LARKANA: Recital of oral poetry by Sughars is a creative pastime of villagers who like their city counterparts pour out their emotions, deprivations and social disparities through this means. Sughar is a folk literature transferred by poets by means of recitation.

The exponents of oral poetry from all over Sindh gathered in Mohammed Khan Kalhoro village on Monday evening to pay tribute to a prominent Sughar, Mohammed Malook Abbasi on his 14th death anniversary. The event was held under the auspices of the Sindh Sughar Sangat Welfare Organisation.

A round of poetry by Faqeer, Roshan Ali Kori, Mohammed Mureed Gadahi, Sabir Hussain Abbasi and others kept the audience spellbound throughout since they touched the current issues like poverty, floods, rains, gas and electricity shortage and high-running political tempers in the country.

Tunes and melodies were added to entertain the audience and its responsibility fell on the skills of Jairam Jogi for playing the snake-charmer and Muhammad Juman Bhand imitating voices of both male and female singers.Acting president of Sangat, Mumtaz Abbasi and Sughars criticised the government for neglecting this vital field of folk literature.

They called for holding an annual conference of Sughars and publishing their works and enhancing the time of Sindhi programmes on PTV National.

Mohammed Malook Abbasi was a trendsetter, who had not only created wide ranging poetry but also gifted Sindhi society with a breed of students.

The degree of his commitment can be gauged from the fact that he declined to accept the Pride of Performance Award from General Ziaul Haq, said Mumtaz Abbasi.

His poetry, they said, portrayed different aspects of Movement for Restoration of Democracy and recorded other events of Sindh’s contemporary history.

Calling Malook Abbasi a legend of Sindhi folk literature, they demanded construction of a mausoleum and publication of his works.

Malook Abbasi has seven printed books to his credit and still a big amount of his verses remain unprinted but well preserved by his family, they said.

MPA Haji Munwwar Ali Abbasi announced a grant of Rs100,000 for construction of rooms to accommodate Sughars in annual anniversary conference and also promised to print unpublished works of Mohammed Malook Abbasi.

The Deputy Commissioner of Larkana Abdul Aleem Lashari said holding the conference in an area rife with tribal feud was a proof of accommodation and tolerance present in Sindhi culture and society.

He said love is the only language serving as bondage between people and castes only identifications.

Giving a grant of Rs25,000 for the Sughar Sangat he said efforts would be made for construction of a tomb of Mohammed Malook Abbasi.

He announced holding soon a conference in Larkana where Sughars and Sufi singers from all over the province would be invited Ghulam Mustafa Leghari, media coordinator at the Naudero camp office of President House announced to bear the expenses of next Sughar conference.