Elders and the Winters

Elders in my time were assiduous, diligent and industrious. When winter would set in, they would gear up to keep themselves busy with various activities to remain self sufficient. Keeping themselves occupied, they would ensure that one is not idle or bored. They knew that idle man’s brain was devil’s workshop. So they practiced what they preached.

Prior to the harshest winter season, our elderly would assiduously store the essential commodities that included making charcoal, storing fuel, rice, gulkand, anchar (pickles) and the enduring legacy of dried vegetables and fruits, etc. Because in the time due to heavy snowfall, Kashmir valley would remain cut off from rest of the country.

Unlike elders nowadays, elders in our times didn’t rely on market items. Instead they worked hard themselves and stored for the winter use. To them, rest was simply rust, and work, worship. Be it the spices, fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, flour, rice and whatever; they made it at home and stored for later use.

See today, none of these things are home made. We wholly and solely depend on market for everything. Doesn’t matter whether that food is pure or adulterated. Even if, there are certain items yet being produced at home. Still then we either sell them out to earn the double benefits or exchange them to fetch the adulterated ones in return.

All those things which our elders kept for their own use are hardly available nowadays. Take for example, Kashur Thool (Kashmiri Eggs). Are they easily available? No. And if they get availed, they cost double the amount of a poultry egg sold in the market. I recall when a family had to slaughter a Kashur Kokur (Kashmiri rooster bird) for the guest or for any occasion, it would take a full day for the family members to catch the bird. And when after much efforts, it was somehow caught. Then nobody at home would dare to slaughter it at home. It was rather instantly taken to a virtuous elderly who offered nimaz five times a day. And trust me, when such Kokur was eaten, it would taste so yummy and delicious that for days its flavor would not go.

Literally, isn’t there a big difference between today’s market broiler/layer birds and our Kashmiri variety? A bird that would not get trapped from morning till evening even when the whole family hunted for it; was not only tasteful when cooked, but also blessed us with great nutritional value. It made us sturdiness and strong. Then see the broiler bird which is not able to move at all. You don’t have to keep it under the Paej (wicker basket) or in a Moer (hen coop) like Kashmiri chick. If it is not wrong to mention; easily available broiler birds have made us lazy, timid and feeble.

I salute my elders who knew it then without possessing tremendous knowledge about things like we have at present. They had winter wisdom, possessed good habits devoid of sedentary life style. They hadn’t heard about fatalistic diseases which are quite common nowadays.

How sad! Our life style today has changed. Not to talk of rearing any animals stock, we have no become so indolent that we depend on the market for everything when there is no guarantee that the food is pure and healthy. All those blessing seem to have faded into obscurity.

Unlike the winter tapestry of ours elders then, now elderly people everywhere almost consume market material which is not pure. Ahead of winter season, they store different medicines because winter for them is a tough time. However, some decades back, it was not so. Then elders had no concept of medicines at all who instead used food to combat winter ailments vis-à-vis relied on traditional remedies.

The praiseworthy point about our elders was that they kept themselves busy during winter with various physical activities like prayers, seeking blessings, spinning wool, weaving, knitting, crafting, etc. This was what kept them active and strong and saved them from any diseases. Moreover, they didn’t fear cold. Rather they braced up to fight chill unlike elderly people now who ahead of Chillaikalan took to their heels towards Jammu for warmth. Alas! Our today has taken our yesterday.

In nutshell, winters decades back in Kashmir were no doubt challenging yet beautiful. Elderly citizens demonstrated remarkable resilience, resourcefulness, and community spirit. Their traditional life style, though harsh, was rich in cultural heritage, struggle and warmth. Gone are the days now!

Dr Rafeeq Masoodi, IBS (Rtd) is former Sec. Cultural Academy & ADG, Doordarshan, Srinagar