Written by Farooq Shahmeeri
Basheer Asrar is not bound to any introduction. He was one of the most gifted poets and authors who had done splendid and extraordinary work in the fields of Kashmiri and Urdu literature. He had been associated with literature since 1967. He had written his autobiography in the form of poetry that contains about 700 verses. His autobiography had been published in one of his poetry books named “Karvan-e-Sukhan.” The said autobiography uncovers all the facts and struggles that he faced in his real life. He was succumbed to poverty right from his childhood. But despite being poor, he never felt despaired. He was a man of high thinking and believed in simple living. He courageously faced all the hardships and hindrances that came along his way. He threw himself heart and soul into enhancing the Kashmiri and Urdu languages.
In 1967, a magazine named “Swarg Mounue Watan” was published through the J & K Cultural Academy (Shaheedgang, Srinagar) in which the first poem of Basheer Asrar, namely ‘Baji Watth’, was published. This poem became so famous that it left a profound effect on the life of Basheer Asrar and made him feel that he possessed the beautiful god-given gift of poetry. After this first success, he never looked back and went on writing steadily without showing any sign of tiredness. In those days, he used to write under his pen-name ‘Basheer Ahmed Hayaat’. Following is one of the best stanzas of his poem ‘Baji Watth’:
Sona meereni khah ta Doori
Sona Ramen danda joori
Ram Singhni Ala baani
Assi chhe tuhend tuhi chhee saani.
He also believed in hard work. He did strenuous hard work day and night to earn his livelihood to fulfill his family needs. Besides, he was a famous Unani Physician (Hakeem). He was considered to be very skilled in the removal of kidney stones. Patients from distant places having any sort of diseases came to him for consultation as well as the treatment of their ailments, and got rid of them by the relieving hand of the Hakeem Sahib.
He was associated with Sufism and held a very important place in the world of literature. Sufi poetry was the main objective in his life. His personality and love for Sufi poetry are reflected in his poems. He was skilled and talented in writing various kinds of poems with different moods and ideas like humorous poems, Sufi poems, revolutionary poems, sentimental poems, parodies, rubai, etc. In addition to this, he possessed the superb talent of writing National or Patriotic Songs that are specially sung on National Festivals like Republic Day and Independence Day. Following are a few stanzas of such poems:
Talsa samitaw dilbaraw as praanipathi
Sani aangan roe karaw az praanipathi
Sooth aaw valow nair Badam Bagh Chhaw
Booli ker janawaraw as praanipathi
Nagbal kay aaba Devu-bal chhalaw
Shouqa tatay leela paraw as praanipathi
Aous taile yus suie Basheer Asrar
Chhus Zaani tauw danishvarow as praanipaath.
Such poems reflect his quality of being patriotic. His poems are often played on Radio Kashmir and Doordarshan Kendra. His work for the Kashmiri as well as Urdu literature is unparalleled, which is not only a complex job but impossible for a poor man like him in this period of price-rise. He was a distinguished critic and a man of letters. He always encouraged newcomers in the field of poetry and always remained presentable to them. His poetry always remains a source of encouragement for the young generation and serves as an eye-opener for those who are misled. He was the first poet to have composed a grammar book of Kashmiri in the form of poetry. The said grammar book consists of A to Z of Kashmiri grammatical rules, and the peculiarity of the book is that all the famous stories, letters, applications, essays, etc., are written in the form of poetry. This grammar book depicts the talent and hard work of Basheer Asrar Sahab.
In 1985, he formed the “Adabi Organization” named ‘The District Cultural Association Anantnag’, which is still considered to be a patronage for poets. Besides this, he is also the founder of ‘Bazm-e-Khadim’. He had written and published about 14 booklets and 16 books until his death. These include Mizraab, Sona-Warq, Siyasat, Noorey Noor, Loul, Machher, Aala Maal, Karvan-e-Sukhan, Aabshaar, Satsung, Shaan, and others. He had also compiled many books related to late/deceased poets. These include Kulyat Hassan Misger, Kulyat Qadiri, Kulyat Rasool Nowshehri, Kulyat Bulgar, and Kulyat Salaam Mandho. Also, the books related to the presently active poets include Adnan, Ghash, Shehlath, Wuzin, Zitin, and others. In the market, his poetry is available in the form of cassettes/CDs in every music shop. One of his cassettes has recently been introduced in the market, which added to his fame as an enhancer of literary work. This cassette consists of one of his most touching songs. Following are a few lines of the song:
Yelleh banith aam zindagani
Khund lagim har taraf gaie
Natawani khund lagim
He did a lot for the sake of Urdu and Kashmiri literature until his death. From 1986 to 1991, he used to publish a weekly newspaper ‘The Anantnag Times’ and also served as its editor, printer, and publisher. Still today, it is also being published on certain special events. The name Basheer Asrar is not new to the people of Kashmir. It is a household name among the people of Kashmir. In 1995, he, along with his colleague and poet Javaid Yaqoot, arranged and managed the 3-day Kashmiri Adabi Conference at the Govt. Women College Anantnag. In 1986, he participated in the World Urdu Conference of All India Progressive Writers (Golden Jubilee) at Viranderalia Hall in Lucknow, in which he was enlisted to be a member of the said Conference by the famous writer and General Secretary of the World (Aalami) Urdu Conference, Mr. Ajay Sahani. His decision was praised by famous writers of their time, including Sardar Jaffery, Kaifi Azmi, Ghulam Rabani Taban, Sibt Hassan Rizvi, and others.
In 1995, on behalf of the Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy, a Kashmiri Adabi Conference was held in Jammu. The announcer Mr. Syed Rasool Pampur (Sheeraza Editor) commenced the said Conference with one of the stunned patriotic songs of Basheer Asrar. Following are a few lines of the song:
Milcharuk choung prezelavith pakh
Athasy seeth atha milnavith pakh
Maaie muhabbat loul baagravith pakh
Athasy seeth atha milnavith pakh
Despite having done praiseworthy work in enhancing Kashmiri and Urdu literature, he never felt proud of himself and always lived a humble life. Unfortunately, this gem left for the heavenly abode on 03-01-2021. May God give him the highest place in Jannah. (Aameen).
