Kashmiri Hindu Poet Premnath Shad

 

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

An octogenarian Kashmiri Hindu poet Premnath Shad deserves special acknowledgement  in Azadar World both as a great devotee of Hazrat Imam Hussain.

He has inherited  love for Imam Hussain (AS) from his father who was a regular participant in Tazia processions at Budgam.He recalls  “My father had three daughters. He was longing for a son. Therefore, he participated in Tazia and prayed for a son. One and a half years later, I was born. Since then, my father and I have been the biggest Hussainis,”

Born at Qazibagh, Budgam in 1934, Shad has been regular to Majalis and Mehfils organized to mourn and euologize Imam Hussain and his companions despite migrating to Jammu. “In fact, I have participated in the Majalis  when militancy was at its peak. I used to come from Jammu and recite Nauhas and Marsiya,” he proudly admits. .

Holding BA and B.Ed degrees, Shad retired as a government teacher in 1992. “I have also done a diploma in agriculture besides my BA and B.Ed. I served several schools and taught different subjects. In fact, I was doing farming till I migrated to Jammu,” he said.

Despite his old age and migration, Shad’s love for the Kashmiri language has not diminished. “I have written several poetry books in Kashmiri.  I am presently writing three books and they are all prose. In fact, in one of my books, I have a dedicated a chapter on Tazia. It is titled Marsiya,” he said.

In fact, Shad describes himself as `Hussaini’ and has been writing `Marsiya and Nawha’ even after migrating from Kashmir in 1990.  “Az tchu baye hajat zamanas sui Imam Aali Muqam…  Sui safar draaw wan rafaqat beqasan sui pasaban…., Loul chum, zun chum, yaqaan chum, toath chum Moula Hussain… Shad sarkham akh Hussaini ashiqa dar ashiqan,” these lines enumerate his love for Imam Hussain (AS) and martyrs of Karbala.

Reference ; Kashmir Monitor

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