For critics, Bakshi’s extravagant Jashn-e-Kashmir festival was aimed to manage public anger after Sheikh was jailed. Raashid Maqbool revisits the era to understand how the festival helped Bakshi win hearts and minds

Kashmir PM Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad with Indian PM Pt J L Nehru riding a decorated boat in Dal lake during Jashn-e-Kashmir celebration.
Kashmir PM Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad with Pt J L Nehru riding a decorated boat in Dal lake during Jashn-e-Kashmir celebration.

The Bakshi regime lives in the memory of people as one of prosperity, abundance and festivities. Commentators on Kashmiri history describe it as times when “appeasement” was used as a tactic of “diverting” the attention of masses and “managing” their anger. A cursory look at the historical accounts of that time brings forth paradoxical features: respite, corruption and gunda-ism.

In 1953, Kashmir was to see yet another political betrayal. Sheikh Abdullah, the then prime minister popular by the name lion of Kashmir, was sent to jail. His close aid and confidante Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad was installed in his place. The architect of the coup was none other than the best friend of Sheikh, his once proclaimed soul mate, Pandit Nehru: man tu shudi; tu man shudam. People reacted harshly. The valley boiled over. Hundreds of people were,  reportedly,  killed during the violent protests across Kashmir, scores injured and hundreds jailed.

It was amid this fret and fever that Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad: once the mobiliser for Sheikh, was given the charge of affairs. His immediate challenge,  presumably,  was to bring the anger down and later to stabilize and strengthen his rule. “Appeasements were the means adopted to achieve this end,” Gulam Rasool Sofi, an old political activist said.  Octogenarian Sofi was active on the political scene before and during Bakshi’s and Sadiq’s times. Among a series of measures taken by the Bakshi regime to assuage the anger of the masses the most colourful, discernible and widely felt was Jashn-e-Kashmir: the Festival of Kashmir.

The festival was organized in 1956 and continued throughout the year. It was a cultural extravaganza that included an elaborate series of entertainment like theatre performances, exhibitions, music and dance, fun and frolic.  Recounting the experiences from those times noted satirist and activist of the Valley, Zareef Ahmed Zareef said, “I was young and participated in many programs as the audience. I vividly remember bombur- yimberzal drama, melodies of Zoon Begum and qawali by the famous Habib Painter.”

The functions would be organized in every nook and corner of the Valley. In villages, people would turn up in huge numbers and would get enthralled by the performances of bhand pather, Chakri and tamasha. Bakhshi would distribute kebabs in the audience. In towns and cities, tea parties would be organized for the elite. Bakhshi would send his ministers to participate in these functions. In an unpublished interview, senior separatist leader and chairman of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani, has narrated an incident.

“During those days we visited Sopore area to meet some of our party members.   In the meantime, Azan was called and we decided to first offer Nimaz.  To our utter surprise, we found that not many people have turned up at the Masjid. When we inquired about the conspicuous absence  of people  in the Masjid, we were told that people have gone to Jashn-e -Kashmir gala being organized there that day.”

These functions would also be organized at Neudos hotel, Emporium Ground, Badamwari, TRC ground, Colleges and also in the Mughal gardens. “Shab-e-Shalimar and Shab-e-Nishat were particularly exuberant and grand shows of light and sound,” said Zareef.

According to Zareef, besides political motives, the festival was also a manifestation of Bakshi’s inner liking as he was, “A great admirer of performing arts, music and poetry. He would invite celebrated poets from all over India for mushaira and would himself sit, even throughout the night, to enjoy the poetry and performances.”

PM Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad during Jashn-e-Kashmir celebration in this file pic.
PM Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad during Jashn-e-Kashmir celebration in this file pic.

“Shameem Ahmed Shameem was the soul of the festival and noted poet Mir Gulam Rasool Nazki was the cultural ambassador who would oversee the poetic congregations,” Zareef added. Bakshi also created a separate Cultural Office in the State Information Department that indicate his inclination towards the promotion of cultural activities. He would engage the artists throughout the Valley and would pay them money; this created a source of income for them that gave them motivation to further enhance their skills.

Bakhshi took the visiting USSR leaders in a huge boat procession in the river Jhelum. Thousands of people were on either side of the river banks to reet them in December 1955.

Noted writer and literary figure of Kashmir, Gulam Nabi Khayal, has also been a participant in the festival. In his opinion, the festival had two aspects. One was the “political motivation” and the other he said, “Kashmir’s potential to evolve as a tourist destination.” “In this venture, Bakhshi succeeded because Kashmir got exposed to the Indian Press. They wrote about peace in Kashmir and allayed the inhibitions people outside the state had developed about the conditions in the Valley that would discourage them from making any trips,” said Khayaal.

Other important consequences of the festival, in Khayaal’s view, were the opportunity and encouragement young writers, of which he himself was one, received; and also the impetus cultural movement in Kashmir got by these events. “It proved the beginning of the cultural movement in Kashmir that later transformed into the progressive movement and that put Kashmir on the larger literary map of the sub-continent. Many stalwarts came out of this movement.”

Narrating an incident, Khayaal said, “A poet would normally be paid Rs 20 for a rendition in Jashn-e-Kashmir. It was that time that around Sonawari area in north Kashmir there was a devastating flood. Bakhshi wanted the poets to write about it and for their poetry, they were paid Rs 50 each.”

Sheikh Abdullah, no doubt, was the most towering leader of Kashmir and had an unparallel appeal amongst the masses; nevertheless, from 1947 to 1953, many see his regime as one of suppression. People, especially those perceived as non-conformists, suffered the most. Khayaal said, “It was an era of dynasty rule and many people faced torture, forced exile and were put through other repressive tactics.” “Bakhshi opened his arms to people and embraced all even the poor of the poorest and that made him popular. He raised most of the infrastructure Kashmir has today,” he further added.

Gulam Rasool Sofi has a similar explanation for the festival being received so well, “In Sheikh’s time people suffered badly and on many counts. The environment was suppressive and people had become indifferent; psychological pressure, fret and insecurity was a marked picture of those days and Bakshi put a balm on their aching hearts.”

According to Sofi, Sheikh could not read the pulse of the people as much as Bakshi could as he was active on the ground and was a crowd puller. Sofi said, “Whatever Bakshi did was very much a political diversion. However, that also signified the stability of affluence in the shape of food, cash, contracts, route permits, labour, employment and the festivities of the festival.”

After Maharaja’s rule ended the culture of festivities had diminished, but Bakshi revived it with more fervour and significant modification. “He was like a king,” said Zareef.

In July 1957, the Sadar-i-Riyasat, Jammu and Kashmir State, administering the Oath of Office and Secrecy to Bakhshi Ghulam Mohammed as Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir State.

Hafsa Kanjwal, a PhD student studying Bakshi period has a different point of view. She said, “I think it’s also important to situate cultural activities like Jashn-e-Kashmir in the context of the leftist trends that were happening in Kashmir and globally at the time. The culture was a site of activity for many leftist movements, especially in Asia and the Soviet Union. Naya Kashmir, which was written in 1944, also included a section on the promotion of culture. This was done to promote a secular, socialist understanding of Kashmiri society. It seems Bakshi was quite aware of the role culture can play in shaping society towards certain ends”

The widely held belief is the festival of Kashmir and other measures taken during the Bakshi era were meant to dilute the political pressures and divert people’s attention from the prevailing situation. But how far did he succeed? “It worked for his times at least,” Sofi affirmed.

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