WELL KNOWN URDU WRITER KRISHEN CHANDER WANTED TO DIE IN POONCH

                                                                              

Salma Siddiqui

(Photo by Dr Liaqat Jafri Mumbai 2014)

My thanks to Prof. Liaqat Jafri from Jammu for giving me three issues of Urdu Magazine BE-LAAG.My interest in the Magazine is the lovely literary articles that Dr Liaqat Jafri writes in his capacity as Editor Gosha e Adab ( Editor Literary segment)

Read 2 issues only. One with a detailed interview of poet Nida Fazili and the September 2015 issue that has a wonderful interview of Salma Siddiiqui wife renowned Urdu writer late Krishen Chander(1914-1977). Both interviews done by Dr Jafri personally.

Kashmir comes up repeatedly in Krishen Chander's work. But he brings Poonch , Bafliaz and other areas also  in his stories . In fact he was born and brought up in Poonch  and wanted to die peacefully in his birth place..

As per his will , After his death in 1977 , A part of his  Ashes  ( Astiyaan ) were immersed in Poonch river with due official arrangements . As a matter of fact Wajahat Habib Ullah ( IAS ) , the then DC of the town  personally carried the Kalash of the Ashes for immersion in river Poonch . Again as per his will, a portion of his Ashes was  Buried inside the Fountain Garden in Poonch  town that has now been renamed as krishen Chander Park.

                                                               

          ( First page  of the Article by Dr Liaqat Jafri in  urdu Magazine BE-LAAG with Dr Jafri's photo  )

Here i upload some excerpts from Dr Liaqat  Jafri's recent interview with Salma Siddiqui...

" Salma. Saari duniyaa ghoom liya mein ,Lekin Kashmir se achhaa kuchh bhi nahin"

Krishen Chander

"1947 ke baad ka zamaana dangon ka zamaana thhaa.Hindu Muslim munafarat apnay urooj par. Donon eik doosary ke khoon ke pyaase aur aissay mein Delhi ke eik Hotel " RAJDOOT" mein Zindagi ka risk le kar me aur krishen Din guzaar rahe thhay. Donon mazhab ke log hamaäri talaash mein Thhay"

Salma Siddiqui.

"Agar surankote (near Poonch) mein Kissi sahib se zameen lease par le kar eik kachaa kotha tameer kiyaa jaaye, to iss ki laagat kyaa hogi.Mein Aakhri saans Poonch mein Lena chaahataa hoon"

Krishen Chander.

" Jenab me to athiest hoon.Kyaa Hindu kyaa Muslim meray Liye sab baraabar.Agar hain to sab mazhab achhay hain .Varnaa koyee bhi nahin.Mazhab to eik Hi hai INSAANIYAT."

Krishen Chander

" Inn Hi mulaaqaaton ke dauraan Eik martabaa Ali Sardar Jafri ke saamne krishen ne mujhe shaadi ke Liye kahaa. Salma agar tum inqaar karti ho to me tumhein Bahut barri sazaa doonga......Mera Kalam kabhi koyee. Tehreer nahin likhegaa "

Salma Siddiqui to Dr Liaqat Jafri.

" 23 November 2014 ko Naseer Ud Din shah ne apni theatre team ke saath Mumbai ke Prithvi Theatre mein "Poonch ke Jo Eik Shahar Thhaa" drama khelaa.Mujhe bhi poori industry ke saath dekhnay kaa ittefaq huva.Yeh vohi drama thha Jo uss ne 23 -24 November ko jashn e krishen Chander ke havaale se aap ki daawat par Jammu mein khelnaa thhaa."

Salma Siddiqui to Dr Liaqat Jafri.
                             

          (A memorial dedicated to the  writer inside krishen Chander Park in Poonch town.  Photo Source ..BELAAG magazine  )

"Poonch Meray Liye Bahut hi khaas hai.khaas oss Liye ki yeh Lafz krishen ki zubaan se baar baar sunaa hai. Pehlay roz se jab me krishen ke saath thhi.Aur phir shaadi ke baad woh mujhe apni family ke saathh Poonch le gaye to mujhe woh jagah nihaayat pasand aayi. Khaas toar par mujhe Poonch ke havaale so Jo manzar Ab bhi Yaad hai woh vahaan ke Shahar ke beechon beech behnay vaala dariya. Mujhe paani aur dariya se Bahut Dar lagtaa thhaa lekin wahaan ja ke mujhe yeh lagaa ki dariya to Bahut mohabbat karnay vaali shai hai. Aur krishen Ji ka kyaa kahoon. Hum jab Poonch pahunchay to unhonay juun Hi apnay Poonch ke dariya ka kinaara chhuva to bagair kuchh Sochay samajhe kapday pehnay huve Hi dariya mein chhalaang lagaa di."

Salma Siddiqui to Dr Liaqat Jafri.

“ Dekho Liaqat , Bachay ki Vilaadat ke baaray Maa se ziyaada badaa Gawaah aur kaun ho saktaa hai ?  Krishen ji ki Paidaaish  Poonch ki hai. Krishen ke Vaalid Poonch ke uss waqt ke Dogra Maharaja ke Zaati Physician Thhay. Unn ko Bharatpur Rajasthaan se Khasoosi tor pe  Poonch bulaaya gayaa thhaa. Krishen ki Maa uss waqt Hamal Se thhi. Krishen Hamal mein Thhay. Ittefaaq se Maa ji ke rishtedaar bhi Poonch se thhay . Woh chaahati thhi ki yeh sab muamalaat Doctor sahib ki dekh rekh mein  Poonch mein hi tai pa jaayein .Issi liye woh bhi doctor sahib ke peechhe peechhe Poonch Aa pahunchi . Maa ji ne Mujhe khud yeh  theth poonchi zubaan mein kahaa hai “ Beshaq paida hoyaa si ithhay Poonch, ithhay Poonch , Hor kithhay ?”

Salma Siddiqui to Dr Liaqat Jafri.

(Autar Mota )

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