Articles written in the year 2017 after Kamal Da's departure
Kamal da and me
***************
Dinesh Kukreti
"Aakaar", this was the name of Kamal Da's library. This library used to be on the ground floor of Kamal Da's house located in Gokhale Marg in Kotdwar. Books adorned in shelves, in which the whole mountain was covered. To know the country and the world too, all those books were present here, which are loved by a book lover. Apart from this, all the forgotten memories of the mountain were also cherished here by Kamal Da. Then Shekhar Bhai (Chandrashekhar Benzwal) used to do hostelings in this library.
It will be a matter of 1989. In the same year, I joined BCAM first year with student politics and was trying to understand the progressive student movements around the world. Shekhar Bhai was then a popular student of Kotdwar. So, it was natural to relate to them. It was for him that I first stepped on the "shaped" wall. I loved the world of books so much that the steps often started to take shape. There was complete freedom to read books there. However, Kamal Da used to give the book to take home only when he was confident that she would return on time. Well, if there is a delay of even one day. I had gained their trust, so I could easily get the book. I loved to know about the mountain, so most of the books related to the mountain were made by Kamal Da Issues.
If there was a seminar or discussion in the city, Kamal da would have been invited in it. I would go to these programs to hear something good. However, being introverted, my role would have been that of the listener. But, responsible and serious listeners. Time was passing and my thinking in politics was also maturing. So, for the sake of expression, it also gradually moved towards journalism. Then the weekly "Satyapath" was constantly being published from Kotdwar. Guruji Pitambar Dutt Deorani used to be the editor of "Satyapath". Now he also became good friends with Kamal Da. Whenever he met, Kamal Da exclaimed, "What are you doing, goons." I have no words to express how much affection was in this "goon" word. My first byline article was published in Satyapath on 23 March 1993. The title was "Conditions must change". Entire pages I wrote this article on fellow Bhagat Singh. Kamal da and late partner Ashwani Kotnala along with Guruji also congratulated me for this article. Kamal Da even went so far as to say, "Goons write for the Nainital news as well. Your pen has power." It was due to Kamal Da that I got introduced to Nainital news and I became a regular reader of it. If I saw an old copy of the Nainital news, then I would not even hesitate to tip it.
One day Kamal Bhai said, "Abe, why don't you take up Nainital news." I said, "Thinking like this, brother." He said, "Don't think, give me a hundred rupees, I am going to Nainital." My problem was solved. Now I started getting Nainital news regularly. Meanwhile, I had a tendency towards theater as well. Connected with the Indian knowledge science group and did plays in a large part of Garhwal.
Then a big development happened in the country. The government led by Vishwanath Pratap Singh drove Mandal's genie out of the command. The country became engulfed in the anti-reservation movement. But this movement started with the protest against reservation in Uttarakhand turned into Uttarakhand state movement. The round of meetings and seminars has started. The Mulayam Singh government of Uttar Pradesh has announced to speak out against the newspapers. One advantage of this was that Amar Ujala and Dainik Jagran became dear to the common man. Both these newspapers took over the reins of the state movement. I had become a part of the journalistic fraternity then. At that time, our meetings were often on the shape of lotus da.
We used to participate in processions and demonstrations under the banner of the Citizen Forum. Kamal da lived in the role of a pioneer. Curfew was imposed in the entire Uttarakhand after the Rampur tiraha scandal. Then we used to stay up at night by changing. So that the police can not get caught. When the curfew relaxed, it would quietly reach the shape of the streets and sit on the door from inside and discuss the strategy ahead. There was dead mortal in the city, it was also necessary to get out of it.
The date is not well remembered, but the curfew was lifted then. We sat in shape and decided to take out a silent procession. For a whole day we kept preparing placards with slogans in the shape. The next day, all the journalists gathered at Kamal da's residence in the afternoon and took out a silent procession to the tehsil. Due to this, the current ran in the city and people again started fuming and came out of the houses. Now I was determined to do journalism in my life. Hopefully! Then today's situation would be blamed ...?
Well! I had become a staunch journalist due to misuse. Sometimes poetry was also used. Kamal Da not only liked my poems, but also gave feedback to encourage me. I remember when my poem written after the attack on the World Trade Center appeared in Yugavani magazine, Kamal Da's response was, "Goons I didn't take you so seriously. I kept writing like that." He also wanted me to get out of Kotdwar somehow so that the path of progress in life could be opened. But at the same time, I would also advise you to never leave the land.
The wheel of time kept spinning and one day I literally left Kotdwar. This time I became Dehradun. I started a new innings of life here by connecting with Dainik Jagran. Due to the experience of cities like Delhi, Meerut, Lucknow, Haldwani etc., I did not have any particular problem here.
I have no hesitation in saying that Kamal Da stayed close to me in Dehradun even while away. Whenever I used to write something good, I would definitely call Kamal da and give it to me. Especially the Haridwar Kumbh in 2010, Kedarnath disaster in 2013 and Shri Nanda Devi Rajajat's live reporting in 2014, Kamal da was so impressed that whenever I meet, I must pat my shoulder. They used to say, "I expect such a goon from you." In Nanda Devi Rajajat, I and Kamal da were virtual hikers till the arrow. Due to health problems, Kamal Da could not travel further from here.
Kamal Da always encouraged me on social media. He would also praise the satire written during the assembly elections in every meeting. He met me on the same day that he got away from the world. Five-seven minutes as usual, we discussed the concerns of the world and then I walked my way. Did you know that after a few hours, they are about to leave on the track from where there is no way back. Hopefully...!
