"Reshi Va'ur"     

L C Kaul  

A Kashmiri play "Reshi-Vaur" was staged at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi, on 18th and 19th February, 1995. The play was sponsored by All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), New Delhi.

Background and profile of 'Reshi-Vaur' is that Kashmir (Resh-Vaer, the abode of saints and once heaven on earth) has turned into a hell as a result of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, forcing over 60,000 peace-loving, educated and cultured families (comprising over 3 lakh men, women and children, young, old, sick and infirm) out of their hearths and homes, displaced and dispossessed, rendered destitute and shelterless refugees in their own country and deprived of their human rights. Those unfortunate ones are now passing their days and nights under sub- human conditions, in tattered tents and one-room pigeon-hole tenements, mostly in Jammu camps and in other parts of the country, for the last over 5 years.

Shri R.K. Braroo, a renowned artist from Kashmir, is the writer-director of the play 'Resh-Va'ur'. The play is based on the message of universal love and humanism as preached by Lal Ded and Sheikh Nurudin. It is pertinent to recall that while Lal Ded, the famous hermitess, laid the basic principles of homogeneous culture and secular traditions in her sayings, Lalla Vakyani, Sheikh Nurudin (popularly known as Sheikhul-Alam to Muslims and Nund Rishi to Kashmiri Pandits), the illustrious disciple of Lal Ded, and later the disciples of Nund Rishi founded the order of Rishis in the valley which was based on an amalgam of Kashmir Shaivism and Islamic Sufism. The order of Rishis had in it members from amongst Hindus and Muslims.

nfortunately the valley has been ravaged by heinous crimes of terrorist fundamentalists, trained and armed by Pakistan. The path of understanding and love to fellow beings, shown by the great Rishis, has been replaced by bloodshed, arson, loot and plunder. The peace-loving community has been banished from their age-old homes and hearths. The community is in distress, passing through the darkest period in its 5000 year long history.

How long are we to be mute witness to all that has happened to us and to our abode ? How can we save this situation of prolonged death and destruction? Response to human sufferings must be met by feelings of love and compassion. The present phase should lead us to seek strength from the path of understanding and love to fellow beings, shown to us by our great Rishis. Many initiatives at many levels are the need of the hour to cultivate strength and sense of confidence in us. Reshi-Va'ur is an attempt in this direction and reminds us as to what has happened to this abode of Rishis.

Apart from security forces' campaign to combat militancy in the valley and Govt.'s efforts at initiating the electoral process so as to ensure restoration of popular rule, there is paramount need to stress Kashmiri ethos and philosophy of Lal Ded and Nund Rishi. Even though staging of 'Resh- Va'ur' has evoked sharp and critical reactions, from some quarters, it has earned praise from members of the community who believe in the rich and precious heritage of 'Kashmiriyat' to put an end to fundamentalism, and in the words of Pt. P.N. Haksar, even in one corner of our country, namely the valley of Kashmir, we can boast about a common heritage represented by Rajtarangini and Sufiana Kalam'.

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Courtesy:- L.C. Kaul and April-May 1995 Koshur Samachar