KARACHI: Known poet and writer Sarwer Javed presented his book Mata-e-Nazer , a collection of the author’s critical essays, before a select gathering of literary figures at Karachi Gymkhana on Wednesday.
Jamiluddin Aali, a Gymkhana member of 40 years standing as he said, was the president and Dr Mohammad Ali the chief guest. Institute of Ethics and Culture was the co-host.
Jamiluddin Aali admired the writer as a ‘daring and outspoken person’ and his book ‘unexpected’ as he knew Sarwer only as a poet. One had a right to differ from his points of view but his talent must be acknowledged, he said. Aali, at the same time, condemned the prevailing ‘groupism’ (garoh bandi) among our writers and poets all over Pakistan. “Small people are promoting themselves and their close associates in narrow circles, denying other persons’ literary contribution, however valuable it may be.” This malaise was not found at least two decades back, he observed.
“Sarwer Javed is a progressive writer of strong commitment,” Aali said and felt that the Progressive Writers Movement (PWM), the strongest literary movement in the 20th century, must be revived to bring about a healthy change in society.
Soviet Union and other socialist states disintegrated in therecent past but the socialist ideology is very much alive in those parts of the world where there is poverty and injustice. Similarly, he said, the Progressive Writers Association stopped functioning but the ideology was there, and it shall never die.
Referring to the essay on the elderly poet, Tabish Dehlavi, included in the book, Aali gratefully acknowledged its worth and said it was indicative of the writer’s respect for traditions and old values.
Earlier, Mohammad Ali Siddiqui while admiring the book complained that the essays in it carried too much egoistic use of ‘I’ and also tone of bitterness. One should keep his cool and also balance in discussing literary pieces, he said. Sarwer, to him was a ‘progressive’ critic and the ‘progressives’, in their critical assessment, were found dispassionate keeping their individual self apart.
Siddiqui further said that Sarwer had confined his study to Urdu literature only, due to which a comparative study of different literary traditions was not seen in those essays. He, however, welcomed the book in an ‘anti-literature’ and ‘anti-culture environment’.
Rais Alvi, himself a poet, praised Server Javed for his idealism and commitment who he had kept the ‘spark alive in his soul’ when it was dead in many zealot’s hearts.
At the outset, Shadab Ehsani readout a brief paper on the person and poetry of Server Javed who, he said, was trying to retrieve the Progressive ideology from the clutches of the feudals and the capitalists. A journalist of 27 years standing, a poet and critic, “he is determined to expose the hypocrites” and was also suffering from the symptoms of ‘self praise’, Ehsani said.
Concluding, Server Javed recited his ghazals. Nasim Gandhi of KG Library Committee welcomed the guests. Zamurrad Jafery conducted the proceedings.—Hasan Abidi
