs and our language. We could, thereby, carry forward the glorious work done by our forefathers, in the field of art and culture.

J.L. Ganjoo Mayur Vihar, Delhi

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Courtesy:  September 2006, Koshur Samachar