HYDERABAD, March 11: “I have handed over 7,000 books belonging to Pir Hissamuddin Rashidi and 4,000 photographs to the Sindhiology Department but these precious books and photographs are gathering dust. I still have 22,000 letters of Pir Hissamuddin Rashidi of great historical value in my possession and I want to hand over these letters to some educational or literary organization but I have lost confidence in everybody.”

Noted writer and intellectual Syed Hussain Shah Rashidi stated this while speaking as the chief quest at a literary gathering organized by the Bazma-i-Rooh Rehan in memory of the great scholar, Pir Hissamuddin Rashidi, at Qasimabad on Sunday.

Mr Hussain said that he wanted to establish a Rashidi Brothers Trust for which Rs2 million would be required.

He pointed out that in the field of history of Sindh and research, the name of Pir Hissamuddin Rashidi was on the top.

He deplored that the reading habit in Sindh was on the decline.

Mr Hussain announced that the 20th death anniversary of Pir Hissamuddin Rashidi would be observed in Karachi on March 31 at an international level in which a seminar would be held on his life and works.

In his presidential address, the chief of Bazma-i-Rooh Rehan, noted writer Abdul Hameed Sindhi said that the literary taste in Sindh was fast disappearing, and added that “we have forgotten our literary giants and other luminaries who had made their names as historians, musicians, poets, and writers”.

He said that to highlight the achievements of these great people his organization had started a regular programme.

He disclosed that the organization had prepared 30 audio cassettes on Sindhi literature and historical documents.

He said that Pir Hissamuddin Rashidi had given a wealth of literature to the Sindhi nation including its forgotten history for which the Sindhi nation should be grateful to him.

Noted writer Wali Ram Walabhai, in his tributes to Pir Hissamuddin Rashidi, said that Pir Saheb was one of those benefactors of Sindh who had laid the foundation stone of Sindhi literature, and added that he was a pioneer in writing the history of Sindh.

The others who spoke who spoke on the occasion included Jam Saqi, Sarfaraz Rajar, Parwano Bhatti, Sikandar Baloch, Nazeer Naz, and Suryya Soz Deplai.