KARACHI: The four-day 14th International Urdu Conference organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, concluded on Sunday evening.

A resolution, read out by the council’s president Ahmed Shah, was also passed on the occasion stating: “Different facets of extremism are being witnessed in the country. It is affecting the lives of creative individuals and shrinking cultural spaces. We demand federal and provincial governments to fulfil their constitutional obligations and take steps to bring about peace in the country.

“Curricula should be made keeping the plurality in society and the importance of tolerance in mind for the benefit of the coming generations. Scientific knowledge and texts should be given importance. Society should be deweaponised.

“The government should play its part in publishing literary journals. Steps be taken for free education of children. Children’s literature be given the same status as other forms of literature,” it demands.

After the passing of the resolution, writer Anwar Maqsood read his piece in his distinct satire-laden style.

Urdu Conference concludes

Four lifetime achievement awards were also given on the occasion to poetess Zehra Nigah, writer Mustansar Husain Tarar, poet Imdad Hussaini and Dr Adib Rizvi (on whose behalf Anwar Maqsood received the award).

Session on contemporary Urdu criticism

Earlier, the day began with an insightful session on the contemporary Urdu criticism, presided over by Shahida Hasan and Anees Ashfaq.

Rukhsana Saba, who also moderated the programme, in her paper raised the question about the meaning of criticism written against the background of civilisation. She said instead of writing criticism with western references, it should be analysed through the local landscape. Going forward with her thesis, she mentioned the names of eminent critics such as M H Askari, Muzaffar Ali Syed and Jamal Panipati.

Qasim Yaqoob, who joined online from Islamabad, said Urdu criticism is often seen in the light of partition of India, that is, the one written before independence and afterwards. In fact, the first important book in that regard was penned by Ali Abbas Husaini in 1944. Subsequently, criticism focused on the initial days of the Urdu novel. However, he pointed out, “the novel should be distinguished from fiction”; the criticism of the short story (afsana) and that of the novel have a marked difference. Before writing on novels, the writer should take into account their ontological textures. The problem is that Urdu criticism is stuck in the early days of the novel. It is yet to get the right critic. “Life has become complicated in the 21st century and the novel, too, has become complicated. Yet, criticism is set in its old ways.”

Sofia Yusuf said debates on feminist consciousness in Urdu literature began in the 1960s. Although male writers are credited with writing novels in Urdu, women had their share as well. It was as far back as 1881 that the first woman novelist came out with a book. Ms Yusuf argued, women in our novels haven’t been treated like human beings but are seen as relations (rishtey).

Kazi Abid said terminologies (istilahaat) are used excessively in criticism. It was in the 1980s that criticism in Urdu started to change its lexicon. What happened in the ‘90s was different from it. But from the discussion on narrative styles to postmodernism, all used terminologies were western. In the 1980s the poetics of creating a work of art was non-existent from critical analyses. The emphasis was on understanding the text (tafhimaat). And in the last 30 years, there was a lot of hubbub about structuralism. Its practical application wasn’t there. “For a 24-page book there is a 250-page book with its structural interpretation but for a 250-page book there is no 24-page structuralist analysis.”

Nasir Abbas Nayyar said there is a difference between trends (rujhanaat) and movements (tehreekein). Criticism can be undertaken through many ways and have many approaches. Trends work with two major metaphors — time and origin. The human mind tries to get to reality through metaphors. Whoever says that Urdu criticism is written under western influence makes an insulting comment. This idea came about as a result of resistance to colonialism.

Mr Nayyar said in the last 75 years there have been three main aspects in criticism: it brought about a new prose (nai nasr); reasoning (istadlaal); and it associated literature with the concept of a nation (qaum). Pakistani criticism begins from Deccan whereas Indian criticism from Banaras where names such as that of Kabir are mentioned.

Summing up the discussions, Shahida Hasan lauded the papers that were read and said creativity is the real thing, criticism comes later.

Anees Ashfaq, who spoke via video link from India, said Urdu literature is rich (sarwatmand) in criticism.

Apart from that, sessions on journalism, book launches and a conversation with Arifa Syeda Zehra etc were held.

Renowned classical dancer Nahid Siddiqui’s performance and a qawwali were the last items on the programme’s list.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2021