KARACHI: Very rarely does one get to see such heartwarming scenes. The 100-year-old scholar and writer, Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo, himself turned up at an event held to celebrate his centenary at a local hotel on Saturday evening. Not only did he avidly listen to the speeches delivered in his honour but also spoke, albeit briefly, to extend his gratitude to the organisers of the programme.

Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh, vice chancellor of the Sindh Madressahtul Islam (SMI) University, in his presidential address paid glowing tributes to the scholar. He said Mr Joyo, the author of more than 100 books, had studied as well as taught at the SMI. He said it was an honour for the institution to celebrate his centenary.

He reminded the audience that once the services of Mr Joyo, when he was teaching at the SMI in 1946-47, were terminated by the then authorities because he had raised his voice for the rights of the people of Sindh. The vice chancellor claimed he always wanted to place the scholar on the institution’s roll of honour but once, when he was in Europe, he was told that he could not do that because Mr Joyo’s services had been terminated. Therefore, Dr Shaikh said, he found the celebratory event on Saturday appropriate to withdraw all such orders to “correct a historical wrong” and place him on the SMI’s roll of honour. He read out the withdrawal of order notification in front of the audience after which Mr Joyo received a standing ovation from his admirers.

Biography titled Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo – Aik Sadi Ki Awaz launched

On the occasion a biography of Mr Joyo titled Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo – Aik Sadi Ki Awaz, by Syed Mazhar Jamil, its English translation by Dr Amjad Siraj Memon and Sindhi translation by Salim Memon were also launched.

Dr Amjad Siraj Memon said Mazhar Jamil’s book was an attempt to introduce Mr Joyo to the entire world, along with Sindh’s political and social history. Lauding Mr Joyo’s life and work, he said the writer was part of many important progressive movements, and his greatness was the greatness of Sindh. He added that Mr Joyo had mentored many writers and budding intellectuals.

Prof Salim Memon shed light on how the idea to celebrate Mr Joyo’s centennial came about, and expressed his pleasure at the fact that the scholar himself was present to witness the celebration. Speaking on Mazhar Jamil’s effort, he said his work involved a lot of research which had turned the biography into a historic document. Touching upon the issue that quite a few of Mr Joyo’s books could not reach the public, he argued that it was important that his message reached a large section of the population so that it could raise social awareness among the masses.

Mehtab Akbar Rashdi drew the audience’s attention to their serious postures. She asserted that it was a happy occasion so they should look happy. She termed the event a historic one because it was arranged to honour a person who through his writings had made people think about their issues. She called Mr Joyo “a man with a pure soul and an innocent smile”.

Vice Chancellor of Mehran University Prof Dr Aslam Uqaili said Mr Joyo had even taught his father, and yet he was like a friend to him. He announced that a building at Mehran University would be named after the great living scholar.

Mazharul Haq Siddiqui, chairperson of the Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo Centennial Celebrations Committee, said the celebration was important because it would relay Mr Joyo’s message to the younger generation. He said the scholar was an intellectual as well as a political leader, and honouring its leaders was a prominent feature of the culture of Sindh. Mentioning the scholar’s socialist leanings, he said it was to do with the question about the poor’s contribution to society.

Earlier, Anwar Abro of the SMI welcomed the guests to the programme. He told them that Mr Joyo had studied for four years in the historic institution (1930) and taught for eight years.

In the end Ibrahim Joyo thanked the organisers and the guests.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2015

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