Page 6 - seniors today november 2020

Cover Story

Nehr
Nehru in u in

K
Kashmirashmir

Veteran journalist Sat Paul (Sati) Sahni was part of the inner circle of the
Nehru family, and made the most of his access with countless exclusive
photographs. Published here for the first time are some pictures of
Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit to Kashmir. By Navneet Sahni

Here is the story of photo-journalist consternation in my parents’ minds was not
Sat Paul (Sati) Sahni’s association with how to get the valuable possessions but how
Jawaharlal Nehru during his many visits to to get my father’s priceless photo collection
Kashmir. Perhaps the largest collection of and his cameras out of Kashmir. Without
photos of Mr Nehru’s visits to Kashmir with the knowledge of the children, my mother
his family were taken by my father, most of made a daring visit to Kashmir during the
which have still not been published. Due to worst phase of Kashmiri militancy (April
the uncertain political climate in Kashmir 1990) only to retrieve the most prized
in 1990, Sati Sahni had to leave Kashmir – possessions of the family – the many
never to return to live in his house. Having cartons of photos (both black-and-white
moved to Jammu in the autumn of 1989, the as well as colour slides) and his cameras,
family had only a few woollen clothes to besides some very important books, papers
go through winters. Never in their wildest and clothes. With just 24 hours in hand, she
dreams did the family imagine that they had to put together whatever she could.
would never return to live in the ancestral How do you choose what to pack and what
house. not, from a house where the family had
Once it became clear that they may not lived for the past 55 years? In order not to
be able to return to Srinagar to live, the draw attention by switching on lights, she,

6