Community Mourn Padamashree Jagan Nath Kaul’s Loss

Kashmiri Samiti Delhi held a meeting to condole the demise of revered Padmashree J.N. Kaul who attained nirvana on December 16. President of the Samiti, Dr. L.N. Dhar, presided. Speakers at the meeting said that Shri Kaul was an institution in himself. He was instrumental in strengthening many institutions of the KP biradari and of the deprived sections of society. He, also, set new institutions to help the needy.

Speakers remarked that as a young man Shri Kaul had a choice to either work as a government officer with power and luxury or work, among the destitutes, in uncomfortable conditions. He chose the latter. In that task he had to work hard and in inconvenient conditions and circumstances. Yet these difficult tasks gave him a sense of satisfaction. His actions were of the nishkam type. He did not run for pelf or power. He worked for removing the sufferings of the suffering humanity.

Shri Kaul was full of humility. He presented an example to others of how to increase this sense of humility. In one case an orphan child had developed cold and had a running nose which needed to be cleaned. No cloth or paper was available to clean the child. He cleaned that running nose with his own fingers. The workers in the institution got a practical lesson from that act.

Shri Kaul was social, sympathetic and religious. He helped set up institutions where Kashmiri Pandits can pray in their traditional manner. He was instrumental in setting up training centres for those KP boys and girls whose parents could not afford expenses of training institutions. Kashmiriat was running in his views. He helped to promote this sense by organising dance, drama and poetry programmes.

Kashmiri Pandits lost in him a father figure Orphans are mourning Papaji's absence,

Condolence Meetings

Meetings were held at several other places to mourn the loss of Shri Kaul.

K.E.C.S.S.

A meeting was held on December 21, at public school Hall in Pamposh Enclave, under the auspices of Kashmir Education, Culture and Science Society. A large number of residents of Pamposh Enclave, members of the KECSS, residents from neighbouring areas and representatives of AIKS and KSD participated.

Among those who participated and expressed their profound grief on the sad demise were the S/Shri Dr. S.N. Kaul, Prof. B.B. Dhar, L.C. Kaul, A.N. Kaul Sahib, Dr. Romesh Raina, M.L. Kachroo, Arun Shalia, H.L. Wangnoo, Neena Gulabani, Justice VK. Shali, A.K. Jalla, M.K. Kaw, Surrinder Kher.

References were made to various achievements of Shri Kaul, who was a doyen in the field of child-care It was stated that the passing away of Shri Kaul was a great loss to the nation in general and to thousands of homeless children in particular, who fondly called him 'Papaji'.

It was stated that Shri Kaul had rendered valuable public service to the displaced tiny minority of Kashmiris, called Kashmiri Pandits, which was forced to leave its homes and hearths in 1990 by terrorist fundamentalists trained and armed by Pakistan. As a member and subsequently as President of All India Kashmiri Samaj, Shri Kaul and his co-workers undertook a number of self-help programmes and projects, including financial assistance to displaced boys and girls for pursuing school/college education courses. Technical and professional courses, were initiated, besides financial assistance extended to helpless persons, widows and indigent displaced persons. Besides, steps were taken to set up working women's hostels in Noida, community centres in migrant camps, apart from providing computer training courses at the SOS village in Faridabad.

After mutual discussion, the following suggestions emerged.

(1) Ways and means should be considered to get a commemorative postal stamp issued by the concerned authorities (11) In association and collaboration with other KP organisations, a seminar be organised, under the auspices of K.E CSS on the life and work of Shri J.N.Kaul (1) A statue be installed in respectful memory of Shri Kaul, in the premises of KECSS, Lalded Community Centre, Pamposh Enclave, New Delhi. Shri Kaul was the President of the K.E.S.S at the time of his passing away.

