Sarwanand Koul Premi

Sarwanand Koul Premi, also spelled Sarvanand Kaul Premi (2 Nov. 1924 – 1 May 1990), was a famous Kashmiri poet, journalist, research scholar, Gandhian, social reformer and independence activist living in Jammu & Kashmir, India. He along with his young married son, Verinder (27) was kidnapped and executed by Islamic assailants in 1990.[1][2][3][4][5] The assassination happened during the rise of Kashmir's militant movement.[6]

Sarwanand Koul Premi

Early life and education

Sarwanand was the son of Gopi Nath Koul and Omravati Koul, who were members of the Kashmiri Pandit family of Soaf-Shali (ancient Sanskrit name: Supt-Shaleshwar) village in Kashmir's Anantnag district. They were a farming family and used to live in the village of Sof-Shali, near the Kokarnag tourist area in the Anantnag District of Kashmir. Premi's father was the first matriculate to receive further education.

After his initial schooling, Premi was admitted to mission High School in Anantnag where from he passed his Matriculation in 1939 and enrolled in Punjab University, Lahore. Later, he obtained his B.A. and Hon's in Hindi(Prabhakar) from Pnjab University, M.A. and B.Ed. degrees from Jammu and Kashmir University. From 1942 to 1946, he worked underground for the Quit India Movement and was arrested six times during this period.

For a few years he worked for the Village and the Khadi Industries Board (a state enterprise) as well as the Industries Department of Punjab. He returned to Kashmir and joined the education department of Jammu and Kashmir as a teacher from 1954-1977.[7]

Personal life

In 1948, he married Oma who came from the village of Hangalgund (Anantnag). They had 3 sons and 4 daughters.

Work

His poetry was primarily focused on the common suffering of the Kashmiri people. His early work was written in Hindi and Urdu, but he later began writing in Kashmiri as well, on the advice of Zinda Koul, a renowned poet, and a contemporary. He was often in the company of other poets like Zinda Koul, and Ghulam Ahmed Mehjoor. It was Mehjoor who gave him the name "Premi" (meaning Lover) because his poetry was full of love for Kashmir.

He could read and write in Hindi, Urdu, English, and Kashmiri and understood Persian and Sanskrit.

Published work
  1. Kalami Premi
  2. Payami Premi
  3. Rood Jeri
  4. Osh ta Vush
  5. Gitanjanli (Translations)
  6. Russi Padshah Katha
  7. Panctchadar (poetic collections)
  8. Bakhti Koosum
  9. Akhri Mulaqat
  10. Mathur Devi
  11. MIrza Kak (life and works)
  12. Mirza Kak Ji Wakhs
  13. Kashmiri ki beeti
  14. Bagwat Gita (Translations 1)
  15. Taj
  16. Rupa Bhawani[8]

Unpublished work
  1. Ramayana
  2. Kehn Dharmik Katha
  3. Bhakti Qusam
  4. Walkh hia premi
  5. Pushkin Sanza nazma
  6. Araadhana
  7. Aalath
  8. Laleshwari
  9. Madhushala
  10. Suruhas Kun
  11. My Holy Father
  12. Tears of Joy and Love
  13. Spiritual Doses
  14. Uttrances of Premi
  15. Hamara Majhoor
  16. Parmarth Shatak

Premi's bhajan to Rupa Bhawani was used as the title song in the 2018 film Alakh Ishwari by Kanwal Peshin.

Awards

In 1997, he was posthumously awarded a Gold Medal by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir for his contributions to the field of social, cultural and communal amity.

Death
News Report on Mr. Sarwanana Permi & Virender Premi Execution

On the evening of 29-30 April 1990, three masked assailants entered his home and kidnapped him and his younger son, Virendra Koul. Their dead bodies were found on 1 May 1990. Their murders were part of a series of killings of prominent personalities from the minority Kashmiri Hindu community during the rise of the anti-India, pro-Pakistan Islamic militant movement in Kashmir.

References
  1. "A Poet of hope". www.dailyexcelsior.com. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  2. "Real Tragedy of Kashmir". www.kashmirherald.com. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  3. "The Unsung Hero of Kashmiriyat - Sarwanand Kaul Premi - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir". www.earlytimesnews.com. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  4. Editorjknews. "JKCA pays tributes to the Sarwanand Koul Premi on his 27th death anniversary". jknewspoint.com. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  5. "Banished from Home ~ I - The Statesman". The Statesman. 13 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  6. "Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits: What happened on January 19, 26 years ago?". India Today. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  7. Pandita, R. (2007). Pt. Sarwanand Kaul Premi. Retrieved from http://www.shehjar.com/list/16/87/1.html
  8. Kartik Chandra Dutt (1999). Who's who of Indian Writers, 1999: A-M. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 585–. ISBN 978-81-260-0873-5.
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