In this column series Muhammad Shafi Khan translates a detailed essay in Urdu by Muhammad Yousuf Taing. It gives a peek into how our history guides us on the present political crisis
History a bewitching beauty in whose killer coquetry one sanguinary dalliance is this also that she strives to throw a personality into void of obscurity by reason of political and ideological standpoint. On the tombstones of Egyptian Pharaohs the images of sometime mighty rulers were disfigured beyond trace to make them disappear in the abyss of unknown. It being a long enumeration of such rejectionist designs on part of history, suffice it to mention a few cases from the history of the erstwhile Soviet Union. Leon Trotosky was one of the brightest stars of the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. He was one of its main and important ideologues, his standing only an inch less than the great leader of this revolution -V I Lenin. After the death of Lenin in 1924 Joseph Stalin succeeded in grabbing the reins of power. Stalin’s persecution of his opponents was so ruthless that it made life very hard for Trotsky. He had to flee to Mexico for safety but Stalin’s posthaste dispatched assassin targeted him even there to dispatch him to death. He hit him hard with a spade during the darkness of night. More revengeful than this murder was making Trotosky disappear from the history of the Soviet Union, from its social and cultural milieu. Within no time Trotosky was transformed from a historical personality into a non- person. Similar downgrading treatment to wash off memory was later on meted out to big personalities like Nikolai Bucharian, Molotov and Nikita Kruschev. Whose contribution in the 72 year history of the Soviet Union was no less than that of any other personality of that era. In our state of Jammu and Kashmir still fresh and tremulous example of this ungrateful treatment is that of Pandit Ram Chand Kak. Kak Sahib is a distinguished personality not only because he was the sole acknowledged, authentically Kashmiri speaking Prime Minister of the Dogra Maharajas long rule (1846-1947) and despite being a Kashmiri he succeeded in achieving the highest honor of being the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, but also apart from this zenith of political significance some aspects of his personality are no less significant and important. Till now he remains the greatest archaeologist of Kashmir. He was such an erudite scholar of English that his reputation as such enjoys sway in the circles of men of knowledge even now. He has penned more than a hundred booklets and pamphlets on the historical sources, arts and artifacts and on the heritage of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh. His book even now regarded as a classic in archaeology, The Ancient Monuments of Kashmir, is an outstanding original work of research. It was first published in London in 1937, two years before I was born. It is this book which for the first time created an awareness worldwide of the great heritage of Kashmir. So many editions of this book have been published till date. On this splendid subject no other book of such worth and value has ever been written since then. In the last quarter of the last century when the J&K Cultural Academy was compiling an Encyclopaedia of Kashmir’s archaeological finds the greatest source of reference and relevance for this endeavor was RC Kak’s book The Ancient Monuments of Kashmir. If Kak sahib had done nothing more than writing this monumental book, even then he would have had a place in our history riding on the merit and greatness of this magnum opus.
Ram Chand Kak was not a political leader but he became Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir at a time when different, contradictory, stormy strands of politics were creating a tumultous outburst of expression whose perditions continue to be with us even now. He was an instrument of a Maharaja whose aim was only to strengthen his power over a paradisiacal piece of land which he had come to possess by virtue of a sale deed. Being an instrument only he too as a political chessman went on playing on the chessboard of politics safeguarding the interests of his master. And in this chessmanship he had to come into clash with the uproarious mass movement of Kashmiris against the Dogra despotism and its tallest leader Shaikh Mohammad Abdullah. Politics is said to be a dirty game and in this dirt and filth Kak Sahib’s hands also were soiled. But when his lord felt that Kak Sahib’s usefullness was over, he was thrown into the wastepaper basket.
Perhaps in the long Dogra period of Kashmir history RC Kak was the only prime minister of Kashmir who on 11 August 1947 was arrested in his Shergadi office in a situation when he was sitting in his chair of command and power with composure and surety, with no idea of this bolt from the blue (How similar to arresting Abdullah as prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 9 August 1953). Kak Sahib was terribly opposed in his politics and in his role as an administrator as well and such opinion about him is being held even now. But ignoring such an important personality and presenting it as a demon is murder of justice itself in history and an utter disregard of farsightedness. To evade the turns of history and their accomplishers is relapsing into self-deceit.
