The title may appear compelling harsh and unpleasant one in taste, inspite of it am not apologetic. Both the particular family and the community deserves nothing better. Facts detailed hereunder will show mirror to both. Of course the truth will hurt but it must be told unadulterated.
Nearly four weeks ago I had written in the Kashmir Interchange e-mail platform the following:
“For more than seven decades of my life, I have never felt more angry, hurt, disappointed and helpless to condemn the cynical psyche of our community than I felt today after I became aware of a fellow community member of our times, of unassailable brilliance and yet ignored and forgotten by my “begarat koum”. The feeling is nauseating, disgustingly almost emetic!
“Past one hundred years our community has produced quite a number of eminent men and women in several walks of life, some recognized for their achievements in several fields and walks of life and yet there are many who have been ignored and forgotten by the community that bears the shocking and strange fault- line in it’s collective psyche to kill an achiever by cold shouldering his or her achievements.
“Public recognition and acknowledgement for its own achievers is a natural apartheid that afflicts our community. This syndrome is almost an incurable diseases that plagues our community. It operates at several levels, sometimes at personal levels but quite often at the societal levels as well.
“Envy, jealousy, rivalry, hatred and to belittle others is in our blood. This malignancy has shown its effect in more menacing manner in more recent decades .
“To cut the long matter short, I am indicating to one such ignored soul of our community whose academic and scholarly achievements are unparalleled in the community.
The academic achievements earned by him followed by a brilliant scholarly career are enviable and yet this man is ignored, forgotten and unknown today.
“In all likelihood no living KP must be even aware of his academic distinction nor the recognition he was accorded by British India Government. More than that he has many books to his credit that have been hailed as classics in respective fields across the world”.
At the time, I withheld the identity of this genius but shared with the readers his achievements in the hope that, may be based on such indicators, someone may surprise me by identifying him. My guess even then was that none knows about him. And yet I wished I were proved wrong.
I had then indicated that this man was the only KP in our history who had been decorated by three Indian Viceroys during the last century for his unparalleled academic excellence.
For his all- round excellence he was awarded three coveted medals; Lord Landsdowne’s Silver Medal for All- Round – Best Boy in CMS High School, Srinagar; Lord Hardinge’s Gold Medal for standing First in B.A; and Lord Chelmsford’s Gold Medal for the All-Round Best Graduate in S.P. College, Srinagar.
I had therefore invited the community in general and readers on the Kashmir Interchange platform to identify this genius of the community. Although I had little hope yet I had wished my pessimism was shattered.
Nothing followed. There was almost a deafening silence. One or two weak and casual responses recieved privately were completely off the mark. A friend indicated a couple of names and when told he was wrong, he clearly stated I can make no further guess.
A friend even suggested to announce a cash reward for the right answer. As no responses came forth, he even suggested that ungrateful community does not deserve to know its forgotten icon.
I kept my patience but nothing followed. However I now realize that my riddle evoked no response from the community and its indifference would only add to the continuing anonymity of this genius.
To withhold his identity would amount to sin.
The worst is that several branches of this genius’s clan and family are presently among the most active members of the society. A few among them are prolific writers and contribute regularly to several community publications.
Some of them capture limelight and some are in leadership roles of the community. Someone from the clan aspires for a big political role in the country.
The person is a founder of an international initiative that is looking for ways and means to rehabilitate the exiled community and carve its future. Well read, well known he gloats political patronage and even claims a following of a sloganeering crowd and yet he is ignorant of his clan icon or is he fearing that his own reputation may pale before the kin of his clan!
This indifference appears appalling.
It even defies logic that how one so bright and luminous has been eclipsed by the larger clan or his surviving descendants and as a result provoked the community to black out his memory.
But the sin of the silence can not continue. This genius can no longer remain anonymous. His achievements, instead need to be celebrated. After all he is our hero!
Hence, ignoring the advice of my friend, I decided to disclose the identity of the gentleman and give some brief information about him to the community.
In my best judgement he is a community icon who deserves posthumous recognition and deserving honor. In doing so I hope the genial soul will pardon our collective sin to have eclipsed him.
That he belonged to us instills an unsurpassed pride. May be that inspires our younger generation to emulate his feat or try come near to his achievements.
Here is the brief profile of this forgotten and forsaken genius.
The hidden genius is none other than J.N.( Janki Nath ) Ganhar, born in October, 1916 at Srinagar to Pandit Gobind Joo Ganhar and Srimati Kongmali Ganhar.
After completing his postgraduate in English Language & Literature, J.N .Ganhar joined the State service where he rose to the post of Director News, Radio Kashmir, now Akashvani Sringar.
Later ,he went over to Centre and served in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting holding charge of different Media Units until his retirement in 1974.
J.N.Ganhar was a prolific writer and has several books to his credit one of which he co-authored with his brother P.N.Ganhar whom he called ” Boubji” and who has been acclaimed a world authority on Buddhist Studies.
During his service career, J.N.Ganhar edited the monthly journal Jammu & Kashmir Information for the Kashmir Government. Post retirement he founded and ran Kashmir’s foremost English weekly newspaper the Kashmir Herald.
I must state that I feel a great relief to have been able to procure the photographs of J.N.Ganhar and his proud parents Pandit Gobind Joo Ganhar( father) and Srimati Kongmali Ganhar ( mother) through the kind help of my dear friend Dr. S.N.Pandita .
It is also learned by me that J.N.Ganhar lived at Indira Nagar, Srinagar until June 1984.
Despite my best efforts, I have been unable to ascertain about his death. However, unconfirmed information puts it to 2002.
Lastly, with this brief resurrections of this forgotten genius ,it is my hope that the community will now perpetuate his hallowed memory in a suitable manner and his life and work inspires the future generations.
Captions to Photographs:
1) J.N.Ganhar
2) Pandit Gobind Joo Ganhar
3) Srimati Kongmali Ganhar
(The writer is a Jammu based environmentalist and a regular contributor to this Website.)
(Feedback at: blparimoo@gmail.com)
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