“Hastien hunz dab zandan hunz shahmat “
Today I have nothing to write about and to discuss. Let me share an anecdote with my readers.
A poor peasant had a strategic piece of land located alongside the vast estates of two warring Zamindars. These Zamindars were eyeing for poor man’s piece of land for long. The initial luring, coercion, and motivation lead to dispute between one of the Zamindars (landlord) and the poor fellow. As the poor farmer was hot headed, man made of different lot and did not hide his resolve to fight relentlessly for the sake of his land. The dispute lead no where but instead devastated the farmer to the extremes. The poor peasant was being bullied by the landlord and made to run from pillar to post for mere justice. Poor farmer lost every thing except the unlucky piece of land and was about to break.
The influential landlord was all set to grab poor peasants land with all his might and power but intervention by the rival Zamindar prolonged the annexation. Rival Zamindar came in between and offered help to the poor farmer and instigated him to fight to his last. The ready help was not due to sympathy for farmer but out of long nourished rivalry among the two landlords. A new but vigorous battle for the piece of land became hot news in the area. The new Samaritan of the poor and exploited peasant infused fresh blood into the battle. It became a proxy war between the two Zamindars through the medium of that poor farmer. The poor man was trampled, reduced to rubble but the resolution of the dispute was no where in sight, proving true the Kashmiri maxim, ‘ Hastien hunz dab zandan hunz shahmat’ ( the fight between two elephants ends trampling on of poor bushes).
One fine morning the two warlords called it a day and were about to cease their hostilities in the interest of their own survival and future of their progeny. This truce was brokered by the Raja of that area for his own survival, survival of the feudal system of oppression and exploitation and to avoid any flashpoint of revolution against oppression. The poor farmer was condemned to face misery and penury; crushed by the might of two land lords, his small piece of land was grabbed. Poor fellow cursed the day he got involved in this futile long drawn battle which ended in his destruction.
It is now up to the readers to conclude about the morale of this short story. But for your information I have made a conclusion; the poor farmer must have been none other than poor oppressed, exploited and subjugated Kashmiri and the unfortunate piece of land his beautiful valley of flowers, streams and lakes. As far the other characters of the story readers will ‘excuse me’ as I am unable to comment.
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