Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor, Nitishwar Kumar Sunday said Kashmir kicks his creative pursuits and he considers it a beautiful poem.
“The moment I landed in Kashmir, I got a different and unique feeling. This place certainly has something that connects you deeper, be it its picturesque beauty or its poetry,” Kumar said in an exclusive interview to Greater Kashmir.
“If you are creative and you get a chance to visit Kashmir, I am sure sky is the limit for any artist. You would definitely want to keep Kashmir close to your heart,” he said.
Kumar said that he aspires to read prominent poets like Habba Khatoon and Sufi poets like Shiek-Ul-Alam(RA).
“Kashmir is poetry to me. I am struggling to get the Devnagri or English script of Sheikh-ul-Alam’s and Habba Khatoon’s poetry. Their poetry has spread the essence of Sufism in this beautiful place. Currently I am reading Moulana Rumi and it takes you to the next world.”
Kumar said that in Kashmir there was a lot to read and understand.
“This place (Kashmir) has produced some really great artists and poets and it is always an enriching experience to read about them and understand their body of work,” he said. “All I want is that poetry should be in the air of this beautiful land.”
Nitishwar Kumar, a 1996 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, who currently serves as a Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, J&K, Manoj Kumar Sinha, is widely known for his literary pursuits, poetry and singing.
Earlier, he also served with Sinha when he was the Minister of State for Railways in Narendra Modi-led government. Kumar was Sinha’s Private Secretary between 2014 and 2018.
Kumar played down questions on politics saying that it was not his domain.
“Kashmir is poetry to me and commenting on politics is not my domain,” he said. “We are just the executing team. Big questions can be answered by the LG Sahab himself.”
Kumar said many proposals were in the pipeline and many projects were underway and they were only aiming at providing transparent and accountable governance to the people.
He said that LG Sinha’s “top priority” was to provide the best possible service delivery system at the people’s doorsteps.
Kumar said Jammu and Kashmir was all set to host a mega ‘All India Urdu Mushaira and Hindi Kavi Sammelan’ in Jammu soon.
“LG Sahab is proposing many initiatives in this regard and is personally monitoring these events,” he said.
Kumar said renowned poets including 24 poets of national and international fame, besides locals would participate in the event.
Kumar is heard narrating his poetry on several FM radio stations across J&K and other states.
He mostly writes in Hindi and gets the translation done in Urdu as well.
Kumar recently wrote Mankabat Ali.
Quoting verses from Mankabat Ali, he said: “Mere sar par teri nazar rahay, Apni dua bhi asar karay
Tujey pooj kar tujey choom kar, meri ibtida arsay chaley, Meray Ali, Moula Ali (RA)
Teri chah mai, main nikal chali.”
He said that a Mumbai-based music record label AR Music International would soon release his song. He regularly posts his poetry on his official website and has been featured by prominent poetry blogs across India.
“After coming to Kashmir, I started writing a lot about this place,” he said.