HYDERABAD: Eminent historian Dr Mubarak Ali has rejected the allegation that Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai was a man of his period’s ‘establishment’ as he did not rise in rebellion against Nadir Shah’s invasion on Sindh in 1739 and said Bhitai infused new life into a dejected people through his poetry after Kalhoros’ failure to defend them.

Dr Mubarak was a key speaker at an important session on “socio-political situation of Sindh and the region at the time of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai” at the fourth Hyderabad Literature Festival on Sunday evening at Hyderabad Club.

His co-panellists Dr Mumtaz Bhutto, former dean of Sindh University’s Islamic Studies department and Abu Bakar Shaikh added colour to the discussion moderated by Bashir Jatoi, a teacher of history in SU. The session was followed by a performance by of Bhitai Arts Council Sindh’s artists on the last day of HLF.

Mr Jatoi asked Dr Mubarak how he viewed invasions on Sindh and he explained Sindh’s written history in Chachnama reflected Arab’s viewpoint instead of Sindh’s.

Dr Mubarak said that before Mughals’ downfall in 1707 they lost grip over rule and voluntarily withdrew from Sindh, passing on power to Kalhoros, who established themselves as a ruling dynasty though they remained weak.

“They didn’t defend Sindh in 1739 at the time of Nadir Shah’s invasion. Instead, they fled to Umerkot to protect their treasure only to be tracked down by Nadir Shah there,” he said.

“Taking advantage of Kalhoros’ weaker position, Ahmed Shah Abdali also attacked Sindh for loot and plunder. It was time when Bhitai’s Sufi viewpoint emerged,” he said.

As moderator pointed out it was also Sindh’s golden era, Dr Mubarak said it were historians who projected a period in history as dark or golden. In a golden era, common man was prosperous but Kalhoros kept themselves aloof from locals, he said.

He remarked that Bhitai enriched Sindhi language. “Bhitai wasn’t a poet who remained confined to safe environs of his house. He travelled through the length and breadth of Sindh, meeting people from a cross-section of life,” he said.

“It is incorrect that Bhitai was a man of establishment at that time,” he said. It was not fair to say why Bhitai did not protest over Shah Inayat’s assassination, he said, adding that conditions during Bhitai’s time must be assessed before holding him responsible for something.

Celebrated novelist Mohammad Hanif shared stage with writers Rafaqat Hayat and Syed Kashif Raza to discuss taboos about gender in literature. Hayat and Raza read out excerpts from their novels Char darvesh aur aik kachwa and Mirwah ki raateyn and Mohammad Hanif talked on his latest novel Red birds at a separate session.

Wusatullah Khan, noted journalist and panellist at a session on “Lake Manchhar – a dying civilisation” urged people to stop presenting elegies on the lake every now and then. “Let’s talk about ideas on how the lake can be rehabilitated,” he said.

Mustafa Mirani, a leader of fishing community, informed the audience how the lake lost its charm and became poisonous and accused Main Nara Valley Drain of being the main culprit in its destruction in 90s.

Nasir Panhwar, developmental activist whose book was also launched on the occasion, said that entire landscape around the lake had changed. The construction of Nai Gaj, main source of freshwater water for the lake, would further affect the lake’s ecology, he said, adding that all sectors received their share of water except ‘environment’.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2019