Pandit Ram Chand Kak was born in June 1893 in Srinagar, 125 years from now. According to Pandit Anand Koul Bamzai sub-caste Kak is the highest caste of Sarsot brahamans of Kashmir. He passed the B.A. examination and from early days of his life he evinced interest in archaeology. Taking cognizance of his love for archaeology the Maharaja’s government allowed him to work as a probationer in the department of archaeology. He was put on a monthly stipend of rupees 50. Very soon even as a stipendiary able,intelligent and hardworking Ram Chand began to display his sterling qualities. Eventually he was appointed superintendent of the archaeology department in 1920. This post continued to be called by this very nomenclature even after 1948. In 1928 RC Kak was appointed director of archaeology and research department. it is here and during this time that the magnificent corpus of his work materialized. He not only paid extended visits to the archaeological sites in the valley and Jammu but also to such sites in the Ladakh and in the mountainous regions of Mardwa, Dachan and Udhampor laying bare to the eye of the world the hidden remains of the ancients. He discovered the 11th century Temple of Maharaja Anant of Kashmir in the vicinity of Mardwa . He formulated the guide book on the curios of the SPS museum. Even though in the light of modern research some errors and shortcomings can be traced in this guide book, it continues to be printed again and again after 78 years. It is the only comprehensive document available on this Museum. His intelligence, serious application, his command over English brought him into the notice of the Maharaja. Thereafter he went on traversing milestone after milestone on the road to progress with speed. In 1930 he was relieved of the charge of the department of archaeology. Even though prestigious but with regard to wielding of power it was an insipid cravat removed from his neck. He was put on the seat of power as secretary of Foreign Affairs. Be it recalled that during the period of the Dogra Maharajas the state of Jammu and Kashmir used to have its own foreign minister. Next year (1931) he was sent to Europe for study and observation. Afterwards he held eminent posts of Inspector general of customs, Inspector general of excise, including that of political Secretary of the state. Meanwhile he continued to visit Europe. In 1938 he was appointed chief secretary of the state. That was when Gopala Swami Ayangar was appointed Prime Minister of the state. The writer of this memoir came to form an acquaintance with Kak Sahib in the last old age phase of his life. At that time this writer happened to be the director of the department of archaeology. Anytime when in this connection a mystery had to be resolved wherein his opinion would be required, being of the nature of opening the knot, this writer would go to Kak Sahib. Kak Sahib was known for his natural arrogance and feeling of dignity. Despite this at every such occasion he would put his heart in the conversation, with no formalism to taint the talk, for which there is a great feeling of gratitude in the heart of this writer for him. Mind not this digressive observation, the real thing would need to be said is this:”while talking about Ayanger he said “I was his chief secretary. That is why there were long meetings of mine with him” . Ayanger belonged to Tamilnadu. Madras then. Intelligent and a man of understanding One day I told Ayanger that perhaps he had chosen Kashmir to render service because Kashmir is a beautiful place. Ayanger was a legal luminary and an administrator of the highest quality. He could have found a desirable employment anywhere in India. (After 1947 Ayanger was appointed minister of Kashmir Affairs of the Government of India. Thereby becoming the confider of Jawahar Lal Nehru). According to Kak Sahib Ayanger’s answer to his choice of Kashmir was quite surprising:” No, this is not the reason. I had heard it from my elders that the greatest and the oldest source of knowledge, religion and civilization is the land lying in the lap of Himalayas called Kashmir. Amongst us it is still the tradition that when a child is sent to Pathshala or School, it is obligatory upon him or her to take 7 steps facing Kashmir. It is called the rite of Satpadi. It is the proof and in acknowledgement of the fact that Kashmir is such Mansaroor of learning and excellence that without invoking its spiritualism there can be no discernment, thought or religious experience. I have been told that there are Shastris and great gnostics in Kashmir in whose bosoms the rivers of light flow making the universal Soul, the Universal Principle luminescent. The reason of my moving from the extreme South to the extreme North is this that I want to dip in this river of lights.”