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The Missing Links

By: Lakshmi Kaul (Founder and Executive Member, Team@KPCS)

I have been thinking and this is a recurring thought. One of my dear friends and fellow activist posted this picture of their home in Kashmir - the home they had to leave behind. He dreams of returning to it - he has an address to go back to.
He has seen his real home, experienced its warmth! For many (increasing number) like me who do not even know what their home was, there is a more difficult battle ahead. It is an identity crisis... We are homeless and disconnected. All we have that we can hold onto is pieces of guesswork jigsaw we have/are building from secondary and tertiary memory.

I just feel like an orphan child. Having stuttered and stammered an abrupt response to the much hated question - where are you from?

I do not have memory of being thrown out of my home (I never saw it). I Ofcourse have no idea what pain is... Of living in camps because I have always lived in a 'home' my parents lovingly built for me and my sisters.

Each time the discussion of 'exile' and 'migration' takes place - I am silent as I have no personal account to share. My heart bleeds but to nobody's sight.

The pain is and will be there. The thing we forget is that I am Infact a representation of several who were thrown out of their homes.

The youth today who are pitied and looked down upon and blamed to not know the language or culture / they are the real destitutes. I am them!

And I can tell you - it hurts but we have wounds that don't show.

The pain I feel is numbness and since it seems there is no sensation it's more serious.

The day our wounds show and the numbness leaves us, pain seethes through will be the turning point in this battle. We are the missing links - only waiting to awaken!

A poem that I had written sometime back and some of you will recall..I dedicate it to all those living in exile..

Your eyes have stoned,
The tears have run out,
In the endless wait
To return home...
You are lucky
You have a dream
That you've visualised...
Those brooks of fresh water,
The apple orchards..

I, a cultural destitute
Don't know what heaven on earth is,
It is a mere chapter in my history book,
Or a family holiday that is being planned for years...

These four walls,
Manic, busy schedules
A place I call home
It suffocates me

There is pain
That seethes within
Who am I?
Where is home?

Follow Lakshmi on Twitter: @KaulLakshmi

Email: lakshmikaul@kpcsuk.org

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Haro, Batt` Chuii: The story of Leadership

By Anupama Handoo

(Core Group Member, Team@KPCS)

“Martyr Tikalal Taploo wasn't killed by militants- much before that he was killed by his own brethren - who didn't vote for him (in 1983)”. A friend said that to me in passing. 31 years later its election time again in J&K and we were discussing candidates. 24 Kashmiri Pandit candidates decided to stand for election from Habbakadal this time - '2 for each month’ I retorted, but something snapped inside me. I am intrigued by the seemingly rudderless community of mine. Why in Vitasta's name can't we choose a leader and follow him/her?

The answer coming from all directions is- because we are all intellectuals. We look for flaws in our leaders and highlight them as reason for not following them. Fair enough! We did however vote for Ghulam Mohd. Bhat (Gul Raida) in the election that both Pandit candidates, Sh. Tikalal Taploo and Sh. Piaray Lal Kharihalu lost in a Pandit majority constituency of Habbakadal. Was he flawless? We have also been staunch supporters of the Nehru-Gandhi family and their version of Congress. They aren't blameless either. So this argument doesn’t hold much weight. It is however apparent that we like to salute the rising sun. An already successful leader is more likely to gain our adulation than someone who is still struggling to rise. Sycophancy is one of our exalted virtues.

Another casual chat, another argument surfaced. We Kashmiri Pandits suffer from crab mentality. If there are people amongst us who are doing well (leading), we try and bring them down. In fact, I see that a lot around me. A lot of energy is spent negating good work, creating misunderstandings, denigrating people, their character assassination and holding a moral high ground. I am no expert on human nature, but can safely say that this happens in all communities not just Kashmiri Pandits. However the difference is that in other communities people do this for a reason. Someone will step on you because one wants your fame, power, money, business, promotion etc. In our community someone will step on you but not be necessarily interested in your goals, your promotion, your position. So it is crab mentality, but neither of the two crabs succeeds - and in the process actually the community loses.

