KARACHI: The contribution of newspaper columnists in the promotion of cultural awareness was the topic discussed at the Arts Council on Monday. Dr Farman Fatehpuri was in the chair, and speakers included Dr Mohammad Ali Siddiqui, Anwer Ahsen Siddiqui and Hasan Zaheer. Prof Anis Zaidi of the Press and Publication Committee introduced the subject and conducted the proceedings. The audience was small in number, and the atmosphere in the beginning was somewhat dull, but the speakers made it bright and lively.

Dr Farman, while recalling the ground-breaking role of luminaries such as Hasrat Mohani, Maulana Jauher and Abul Kalam Azad, admired all those who followed after them and enlightened newspaper readers with their inspiring writings. A column in a newspaper is like a column in a building, bearing the total weight of the structure, Dr Farman said. He was all praise for Anwer Ahsen Siddiqui, who started the publication of the literary magazine ‘Lauh-o-Qalam’ in 1950, and richly contributed to social awakening and democratic consciousness among the young generation, which later brought on the fore a powerful student movement.

Mohammad Ali Siddiqui defined the newspaper column as a space left in between the editor’s note and the reporters diary, to be filled by a light, yet informative commentary. He recalled the major English language column writers from Karl Marx to Bernard Shaw, Bertrand Russel and many others who contributed immensely while writing for newspapers. Dr Siddiqui enthralled the audience with the information that eminent Indian writer Mulk Raj Anand — now 97 and almost bed-ridden — had a few days ago bitterly criticized the Vajpayee government for its vicious politics. He further said that Khushwant Singh, Arundhati Roy and many other writers and columnists, with their profound knowledge and uprightness, had improved the image of India, and only they represented their country.

Anwer Ahsen Siddiqui defined in his own way the role of newspapers columns, serious and humorous, some analytical, others frivolous, and surveyed columns of the past and present in a lucid way.

Hasan Zaheer, whose newspaper columns had recently appeared in book form, explained the contribution of writers in bringing about political awakening, especially during the dark days of martial law. The newspaper columns educated the readers and also reflected the readers’ mind.—Hasan Abidi