PESHAWAR: Senior historian Anwar Baig Baghi has called upon youth to spread book culture by developing a taste for reading as it would help to enlarge their scope of thinking and enhance critical sense to see things in their right perspective.

He could read only up to fifth grade but he pended down over 50 books on variety of topics during the last more than five decades.

The historian told this scribe that his extensive research made him believe that Pakhtuns had their origin in Bani Israel from the progeny of Benyamin contrary to the theories of other historians regarding origin of Pakhtun race. He argued that he inferred the conclusion from celebrated books of Naimatullah Harawi, Khan Roshan Khan, and Syed Bahadur Shah Zafar Kakakhel.

The septuagenarian literati asked young people to realise the significance of written words, which could lead them into a wonderland of creative ideas regarding their past history, culture and social dynamics.

“I would advise our youth to spread book culture and instill a spirit of reading as it will open a magic window into our past to understand our present and in return it will help us to get ready for our future challenges,” said the writer.

Anwar Baig Baghi says no nation can achieve success without love for written word

Anwar Baig Baghi, 72, a descendant of Syed Ali Tirmizi aka Pir Baba in his 12th generation, could not continue his education beyond 5th grade but his love for the sanctity of written word didn’t die and despite extreme poverty, he kept sticking to reading books alongside daily waging and working in the fields.

He was even able to educate his seven daughters and three sons till master level.

According to the writer, his mainstay was historiography. He said that his title in Pashto ‘Da Buner Tareekh’ (The history of Buner) spread over 600 pages ran into its fifth edition because of its popularity as it took him 10 years to complete.

He started composing poetry in his late teens and continued writing on various subjects till he was able to bring out his treasure trove way back in 2002.

“My first title was in Pashto, a poetry collection ‘Se Meem’. It was followed by Da Wrak Manzal Latoon and my fourth book ‘Azghana Laar was a collection of Pashto short stories written in humorous vein. Copies of most of my titles are not available in the market. At times I gift my books to those, who cannot afford to buy them,” said the writer.

To query, he said that he found historiography the most difficult because one had to collect authentic sources and embark upon long journey, spend days and nights to analyse and crosscheck facts and figures. He said that he had met old men to retrieve firsthand knowledge from them on social customs and traditions.

Being a prolific writer, Mr Baghi used to contribute articles and features to Pashto and Urdu newspapers and research journals.

He said that he still had seven unpublished titles, including four books in Urdu, the one being History of Yousafzai and State of Swat. He said that he had turned Baghi (rebellion) against the people, who termed him being crazy to spend hours dipped in the piles of books.

“Life without books is wasteland and no nation can achieve success without love for the written word,” said the historian.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2019