In the lanes and bylines connecting of scenic Bhaderwah, whenever Bashir Ahmad Khateeb’s mother would take him anywhere she would often hum some Kashmiri song with herself. Even at home her mother, while doing household chores, would sing Kashmiri folk songs, and Bashir would suddenly get attentive. She would take Bashir to marriage ceremonies where he would enjoy listening to the poems and songs of great poets of Kashmir. The early interest planted the seeds of something bigger in the heart of Bashir. “The poetry of Habba Khatoon, Mahmud Gami, Rasool Mir and Mehjoor inspired me a great besides the Kashmiri poetry of my respected teacher Abdul Qadus Rasa Javidani who was a famous local poet and who luckily taught me Urdu and Persian subjects at high school stage,” says Bashir, who later came to be known as a prolific writer named Bashir Bhadarwahi.
Born on 24 January 1935, Bhadarwahi’s life was full of challenges but one thing which he never lost was the courage. His zest for learning was extinguished by household responsibility which he had to face due to the sudden and untimely death of his father in 1957 at the stage when he was a simple Primary school teacher with huge family to support.
Bhadarwahi’s style of writing can be seem as a cumulative impact of works of legends like Allama Iqbal, Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, Momin, Faiz Ahmed Faiz an others. “All of their works helped me by leaps and bounds in style and substance,” says Bhadarwahi. “I was greatly inspired by the eloquent and persuasive prose writing style of eminent writers of the state particularly Mr. Mohammad Yusuf Taing, who encouraged writers of Jammu province in their literary pursuits whole heartedly.”
Isolated from the fledgling Kashmiri culture, art and literary scene in Kashmir valley, Bhadarwahi never felt left out. He went to carry the torch often by himself and helped in illuminating a huge field.
Bhadarwahi passed his class 10 examination from S. A. High School Bhadarwah in 1950. His Father was a Primary School Teacher who, with a meagre monthly salary of about Rs. 35/- could not afford sending me either to Jammu or to Srinagar where College facilities were available. The heartbroken young man helplessly saw all his class-fellows leaving for colleges one after another. The continued till he was appointed as a teacher in 1953. At that time teachers with one year service were eligible to appear in any University Examination, as such, he appeared and passed intermediate examination during 1955 followed by passing Diploma-in-Teaching Training Course. Bhadarwahi did his M.A Urdu in 1962. On the professional front too Bhadarwahi got promotions regularly and served at various places ultimately retiring as District Education Officer in 1993.
Despite being busy with his academics and career, Bhaderwahi’s had a natural urge for literary pursuits and it only increased with every passing day. “I kept reading some very useful and standard books on prose, poetry and literary criticism etc written by eminent writers of the subcontinent, which helped me a lot in improving my literary skills and reading habits,” says Bhaderwahi. “I wrote my first poem on Communal Disturbances while I was a class 8th student in early 1948 and afterwards wrote my first regular Ghazal in Kashmiri language in 1953 when I had just started my career as a teacher.”
The literary passion resulted in writing books, article, prefaces and reviews of books, write-ups on literary criticism. Bhaderwahi also had a passion for preserving the heritage which culminated in a wonderful book Folk Songs of Doda District, in Kashmiri language which was published by Cultural Academy of J&K in 1972. However for his own poetic work, Bhaderwahi had to wait longer. His famed poetic collection Goshan Hind Posh, written after 1953 was published in 1998, after his retirement from Government Service. The updated version of the book came out in 2014.
A researcher par excellence, Bhaderwahi’s work has often become valuable resource for scholars. His laborious historic work Bhaderwah ki Tareekh-o-Saqafat, a book on history and culture of Himalayan State of Bhaderwah, acknowledged as a reference book in the state, was published in 2010. Bhaderwahi also excelled in writing devotional poems. TOHFA-E-AZMEEN-E HIJAZ, a collection of Naats in Kashmiri language was published in 2005. The biggest recognition came when he received sahitya akademy for award-2015 for his epic work jamis ta kasheeri manz natia adbuk tawareekh that documented history of Naatia literature in global perspective.
“Na’at is an important genre of the Islamic devotional literature, a sacred encomium which reflects the versified praise of Prophet (PBUH) in different languages of the world. This book deals with critical appreciation of Na’atia literature produced in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Kashmiri and some other languages across the globe particularly in Saudi Arabia, Persia, South East Asian Indian subcontinent etc and is mostly focused on Kashmiri Na’at and contains development aspect of the said genre classifying it’s literary delicacies and sanctity, its universal appeal, linguistic elegance and its several religious limits and pre-requisites,” says Bhaderwahi while explaining the essence of the book. “With an outlook that is deeply ingrained in a secular mind, several non-Muslim Na’at composers from sub-continent and J and K state have been included in a well-researched manner testing their poetic merit in a genre that poses many challenges and risks.”
Adding to his religious writing Bhaderwahi’s Rahmatoon Kay Sayey, a Travelogue and guide on Haj and Umrah Pilgrimages in Urdu was published in 2014.
“I feel that my greatest achievement is that I motivated people, teachers and members of different literary organizations for speaking, reading and writing in Kashmiri language particularly in Jammu province of the state,” beams Bhaderwahi. He created awareness among people, especially young ones with regard to the promotion of Kashmiri and Urdu languages. He had also campaigned hard for introduction of Kashmiri language as a compulsory subject at school, college and university level in whole of the state since 1981 in capacity of president Kashir Abdi Forum Jammu.
Bhaderwahi has also to his credit work on profiling the legends of that side of Pir Panchal. In 2014 his monograph in Kashmiri on life and literary work of eminent Poet and Musician, G.N. Dholwal Kishtwari was published by academy.
Bhaderwahi was conferred with Sharaf-e-Kamraz Award 2014 by Adbi Markaz Kamraz for contribution towards Kashmiri Literature. JKAACL also awarded him for his overall contribution in the development of Kashmiri language and literature. For being an outstanding educationist Bhaderwahi also received J&K Chief Minister Award for Excellent service, honesty and integrity and contribution in promotion of Education in J&K State, in 2007.
Even at this advanced age Bhaderwahi continues to pursue his literary career. Presently he is working on one of the most important works of his life based on the bloodshed in the aftermath of partition. “For years I have been collecting the material for this vital subject which is in need of being documented. People have to know their history to move forward,” said Bhaderwahi whose Urdu poetic collection is also being expected soon.