Kamal da and me
***************
Dinesh Kukreti
"Aakaar", this was the name of Kamal Da's library. This library used to be on the ground floor of Kamal Da's house located in Gokhale Marg in Kotdwar. Books adorned in shelves, in which the whole mountain was covered. To know the country and the world too, all those books were present here, which are loved by a book lover. Apart from this, all the forgotten memories of the mountain were also cherished here by Kamal Da. Then Shekhar Bhai (Chandrashekhar Benzwal) used to do hostelings in this library.
It will be a matter of 1989. In the same year, I joined BCAM first year with student politics and was trying to understand the progressive student movements around the world. Shekhar Bhai was then a popular student of Kotdwar. So, it was natural to relate to them. It was for him that I first stepped on the "shaped" wall. I loved the world of books so much that the steps often started to take shape. There was complete freedom to read books there. However, Kamal Da used to give the book to take home only when he was confident that she would return on time. Well, if there is a delay of even one day. I had gained their trust, so I could easily get the book. I loved to know about the mountain, so most of the books related to the mountain were made by Kamal Da Issues.
If there was a seminar or discussion in the city, Kamal da would have been invited in it. I would go to these programs to hear something good. However, being introverted, my role would have been that of the listener. But, responsible and serious listeners. Time was passing and my thinking in politics was also maturing. So, for the sake of expression, it also gradually moved towards journalism. Then the weekly "Satyapath" was constantly being published from Kotdwar. Guruji Pitambar Dutt Deorani used to be the editor of "Satyapath". Now he also became good friends with Kamal Da. Whenever he met, Kamal Da exclaimed, "What are you doing, goons." I have no words to express how much affection was in this "goon" word. My first byline article was published in Satyapath on 23 March 1993. The title was "Conditions must change". Entire pages I wrote this article on fellow Bhagat Singh. Kamal da and late partner Ashwani Kotnala along with Guruji also congratulated me for this article. Kamal Da even went so far as to say, "Goons write for the Nainital news as well. Your pen has power." It was due to Kamal Da that I got introduced to Nainital news and I became a regular reader of it. If I saw an old copy of the Nainital news, then I would not even hesitate to tip it.
One day Kamal Bhai said, "Abe, why don't you take up Nainital news." I said, "Thinking like this, brother." He said, "Don't think, give me a hundred rupees, I am going to Nainital." My problem was solved. Now I started getting Nainital news regularly. Meanwhile, I had a tendency towards theater as well. Connected with the Indian knowledge science group and did plays in a large part of Garhwal.
Then a big development happened in the country. The government led by Vishwanath Pratap Singh drove Mandal's genie out of the command. The country became engulfed in the anti-reservation movement. But this movement started with the protest against reservation in Uttarakhand turned into Uttarakhand state movement. The round of meetings and seminars has started. The Mulayam Singh government of Uttar Pradesh has announced to speak out against the newspapers. One advantage of this was that Amar Ujala and Dainik Jagran became dear to the common man. Both these newspapers took over the reins of the state movement. I had become a part of the journalistic fraternity then. At that time, our meetings were often on the shape of lotus da.
We used to participate in processions and demonstrations under the banner of the Citizen Forum. Kamal da lived in the role of a pioneer. Curfew was imposed in the entire Uttarakhand after the Rampur tiraha scandal. Then we used to stay up at night by changing. So that the police can not get caught. When the curfew relaxed, it would quietly reach the shape of the streets and sit on the door from inside and discuss the strategy ahead. There was dead mortal in the city, it was also necessary to get out of it.
The date is not well remembered, but the curfew was lifted then. We sat in shape and decided to take out a silent procession. For a whole day we kept preparing placards with slogans in the shape. The next day, all the journalists gathered at Kamal da's residence in the afternoon and took out a silent procession to the tehsil. Due to this, the current ran in the city and people again started fuming and came out of the houses. Now I was determined to do journalism in my life. Hopefully! Then today's situation would be blamed ...?
Well! I had become a staunch journalist due to misuse. Sometimes poetry was also used. Kamal Da not only liked my poems, but also gave feedback to encourage me. I remember when my poem written after the attack on the World Trade Center appeared in Yugavani magazine, Kamal Da's response was, "Goons I didn't take you so seriously. I kept writing like that." He also wanted me to get out of Kotdwar somehow so that the path of progress in life could be opened. But at the same time, I would also advise you to never leave the land.
The wheel of time kept spinning and one day I literally left Kotdwar. This time I became Dehradun. I started a new innings of life here by connecting with Dainik Jagran. Due to the experience of cities like Delhi, Meerut, Lucknow, Haldwani etc., I did not have any particular problem here.
I have no hesitation in saying that Kamal Da stayed close to me in Dehradun even while away. Whenever I used to write something good, I would definitely call Kamal da and give it to me. Especially the Haridwar Kumbh in 2010, Kedarnath disaster in 2013 and Shri Nanda Devi Rajajat's live reporting in 2014, Kamal da was so impressed that whenever I meet, I must pat my shoulder. They used to say, "I expect such a goon from you." In Nanda Devi Rajajat, I and Kamal da were virtual hikers till the arrow. Due to health problems, Kamal Da could not travel further from here.
Kamal Da always encouraged me on social media. He would also praise the satire written during the assembly elections in every meeting. He met me on the same day that he got away from the world. Five-seven minutes as usual, we discussed the concerns of the world and then I walked my way. Did you know that after a few hours, they are about to leave on the track from where there is no way back. Hopefully...!
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