I Pandit P.L Handoo born at Chandapora Habbakadalbon 19th Oct 1941. I had fascination towards music and acting from my childhood. I used to dance with music. My family members were enjoying and laughing at the age of five. I don’t know how suddenly I began it immate others. I started imitating my family members. I would feel happy and fascinating by imitating others and my family members. Sometimes elders were getting annoyed, but my childish gestures would put them to laugh. I tried to restain myself from doing so but it become my habits.
I was very selective to choose my friends, they were all from my Mohall. When my father would teach me, my friends were also joining me, which my father hailed always.
At that time the admission of kids in the school was 5 (+) years of age. The kids of my time were submissive, sincere and obedient which modern generation lacks. According to my view “Spare the rod spoils the child is an old sying. It is not that rod which make the child hurt.
We should keep our children under thumb and nor to agree their each and every demand. Sometimes it may not be possible to fulfill their demand, the situation becomes difficult at that time and we should spare sometimes and ask them their problems and give them proper direction. At the puther while making pots, beat the pot outside, but keeps his hand inside, to give a pot a real shape that too before it is put in fire. Similarly in early years we can mold our children’s, before they are hard to touch. There are so many cases where both husband wife and wife working, come late to home, sometimes attending parties. Both of them have their own problem. They don’t have time to sit together. Keeping every thing on their servants. They have not time to look after their children’s and in turn spoil their future.
According to my view, “Spare the rod, spoils the child”. It is an old saying. It is not that rod which makes the child hurt.
In the year 1947 my father admitted me in Ganesh Ghat Primary School. All most all my friends joined the same school, being of same Mohalla as this school was very near to other Mohalla. It was a day of celebration for the parents of kids to come to school with their children’s wearing colorful dresses with new bags hanging on their shoulders. The sweets were distributed among the children’s and teachers. Our parents left school while kissing and hugging us. I will not forest the moment through out my life.
This was the same year when our India got freedom from British Empire who ruled Indians sub continent from 1858-1947. At the same time, this independence gave birth to Pakistan as an independent nation. After few weeks of our joining school, the most unfortunate happening was when our headmaster told the boys, the school remain closed for sometimes as Pakistan has precipitated war against our state. At that time Maharaja Hari Singh was ruler of our state. As a child we were unaware of the situation and circumstances. I was annoyed to know that school will remain closed as I can not meet my friends and play with them. On 22nd Oct 1947 Muslim Tribal crossed the border of the state and masses cured ruthlessly whom they came across. A still recollect agitation of the people against the Pakistani invaders, cursing Pakistan and raising slogans against Pakistan.
There was huge gathering of people in each street and lane expressing their sentiments for killing of innocent people. The mohalla committees were formed in each Mohalla. To monitor the situation and keep eye on suspects. The tents installed in every Mohalla. The Mohalla wallas were giving duties in shifts throughout the night with ladhis in their hands.
My father was also giving duty. As a child, I was enjoying to go with my father, in tent which was very near to my house. The agitation was held under the guidelines of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference volunteers. The volunteers also aided the army in its campaign to drive out the Pakistani invaders. I also remember the songs which people of the kashmiri were singing at that time.
Ruler of J&K state initially Maharaja Hari Singh his army to fight war against tribal invaders, facing the assult in the western borders of the state.
Maharaja asked Indian for military assistance. India set the condition that Kashmir must accede to India for it, to receive assistance. Maharaja Hari Singh the ruler of J&K state signed the Instrument of Accession to Union of India. After accession, India airlifted troops and equipment to Srinagar, where they enforced the princely state forces and defeated the invaders. The Indian and Pakistani armies enter the war after that people say that it was Ist time that aero planes was seen in Kashmir with army. Everybody was eager to see the flying aeroplanes in the sky. I was also enjoying to see red light in the sky during night.
The fronts solidified gradually along what came to be known as the line of control. A formal cease-fire was declared at 11:05 on the night of 1 January 1949. The terms of the cease-fire as laid out in United Nation Resolution of 13 Aug 1948 were adopted by the UN on 5 January 1949.
After few weeks of ceasefire, there was no salt available in the market. It was said that mountains were from the salt come under the occupation of Pakistan. It was very difficult for us to live without salt. Actually people were weeping for 1 gm salt. It took sometime when salt come from the central government, all the things normal to some extent.
After sometime there was drought in Kashmir, no rice was available. We have taken boiled Maize and boiled potatoes as our daily food. I was an innocent child at that time, not knowing what is happening. I was missing my friends of the school. With passing of time I came to know all about this happening which I share with you my friends.
Normally returned in the state and on 30-3-1951 elected government took charge of the state. After wards I joined babapoora middle school. Almost all of my friends from the mohalla joined the same school. We had very closed relations; all our parents were loving it. As in primary school we started cultural programmes in school in addition to our studies. We were also taking part in physical exercise in the morning at school. Our group was not interested in games etc.
