Srinagar : My City my Dreamland:

By Altaf Bashir

The book contains 277 pages, and costs 695 INR. There is a choice for students who can purchase the book with a discount offered at the bookstore in Srinagar. The author is well known columnist in daily Greater Kashmir who has written those scripts on Sunday column ‘Nostalgia’ and has assembled them to present before the public in book form, with new things added to it which one cannot see in those columns. As the author mentioned “Nostalgia is like a goblet of elixir that revitalizes the dead nerves, invigorates fatigued mind and puts rhythm in lethargic heart” similar feeling one will have after reading the book Srinagar my city my dreamland.

The book unfolds a multifaceted city of Srinagar which has gone a sea change over the years and it makes one to think about its past especially its social, political, religious and community life. The book Srinagar My city my dreamland is memoir of ZGM and with all his magical words of a long journey that makes one to relieve agonies and ecstasies begins with the chapter “story of my birth” in which author mentions about his birth not at any state hospital but at home with the help of not a gynecologist but a Jana warren (midwife) who brought him into this world. Those times during the hours of emergency children rush to mid wives’ homes, and in case death occur it would not be the inefficiency of midwives but because of the delay in getting a midwife. The author mentions that he was born at the most important period of history, where less than a year after the planeloads of soldiers in olive green airlifted from New Delhi in wee hours landed on the only air strip of Srinagar. Nowhatta the authors’ birth burg wherein he opened up his eyes first time and lived his blissful childhood. He went to local school of those times namely “Jabbari – Chattihal” the school was upto eight standard later shifted to another school after studied upto second class @ Jabbari school. In the chapter “Beauty in somber days” the author mentions about those days summer holidays which were full of fun but winter holidays used to be dull and drab. Those days there were lot of hustle bustle around Naid Kadal and Bohri Kadal areas during winter and summer also. Small time vendors selling different food items would squat on both sides of the roads leading to the academy where tuitions centre was situated. These vendors included Moungegears – Selling traditional snacks, sheep skull meat sellers, hooves, tongue and brain, barbigh selling roasted peas and soyabeans, and Dandaur selling fresh vegetables, their cries were inviting customers, would fill the air giving the area an ambience of medieval bazaar.

The author talked about his noon time scenes which were commonly called recess at school during summer days, when they along with peers stroll from school towards home for having lunch. Before joined friend author used to visit home for quick lunch and return to the mosque, the author while returning back to school would seen hawkers from Punjab chanting aloud Rashme Kapede sastay Rasme Kapday, and the women sitting and standing around these hawkers in an open space on the backyard of his home. Women during those times remained inwards and the only interaction with men other than the family members was with the cloth and trinket sellers. Though women they rejoiced talking to them and from toddler girls to elderly women every woman was fond of bangles. Through the interiors of Mohallas and selling earrings, rings with cheap stones, glass bangles, nail polish and other cheap cosmetic to women “Besieth” with casket of jewellery slinging on their shoulder walked though the alley of those days.

There are so many chapters in which author has mentioned different scenes of his childhood which one can know only after purchasing book and enjoy the reading, while i was reading this book, i was drifting through it like the story of my childhood.

A lot of praise to the authors who handle his nostalgic experiences aptly as a genre of writing, which also has been beautifully able to portray his, experiences about the city which he has lived in over the years,

Altaf Bashir a student has mailed us this book review.
Author can be reached at isaismoon@gmail.com