Where is Barkat?

Published in Greater Kashmir on November 25, 2008

 

Gone. They say. Really? I ask

Many a time the verse of poet - yaade maazi azaab hai yarab… fails to find our favour, especially when we talk of old times and the Barkat of those bygone days, in nostalgic mood. God knows how, even those people who exhibit signs of forgetfulness in other matters, still remember rates of consumer items like one khaar of rice, a maund of fire wood, one seer of mutton etc. Fond narration of the pay or wage structure, found sufficient even by a large family with single earning hand, resonates all around in chance- gatherings wherein all agree that the barkat, pervaded then, every where. Ladies talk about Baed Leij, Daane Gaej and Jannti Baed Ded while Noeshe koarre listen in rapt attention. Now a days, alas! It is no where seen, lament all.


I hold nothing against Barkat. Yet I refuse to buy the story. People who find past better than the present, find my statement weird, and respond in haste, questioning how I react to the mirror today, compared to the days of my prime, realizing little that the subject matter concerns economics, not aesthetics.

To me it is a simple matter of logic. Savings result when there is a surplus. Money leftover after meeting basic needs of sustenance, like food and clothing, creates possibilities of spending on upgraded style of living. Better food, better clothing, better houses and better amenities of life become possible only when income is better.

In bygone days a very simple diet--noone chai te kander ts-ut ya soett, & hakh te batte, hardly a pair of dress—kameez yazarre te pherun baie pulhoor ya khraw, and down to earth houses—of maharajee bricks or kham seerri, thatched roofs, burze pash & mud walls, described the valley of our grandfather’s time.

Diet of common man has improved a lot. Now intake of Kokerpoot russ te doade glass doesn’t need Hakeem’s permission. In fact a sizable portion of society needs regular workouts to burn excess calories. Don’t we see the increasing scenes of the battle of bulge and fitness race on which numberless Gyms thrive? Rolly- Polly dames of well to do familes, who are not even inclined towards household chores, throng our roads and parks at dawn and dusk, with serious intent. True health consciousness has increased but fighting obesity is a necessity that many find compelling.
Now a day if fruits find their way to many households the reason is more than the ten rupee per Kg C-grade apple available on raidas in every street. Few decades back it was quite normal to enquire about their well being when a neighbour was spotted carrying oranges to his home. Advising intake of fruit was hakeems domain and substituting oranges with sarrd mujje by a miser--that led to worsening his health condition, is a joke we still relish.

If one wants to peep into the past, writings of Lawrence or Biscoe provide a sketch. Those of us who had the chance to see the collection of photographs dated post 1850, exhibited during the numaish at Exhibition Grounds Srinagar from past few years, can visualize what the condition of common people was, prior to that. Dress was simple and tin trunks didn’t hold the array accommodated by wardrobes at present. Some people may refresh another well known joke about Dangje peth booboen yazaar and remember the tradition of Pahhe khander palov.

Humble houses that dotted on the banks of our Veith were of course beautiful, especially when we consider their traditional architecture, but lack of facilities and amenities inside them cannot be over looked. Imagine the plight of ladies who were supposed to fetch water from the river in earthen pots nout in winter clime with Khrav on their feet, faltering on the stair less bank. Digging out steps with shovels was the task Biscoe performed on the river bank when he saw lazy Kashmiri males guffawing laughter whenever a female slipped down-bringing to mind the lyrics noet me photmo malinev ho.
Conjure tears rolling down the cheeks of our grandmothers trying to lit the fire of daan with air blown through phooke noer and compare it with the click of gas stoves. Now washing machines have replaced the daebbin te narren hinz hekkath. Vaccum cleaners are replacing latsul te doegoen kummer. In short ease pervades where discomfort ruled yesterday.

The point is that the sum total of assets that exist on this land today when divided by the population surface the fact that individual of today is much richer than his counterpart of yesteryears. Had not the deity of Barkat been more inclined to shower her beneficence on today’s man our general affluence would not have existed. We have surplus that is why we spend on things and in the quantum our grand fathers would not have dreamt of. Barkat is conspicuously witnessed today, my
friend, why be thankless naives.