Pushkar Ashram

A meeting was held on December 18 at Shri Pushkar Swami Seva Ashram, Najafgarh, New Delhi. Speakers at the meeting said that Shri Kaul was a karmayogi and a gentleman par excellence who worked for the socio economic upliftment of the Kashmiri Pandit community. He was a positive thinker who put every word into action with his unflinching devotion and perseverance. He was one among the few who was not deterred by the turmoil in which our community was placed due to the migration.

Panun Kashmir

Panun Kashmir family worldwide mourned the sad demise of Shri J.N. Kaul, a great patron of the community in exile. In NCR, Delhi Shri Ramesh Manvati, Sr. activist lead the organisation in paying tributes to the departed soul at the time of cremation on 16th December. Later Dr. Agnishekhar convenor accompanied by Sr. activists including Shri Sanjay Moza paid a visit to the bereaved family to express deep condolences It may be recalled that Papaji as Late Shri JN Kaul was affectionately addressed by thousands of his admirers, had been nominated couple of months earlier for the community's prestigious honour, Sharda Samman'-now being presented posthumously during the upcoming 3rd World Kashmiri Pandit Conference to be held in Jammu on 11 & 12th April 2009.

NOIDA Association

Kashmiri Migrants Welfare Association, Noida, held a prayer meeting on December 16 at its Centre in Sector-34, Noida. Besides Shanti Path, it was prayed that peace be granted to Shri Kaul's soul. And, may God give strength to his family to overcome the loss.

The speakers said that Papaji was a karama yogi, a man with a positive outlook, who imbibed life to the community, especially after the 1990 exodus. Besides establishing SOS villages in India and South Asia for the destitute children, Padmashri Kaul set a benchmark in social service that can be surpassed very rarely.

Shri Ravi Kaw writes: Padmashri J.N.Kaul was married at a young age. They used to marry sons at a young age those days. He went on to finish college and got a nice job with the Social Welfare Ministry in Delhi. The Government sponsored his master's degree in USA also. On his return he went back to becoming a babu. This bothered him immensely. He was wasting his talent sitting in an office instead of helping the needy. As luck would have it, a visiting European met him and asked him if he would be interested in doing some field work. The young man jumped at the chance and resigned from his job. Thus Shri Kaul started SOS Children's Villages in India and the rest is history.

This man of immense spiritual longing found his calling in giving dignity to orphans and destitute women. His work has lit many hearts and set an example of an exceptionally dedicated life for us to learn from. The method he adopted uses small houses that combine a 'mother' with some 'children' and set up a near normal household in a small two-bedroom house made by the SOS. This method has been duplicated all over the world. There are two key lessons to be learned from the life of Shri. Kaul. First, that one should work in a field that is in line with one's basic tendencies. The second lesson is to remember that human life is difficult to achieve. It is said that human life is a result of satwik actions done over several life times and that this happens after millions of lives lived in lower species. Having won this birth its purpose is to rise above to "realise that I am Consciousness itself. Not attempting to do this in human life amounts to wasting another janma. This effort must begin with selfless dedicated activity as Shri Kaul did. In retirement most of the time should be spent in naama-sumaran. The flower will blossom slowly-and then one day a bee (Guru) will come to pollinate your spiritual heart. That is the celestial promise! Our job is to open our hearts the rest happens. That is the second lesson of Shri Kaul's life. A third lesson I learned from Shri Kaul is stop worrying. It gets you nowhere. Thus I salute Shri J.N.Kaul (papaji) for a life of inspiration!!!

(The writer lives in California, USA)

RWA Gayatri Society

Resident Welfare Association of Gayatri Housing Society, Sector-45, Faridabad held a condolence meeting at the Office Premises of the society. Speakers at the meeting said that Shri J.N. Kaul was a karmayogi and a gentleman of par-excellence who worked for social upliftment of the K.P. Community, particularly his contribution for building the three K.P. Housing Societies. A two minute silence was observed and it was prayed that the noble soul may rest in peace.

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Courtesy: January 2009, Koshur Samachar