KARACHI: Noted story writer Dr Ahmad Yousaf and famous critic/poet Dr Muzaffar Hanfi were welcomed at the reception co-hosted in their honour by the Anjuman Taraqi Pasand Mosannefin and the Pen for Peace on Monday , the venue being the office of Javedan/ Tulu-i- Afkar.

Dr Ahmad was asked to speak on the progress of fiction as found in Bihar during the last six decades. At the beginning, he was introduced by Saba Ikram. Dr Ahmad Yousaf, he said, started writing since 1948 like many contemporary progressive writers.

There was significant turning point in his career in 1960 when he adopted symbolism and modernism. But, he never deviated from the progressive's path. Apart from his four story collections, his latest collection Razem ho ya bazem ho and Mehfil Mehfil - a collection of reportages - were very popular among the readers.

Dr Ahmad, who did his PhD on novel from Patna University, did a meritorious job by compiling the Bihar Urdu Lughat. Narrating the history of fiction in Bihar and other literacy centres, Dr Ahmad recalled Ms Rashidatunnisa, sister of famous prose writer Imdad Imam Aser, who wrote a novel in 1882.

The novel was reprinted a decade later and to some critics it was an extension of Nazir Ahmad's novels, with the difference that Ms Rashidatunnisa's novel as against the later advocated the teaching of English to girls as well.

He contended that the founder of Urdu short story was no one else but Munshi Prem Chand. Later, he said that Sohail Azimabadi and Akhtar Oranvi made major contribution to the genre of fiction in Bihar.

Hasrat-i-Tamir by Akhtar Oranvi and Alao by Sohail Azimabadi were the best portail of rural north and inspired the later writers. Dr Ahmad maintained that Sheen Muzafferpuri, and Anwer Azeem were also eminent writers.

Ghayas Ahmad Gaddi and his younger brother Ilyas Ahmad Gaddi, the later famous for his marvellous novel - Fire Area - had enriched fiction with their creativity. Abdus Samad, Husainul Haq, Shaukat Hayat, Jaaber Hussain, Muzaffer Alam Zauq and among the newcomers Noorul Huda Sayyed, and Ali Haider Malik made valuable contribution to the fiction.

Referring to many younger writers - Rizwan Ahmad, Wahab Ashrafi and others, he said that new periodicals were coming up even from lesser known places. But, at the same time, he felt that the Bihar Urdu Academy was running into financial straits.

Mentioning different trends in prose, Dr Ahmad Yousaf emphatically said that a great literary peace was also pro-people and never against the interests of common people.

Taking advantage of Dr Muzaffar Hanfi's presence who is famous for his literary criticism and poetry, the moderator of the evening Muslim Shamim asked him to express his views on symbolism, modernity and other critical theories.

Dr Hanfi, who had divorced 'jadeediyat' in favour of poetry, said that he did not believe in khanabandi (classification). The modernists, he said, did the major mistake by rejecting all other forms except their own.

In the same way, he said, some eminent writers were disqualified as being progressive. "Where will you place Shafiqur Rahman, Akhtarul Iman, Mumtaz Mufti and Ghulamus Saqlain Naqvi?" he questioned. He said that modernism should not be taken as always against progressive ideology. Later, he presented his ghazals and enthralled the audience.