I have spoken to many intellectuals in our community and they are all very keen to draw parallels of our similarity to the Jewish community and the Holocaust. However, I fail to see the same commitment for a common cause, a unified community or a purposeful collaboration by Kashmiri Pandits. Many communities vote en`masse so they have political clout. Other communities do business with or recruit within a preferred group so they get financial or professional clout. We Kashmiri Pandits do neither - actually we positively discriminate against our own and that keeps the whole community down.

Coming to the topic of leadership - isn't it strange that we are spread around the world as scientists, doctors, bureaucrats – but not as leaders. I will be happy to be proved wrong – but there is not a single Kashmiri Pandit Member of Parliament (or any other democratic institution) in the whole world – as against Gujaratis, Punjabis, Tamilians etc.

Hari Krishan Kaul, premier of Kashmir in 1930s is fabled to have said: ‘Haro, batt` chuii – Khyavizen Chhavizen, Yezzath karizes, magar Pachizes n zaahn’. Translated: Haro (name) beware of the Kashmiri Pandit, treat him, feed him, respect him, but do not trust him. The master leader, bureaucrat Hari Krishan Kaul (for whom the term Sher-e-Kashmir was originally coined) himself did not trust the community he belonged to. He was actually wary of them. Eventually he was proven right, as on his way out, his own community spurned him. As a community we do not trust each other. Socially we love, respect, go out of our way for each other – but if it was to trust a fellow batt’ with a job, business or our precious vote – we wouldn’t. Sanskrit poet and philosopher Kshemendra (c.990 -c.1070 CE) coined the term ‘Batt’ gav Takshuk’ translated ‘Batt` is a serpent’. This is not the dark ages…but ‘lack of trust’ is still hard wired in our psyche.

My analysis for the lack of leaders in our community has pulled me into a rabbit warren of reasons. Firstly, there is our high horse - ‘b chhus t baey na kah’ (translated ‘no one is as good as me’). Then, there is the habit of pulling people down for no good reason other than that, we have a bit of incriminating information. Lastly, it’s the lack of trust within our own. This lack of leaders is certainly not a good sign. As a dwindling community we need people to represent our interests in the corridors of power. Unless there is a shift change in our mentality as a community, we will be leaderless, rudderless and purposeless for generations to come.


Follow Anu on Twitter: @anu_handoo
Email: anupamahandoo@kpcsuk.org

Glimpses of KPCS, UK Activities: 2014

We have had a very busy year 2014 and it continues till the very end of this year. However, here are glimpses of the year gone by...

Click here to view a collage of Team@KPCS activities and work this year.

KPCS Annual Awards 2014

By Lakshmi Kaul, Founder & Executive Member, Team@KPCS

Bob Blackman MP receives a token of love
from Neetu Jalali (Zafran) on behalf of Team@KPCS

At the Grand Diwali Party this year, the KPCS Annual Awards were given to key role models in the community who have made a positive contribution to the various areas of work. The awards were presented by the Chairman of All Party Parliamentary Group for British Hindus, Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East constituency). 

The award for Exemplary Community Service was given to Dr. Sundeep Kaul (Sunny bhaiya) from Sutton-Coldfield. 

For his contribution to Political Activism & Awareness of KP Cause, Dr.Vivek Kaul from Oxford was awarded the trophy. 

One of the integral aspects of KP heritage is the various religious traditions that are fast approaching endangerment. The award for Promotion of KP Religious Traditions was presented to Mrs. Meenakshi Labroo from Croydon.

The softer power of any community is its cultural heritage and arts. For her development and promotion of the Kashmiri handicrafts and ensemble as well as the Kashmiri Language, Neetu Jalali Singla from Epsom was given the award for Preservation & Promotion of KP Culture & Heritage.

KPCS has not only grown within the UK but its work and team has extended beyond the barriers of geograpy. One person who single handedly established the international community building for Team@KPCS, helping build global perspective within our work is Vinod Tikoo from Isleworth who received the award for Community Building & Global Networking.

We at KPCS love new ideas and earlier this year, we initiated a fantastic initiative called the KP Professional Conclave to encourage professional development and mentorship within the community. To recognise this key contribution of Ashish Raina from Luton, he was awarded the trophy for his contribution to Entrepreneurship & Professional Excellence. Dr. Shiben Durani received the award on behalf of Ashish on the evening, in his absence.

