Recreating Kashmir: Conditions and Limitations

Recreating Kashmir: Conditions and Limitations

ASA’s poems deal largely with the experience of Kashmir and the state of being Kashmiri. The poet finds himself, more often than not, remembering and recreating this experience in spaces and forms that themselves are temporal. I will argue that the state of exile – itself temporal – realizes itself best in spaces and forms that are characterized by both spatial and temporal fluidity.

‘‘The Last Saffron’’ starts with the bold assertion that ‘‘I will die, in autumn, in Kashmir’’ (27) followed by a prediction that this death will be documented –albeit partly censored - in the Saffron Sun and the Times of Rain. A documentation of his death implies an eternal acknowledgement of both his life and death – but he is not even granted this permanence. We are told that these newspapers will be ‘’sold in black, then destroyed’’ (27). Their ‘‘blood censored’’ (27) nature also undermines any attempt at veracity. This form then, is not only unreliable but also temporary.  Moreover, these tabloids will be nailed to the fence of ‘Grindlay’s Bank’, representing and re-creating the experience of Kashmir at a space that is characterized by its inconstancy (the tabloids will constantly be replaced by new ones). The backdrop for the perpetuation of this narrative becomes mundane every-day life: as characterized by the nature of the impersonal bank. The bank also stands for fleetingness: it is the institution through which hundreds of everyday transactions take place. Capital constantly changes hands; there is once again no room for permanence.  Another motif of spatial transience is the taxi and the ‘Zero Taxi Stand’. The taxi-driver stands for endless possibilities with the promise that he will ‘‘take you anywhere, even in curfew hours’’ (27). The bouquet that he gives the poetic persona furthers our trust in him.

A similar argument can be made in ‘‘I Dream I Am the Only Passenger on Flight 423 to Srinagar’’ in which both spatial and temporal transience are represented by the plane. The announcement system of the aircraft continuously reminds the persona of Begum Akhtar. The announcements seem to be part of the same process of remembering given that the two processes take place immediately ‘’they announced DEPARTURE. I touched her arm. Her sari was turquoise’’ (31) – or rather, one can argue that the airport and the airlines, both spaces characterized by a temporal existence, allow the persona to consolidate his memories. Official reportage also comes up in this poem –the death of Begum Akhtar is announced in a newspaper. This newspaper is given by the airhostess – ‘‘the hostess pours tea, hands me the Statesman’’ (32) – once again newspaper reportage is associated with the impersonal and mundane – the newspaper is just ‘handed’ over tea.