Vasudev Reh—a far-sighted poet
- Help in finding out our Unsung Heroes
Throughout history, there have been countless individuals whose remarkable contributions have been overlooked, overshadowed or forgotten. These unsung heroes, often marginalized due to one reason or the other, have made significant impacts on society, yet their stories have remained largely untold. Such unsung heroes even exist in Jammu and Kashmir and very few are aware of their contribution—for the reason that nothing substantial has unfortunately been written about them.
While much is being written on already established personalities of Jammu and Kashmir, it is time to shine a light on these overlooked figures, acknowledging their invaluable contributions and ensuring their place in the annals of history. Kashmir Rechords has decided to find such unsung heroes who have been marginalized but deserve recognition for their resilience and contributions to their communities and beyond.
In our last issue of “ Unsung Heroes’’, we tried to highlight the contribution of Kanwal Kishore Jalla, a noted singer from Kashmir who has remained underrepresented in historical records. Today, we have traced out Vasudev Reh, a Kashmiri poet of a Progressive Movement.
A Progressive Poet, Musician
Born in 1926, Vasudev Pandita, ‘Reh’ of Batapora Sopore Kashmir, was a famous poet of Kashmiri Language. He had, unfortunately lost his eyesight due to small pox when he was a child. His brothers helped him learn almost all things necessary for his daily life. He was educated informally by his brothers to help him in passing Matriculation examination. He later obtained a degree of Prabhakar and side by side studied music.
According to A K Chetan, a noted writer and poet from Sopore town, Vasudev Reh had also opened “Vitasta Music School’’ within his home premises where he used to train students in music. For his unique style of Kashmiri poetry, Producers of then Radio Kashmir, Srinagar used to invite him often for various music mushairas. His brother, Som Nath Pandita always used to accompany him for his recordings and recitations of his poems.
Chetan says people would always want Reh to recite his most famous piece of poetry like,” Subhan Shaman Hosha Hosh ” ! His poetry was a blend of both Sofiana and Philosophy with a mystic touch. Incidentally, his younger brother, Raghunath “Kastoor’’ was also a noted Kashmiri poet from Sopore, Kashmir. Reh is also known for his collection of poetry ‘Shab Gardun’ (The Night Watchman).
Kashmir Rechords appeals to all its esteemed readers, who might be knowing such unsung heroes to contact us with authentic details and send the same on kashmirrechords@gmail.com or support@kashmir-rechords.com. We promise to publish them with due credit to the contributors by amplifying the stories of these unsung heroes. Such stories honour their legacies, inspire future generations, and strive for a more inclusive and accurate understanding of history. It is imperative that we actively preserve the stories of those who have been marginalized, ensuring that their contributions are no longer consigned to the shadows of history.
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[…] our last issues of “ Meet Our Unsung Heroes’’, we tried to highlight the contribution of Vasudev Reh, a far-sighted poet and Kanwal Kishore Jalla, an unsung Ghazal singer from Kashmir who […]