I pay my homage and tribute to Sarvanand Koul Premi on his 35th death anniversary on 1st May 2025 (Thursday) and I am short of words to describe him and his contribution to secularism, pluralism, progressivism, social reform, Hindu-Muslim unity, mutual brotherhood and what not? Premi’s was a multifaceted personality and it cannot be penned down in a small space in paper. Sarwanand Koul Premi, Son of Gopi Nath Koul–the first matriculate in his village and Omarvati Koul, was born in a farming family of Anantnag district in the year 1924. Premi was a renowned freedom fighter, a philanthropist, literateur and what not? Premi had good knowledge and proficiency in Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, Sanskrit, Persian, English etc and wrote with ease in all these languages. Sarvanand was a great teacher, educationist, poet, reformer, doyen of Hindu-Muslim unity, a broadcaster, a translator, writer of repute, journalist, progressive personality leaning towards communist ideology. Premi Sahib was a revolutionary and has penned a number of books.
Premi Ji was indeed a household name in Anantnag district and his murder at the hands of Islamist terrorists many years ago on 1st May 1990 along with his educated son Virender Koul is extremely sad and it was a death of humanity. Premi and his son were murdered in Anantnag and it is a huge and irreparable loss to Kashmiri Pandits and the Muslim baradari. He was loved by people from all communities and there is an empty space created by his life and the big void it will be very difficult to fill. Kashmiri Pandits have been observing his death anniversary in Jammu and elsewhere. This year also same as the previous year the death anniversary of great man was observed today at JKCA with overwhelming participation from a cross section of the society.
Many outstanding personalities recalled his life, contributions and his multifarious life and threw light on his secular and multifarious personality. Sarwanand Koul Premi also spelled Sarvanand Kaul Premi was born on 2nd November 1924 and was a Kashmiri poet, journalist, research scholar, Gandhian, social reformer and independent activist. During Quit India Movement from 1942-1946, he also worked underground and was arrested on six occasions during this movement. He was honored with the epithet of Premi by Ghulam Ahmad Mehjoor for his love of poetry. It is very unfortunate and sad that Premi along with his married son, Verinder 27 were kidnapped, tortured and killed by Islamic terrorists in 1990 in the hey days of terrorism in J&K. Kashmiris of all hues and all nationalistic people mourned their death and it shook whole Kashmir. For a few years he worked for the village and the Khadi Industries Board a state enterprise as well as the Industries department of Punjab.
Premi returned to Kashmir and joined the education department as teacher and in due course he became a great teacher and educationist and taught, counselled and guided many students of his area. He was much popular as a teacher and a poet. Premi rose to become a headmaster. One of the most shocking killing in Kashmir in 1990 was of Sarvanand Kaul Premi a learned man and a school headmaster. At that time many of the Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave their homes and hearths but his family decided to stay put in Kashmir at his native village of Sofshalli. However, this proved to be a bad decision and he and his son were murdered horrifically. Premi has not moved from his village of residence, as he strongly believed that nobody would harm him and his family, since he had taught all the students of his area. The patriotic people of Jammu and Kashmir ask the question as to what was his fault and why was he murdered brutally along with his son? Where was Kashmiriyat then, where have the Sofi culture and tradition, along with the communal harmony gone?
These question require answers from the Muslim community of Kashmir after 35 years of the unprecedented brutality of the cold-blooded murder in the broad daylight. Premi used to read the Holy Bhagvad Gita and holy Quran and had knowledge of both. Yet he was murdered. At the age of 66 years, both Premi and his 27 years old son were murdered. Premi had goodwill among the Muslim community, and the Kauls had decided to stay put in their village only to be murdered by the Islamic terrorists to instill fear among the Residual Kashmiri Pandits. Every year, our community observes May 1 as Shaheedi Diwas, and the community pay floral tributes to commemorative Premi and his son, recall their contribution to the community and secularism and resolve to fight their fight against terrorism. Rajinder Kaul, his eldest son, is on a quest to republish the works of Premi for future generations and this is a Herculean and commendable task. In Feb 1986, when there was communal tension in South Kashmir, Premi gave a talk on communal harmony. Premi was a writer of repute and wrote over 25 books. He also did translations of Bhagwad Gita and Ramayana and is renowned for his translation skills as well.
Premi has written on Lalishori Saint Merzakak and everything else. Premi has also translated Harivansh Rai Bachchans, 'Madhushala. His son, Rajinder Kaul is doing a great job of the project of publishing his father's works but is limited by finances. The Jammu and Kashmir cultural Academy and information and culture department of JK UT should financially support Rajinder Kaul, so that he can finalize his project of publishing Premi's works. I end this write up with an Udru couplet which sums up the personality of the great martyr Premi, with reading as follows, "Hazaroun saal Nargis Apni Benoori Pa Roui Tee, Badi Mushkil Se hota hai Chaman mai Deedver Paedha.'' May God grant the soul of Premi and his son peace and we will remain inspired by his multidimensional personality.
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