Amin
Kamil was
born in Kaprin village of Shopian district in Kashmir in 1923. He studied
law and Urdu literature at Aligarh Muslim University. He briefly taught
Urdu in S P College, Srinagar, briefly practiced law before he joined
Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages. In the Academy,
Kamil held the position of Editor Kashmiri Publications and retired in
1980.
Books
Poetry:
masmalar(1955); lava ta prava(1965); beyi suy paan(1967); padis pod tshaay(1972);yim
myany sokhan (2006) Fiction: gati manz gaash (1955);
kathimanz kath (1966) Criticism: roohani falsafa (19..);
jawaban chu arz vol.1(1999); mohjoornen bonen tal (1999); jawaban chu
arz vol.2 (2007) Edited works:
Best
of Kamil
qaseeda
vakhi
valith pad
ghazal
kokar jang
Dina Nath Nadim (1916-88) --- With Dina Nath Nadim's poetry, a new phase was introduced in Kashmiri literature. Dina Nath was born in Srinagar. He received his B.A. degree in 1943 and obtained his B.T. degree in 1947. For several years he taught at the Hindu High School. After independence, he was appointed Assistant Director of Social Education. Nadim introduced various poetic styles into Kashmiri. He was the first Kashmiri poet to write in ‘blank verse.’ He used the Kashmiri language with great grace and craftsmanship. He depicted the beauty, the poverty and the plight of Kashmir in his poetry. Nadim has also composed poetry in folk style. In 1971, He received the Soviet Land Nehru award (1971) and the Sahitya Akademi award (1986) for his book, Shihil Kul (poetry). He travelled to Russia, China, and other countries and was greatly influenced by communism and by progressive writers. Nadim also wrote the first opera in the Kashmiri language, entitled, Bombir ti Yembirzal (The Bumblebee and the Narcissus). Dina Nath Nadim has greatly influenced Kashmiri poets. Nadim's dexterity in stylistic innovation and the freshness of his themes helped him to acquire that stature. He seems lo use words playfully, with intriguing combinations and creative effects in a seemingly effortless display of craftsmanship. One is left wondering, "why could not I think of that". Not many of Nadim's contemporaries could think of comparable devices, which explains why as his contemporary Lone says, they "were not only influenced by Nadim, but also inspired to write in his vein. Some of them went to the extent of copying his style while some adopted his themes in their poems." The secret of Nadim's art seems to lie in his intuition for an effortless use of a highly appropriate vocabulary, a keen ear for the sound and rhythm of his native language, and, above all, an artist's instinct for combining all his formal apparatus in fresh imagery. Nadim passed through many stages, and at each stage he engaged in distinct thematic and stylistic experiments. As Braj B. Kachru observes, "That process still continues; so does the Nadim Era."
Gulam Rasool Santosh (1929-97) --- Poet-painter Gulam Rasool Santosh was born in 1929, to a lower middle class family. He completed his Matriculation in 1945, with painting as a subject but was forced to give up further studies because of his father's death. In his early years, Santosh was greatly influenced by geometric shapes and the mysticism of the Kashmir valley. Although Santosh began by painting landscapes, he was gradually influenced by cubism and switched over to creating cubist landscapes, a theme for which he is very popular now. He is a recipient of the Lalit Kala Akademi award and the honour of Padma Shree. He received the Sahitya Akademi award (1979) for his collections of poems, Besoakh Ruh. In 1985, he received the Kalhana award.
Rahman
Rahi (b. 1925) --- Abdul Rahman Rahi was born on May 6, 1925.
Orphaned at an early age, he was brought up by his maternal uncle. He
worked in the Public Works Department for a brief period in 1948. He has
also worked as member of the editorial staff of the Urdu daily Khidmat,
the official organ of the ruling National Conference Party. Around this
time, he also joined the Progressive Writer's Association of which he
was elected General Secretary after few years, coinciding with his leaving
journalism. He also edited a few issues of Kwang Posh, the literary journal
of the Progressive Writer's Association. Eventually he joined the cultural
wing of the undeclared Communist Party of Kashmir while pursuing his studies.
He did his M.A. in Persian (in 1952) and English Literature (in 1962)
from Jammu and Kashmir University. He was on the Board of Editors of the
Urdu daily Aajkal, Delhi, from 1953 to 1955. His collections of poems
include Subhuk Soda and Kalami Rahi. He was awarded the Padmashri. He
has received several other awards and honours including J K Cultural Academy
award (1980), Sahitya Akademi award (1962) and Emeritus Fellowship awarded
by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India (1989).