A teacher known as Radha Krishan was very good singer and was playing harmonium. He made a small group of boys. After school hours, he used to stay for rehearsals. Preparing small skits and humorous songs. We were performing these items in our school functions, 26th January and 15th of August celebrations. Parents of the boys were also participating on these occasions. Almost all boys of my friend circle were member of this cultural group. Sometimes our school boys were also participating in children’s programme broadcast from Radio Kashmir Srinagar.
As a group leader, I had made a small dramatic club of my classmates, all from my mohalla. We were performing small shows in lower storey of my home without the notice of my elders. The son of our music teacher was also participating in these shows. He was taking harmonium of his father without his notice. He was playing in the notice. Kids from mohalla were coming to see the show. We were also doing lady characters. The ticket was one button for a show. Parents of the boys were annoyed to see their boys without buttons. On remembering these moments I laugh and feel ashamed of my doing.
These all activities brought our friend circle very close. At present they are writers, doctors, professors, filmmakers. But we have still good relations at the age also.
I cannot forget named teacher Mr. Imitiaz. He was also our class teacher and physical instructor. He was saintly type of man. As usually boys were getting pocket money from their parents to purchase some eatable during the day at school. Mr. Imitiaz was collecting all the money from such boys, in addition he was putting some money from his own pocket and getting some eatable in bulk and distributing it in the class. In this way all the boys including those who could effort to get pocket money were getting refreshment. This was live example of unity of brotherhood.
Headmaster of our school was Sh. Deelyer Nath Parimoo. He was specialist in history. He was teaching history every Wednesday in school break. This was our additional class. He was telling us man is incomplete without history. One should know about his cultures, surroundings, state, country and world and also past. We have learned so much from him. In the morning headmaster was writing main headlines of the news papers on black board specially made for this purpose.
I was writing them on my notebook and sharing with my parents at home. I was interested in politics, but never took it seriously. The radio sets were not common in those days. I was listening news at home on headphone. My uncle has made some arrangements for listening news from headphone. It was working on some kind of crystal. This was connected one roof of house and other water tap.
There was only one or two news paper published in those days that too not regularly. The printing of the papers was not so good sometimes not even readable. There was a small library in our school. Our headmaster was getting papers for school. He was advised us to read papers. Monitor of the class was reading headlines of the day in classroom. The teachers at that time were hardworking honest. They were teaching us like their own sons. In the morning gathering after prayers they were giving us good advices. Be brave, speak truth, respect elders, help others at the time of need. To live and let live.
Headmaster of the school was asking some boys from the morning gathering to tell before boys what good you have done yesterday. Really there are two “Gurus” for a boy ‘Mother’ at home and ‘Teacher’ at school. Both of them are responsible for character building of a boy. When a one passes through this stages, there he becomes a perfect man and a good citizen.
One day after morning prayers headmaster of the school declared our results. We were happy to know that we have passed middle class examination, but at the same time we were sad that our friend circle would get separated from each other after long 12 years since our childhood, not knowing when we will meet again. All the teachers were loving us and were happy on our work at studies in addition to our cultural activities on that day. Our headmaster called us on a cup of tea in staffroom presented us some small books of good authors, written for boys as a gift and prayed for the best future. Teachers hugged and kissed us. We left the school with tears in our eyes.
Still at the age of 75 years, I cannot forget that love of my teachers “Gurus”. This is key to my success. What I have achieved in my life. I joined S.P Higher School. This school was best among high schools. This school was very near to S.P College Srinagar. Classrooms were very big with proper seating arrangements with fixed black board on walls. The teachers were qualified. The headmaster Sh. S.M Dar was highly qualified and noble person sometimes he was checking notebooks of boys himself. During class hours, he used to come in class sitting silently with boys and witnessing the performance of teachers. He had advised the teachers to keep weak boys in 1st and 2nd rows and inform their parents every month by meeting with them.
I remember there was a boy, his performance was very good in 8th class, but suddenly in 9th class he was below average. His parents came to headmaster. He was also astonished to see the condition of the boy. One day while the class was in progress the headmaster went to his classroom and sat by side the boy. He observed that the boy is not writing anything on his notebook. He asked the boy, can you see writings on black board. The boy said ‘No’ than he understood that his eye sight is weak. He told his parents got his eyes tested with school funds. Afterward the boy wad very well in his studies as others. Such were the pains taking teachers at that time.
Such was the relationship between boys and teachers can we forget such teachers. We should not take this profession casually. There is hand of teachers in making the personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation, S. Radhakrishanan, Dr. Rajender Prasad, Rabinder Nath Tagore and other personalities of countries and world. Actually teachers are nation builders, by producing such man for our nation.
Well know teacher and humors poet of those days our headmaster was also interested in cultural activities. Sh. Khazar Majrabi was in charge of cultural unit of the school. I have acted in many plays staged for inter-school competition in programmes on 26th January and 15th August. I had no interest in sports.