Bob Blackman MP addressing Team@KPCS at the Diwali party

 

Dr. Maharaj Kishen Ghassi congratulating Bob Blackman MP
for his contribution to the KP Cause. 

Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society, UK (KPCS, UK) has grown and progressed as a people's movement. The various activities, our engagement with each other and also with KPs all over the world has created KPCS as a brand to reckon with. We have achieved big things together and the community is closer, more Koshur than ever before in this country.

In doing all the work, we have seen a few of us emerge as clear role models and harbingers of either chsnge or ideas that have fiercely shaped into full fledged projects. Excellence has been at the core of our work administered with utmost professionalism.

We do say our thankyous very promptly and recognise all contribution made by members across the board.

The Annual Awards are simply an extension of the year's achievements and meant to acknowledge certain role models and achievers who have made a big difference to the community. This they may have done by achieving a National or International recognition for their work/sport etc or they may have achieved this by taking up a challenge and encouraging others to do thereby making the KP community proud. The element of service in a community ranks highest and the selfless service must be recognised so more of us take it upon as our moral and personal responsibility for our community.

Our key thematic areas of work are:
1. Political engagement
2. Religious
3. Professional
4. Culture and Heritage
5. External Engagement and Networking

6. Community Service

The awards, to tie in with the basic premise of our work and in steering the direction of our work ought to recognise contribution in these areas.

KPCS Grand Diwali Party 2014 is a huge success!

The measure of success of any community event is in how participative it is and how many smiles it brings on people's faces at the event and for days and months after...remembering and rejoicing the lovely time that was had! I think it will be fair to say that the Grand Diwali Party was a lot of fun and it will leave us all smiling for  years to come, when we look back and enjoy reliving the lovely moments.



On behalf of Team@KPCS a special thanks to our Guest of Honour, Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East constituency) and Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group for British Hindus and Mr. Sumit Jamuar, Chairman Global GeneCorp - both have been huge supporters of the KP cause in the UK. Bob Blackman MP spoke fearlessly, without mixing his words at the Kashmir Debate in the British Parliament and makes it a point to highlight the KP cause at a number of forums.

Bob Blackman MP with Vinod Tikoo and Pankaj Raina

Vishal Singla with our Special Guest, Sumit Jamuar

(Vishal & Sumit turned out

to be batchmates from IIT days)

A picture is worth a thousand words so the best way to enjoy the moments is to look through the photographs of the evening. click here to visit the photos on our Facebook Page. Photos courtesy: Dr. Vivek Kaul

Of Diwali lights, smiles and all the glamour! 

The guests were welcomed with Champagne and warm smiles by Team@KPCS. This beautiful decoration of diyas set the right mood for all the guests.

To view all the photos of the evening, click here.

All Night Long!

Report on ‪#‎DiwaliParty‬ by Dr. Vivek Kaul

One is very fortunate to be born in a Great family of humanist. 
One is lucky to be born in a Beautiful place.
One is blessed to be born in a 100 percent noble community !

It is a rare privilege & honour to have been bestowed with all of the three above !

Those were my thoughts when I attended our Annual Kashmir Pandit Diwali Gala Dinner Yesterday in London !

I really felt truly honoured to be part of a community which thinks nothing but goodness of Mankind !

I have not come across such a community in my life. Individuals I have met but not a community with such a ethos.
Hatred is never a part of our family education from Childhood which reflecting back is such a great education to receive in a World full of Hatred.

Yesterday's party was a resounding success mainly due to such a decent group of people & have to raise my hats to Lakshmi Kaul ji aka Laks & Anupama Handoo ji.

Super Turbo charged duo they are.

Unique feature of the Party was the due importance given to kids !

Never have I attended a party with Kids being the focus of attention.
Whether it was fashion ramp walk , Dances , Song singing , Piano recitals , prize receiving -Kids were everywhere & were beaming with happiness.

This I think was the Hallmark of this very successful evening.

A Special Salute to Bob Blackman MP for coming to his 9th & Final Diwali function of the day.
He spoke so well about contributions made by Gentle Peace loving Hindu community of GB & welcomed newest entrant , the Kashmiri Pandits to this very elite & humane group of super citizens & role models to other immigrant communities of the UK !

Hope we all keep on positively contributing to the welfare of planet earth