HYDERABAD: Sindhi scholars, writers and intellectuals actively participated in the Hyderabad literature festival on the third and last day on Sunday where a couple of sessions were held.

Talking about noted Sindhi poet Shaikh Ayaz, scholar and Larkana Division Commissioner Akbar Leghari said he was a great story writer who penned good stories during his time.

Stories of the kind written during the period of Shaikh Ayaz were not being written these days. Those stories impacted society, he said. “He was a creative poet and big prose writer. None could be judged through numbers in the field of literature.”

Scholar Taj Joyo said Shaikh Ayaz was a well-educated poet who was well aware of Sindh, wrote poetic work in the colours of Sufism and love for the soil of Sindh.

Speaking about understanding the works of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, poet Sarmad Chandio commented on the various genres of literature. He said singers who did their PhDs on Bhitai’s Raag had little knowledge rather they focused more on classic Indian raags.

Intellectual Saleem Latifi said Bhitai’s poetry covered the entire human life. When Bhitai started writing poetry, there were 40 alphabets of Sindhi language at that time. “Parents should teach Bhitai’s poetry to their children to save the Sindhi language.” He also added that the importance of Sindhi drama could also not be acknowledged.

Intellectual Noor Ahmed Memon said publishers were not appreciated at the government level as the government did not purchase books from them. He said that in Punjab, private publishers were admired.

Publisher Mohan Madhosh said hundreds of books were published daily, but reading had declined. “There is a big issue of copyrights.” He called for enhancing the trend of reading among the youth, saying that the government must buy books for libraries. He demanded that literary books must be eulogised at public level and association of publishers be formed.

Translator and writer Wali Ram Walabh said he translated works of famous novelist Quratulain Hyder as her writings looked like travelogues on Sindh. He stressed that this kind of literature should be promoted.

A musical programme was scheduled at the end of the literature festival.

Day-long literary festival at SU

DADU: Sindh exists because of the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and Sachal Sarmast.

This was stated by renowned scholar and historian Syed Hakim Ali Shah Bukhari while presiding over the first session of a day-long literature festival held at Sindh University, Dadu campus.

He said that through reading and analysing the poetry of Sufi poets such as Bhitai and Sarmast, people remembered all the heroic characters of Sindh and Sindhi culture and traditions.

The festival was inaugurated by pro-vice-chancellor of Sindh University, Dadu campus, Dr Anwar Ali Shah G. Syed.

Prof Izhar Hussain said the guidelines of the Sufis of Sindh were to live with love and respect of each other, but today people did not do so.

Dr Faiz Mohammad Shaikh said that at the shrines Bhitai and Sarmast, Muslims and non-Muslims attended all programmes together with love and respect.

Others who also spoke on the occasion included Amjad Hussain Lashari, Abdul Jabbar Mallah, Mohammad Suleman Memon, Mumtaz Soomro, Afzal Memon, Abdul Qadir Bughio, Mis Kalsoom Panhwar, Pirah Siddiqui and Zahoor Buriro.

The second session of the festival was a discussion on English literature.

Presiding over the session, Dr Anwar Ali Shah said that comparatively speaking English literature was worthy because of many revolutionary and dedicated poets such as Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, John Donne and William Wordsworth.

During this session several literary experts and professors highlighted other poets and prose writers of English.

Students had also set up various bookstalls selling Sindhi and English literature on the lawns of the campus.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2016