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Concern for the marginalized By Hasan Abidi Trade unionist and writer Zaheer Akhtar Bedari launched his fifth collection of short stories at the PMA House on Friday (August 6). Addressing a receptive audience, he asked if he had properly performed his responsibilities as a writer. With Dr Hanif Fauq in the chair, a number of writers - Muslim Shamim, Riaz Siddiqui, Hussain Anjum, among others - admired Bedari for his life-long commitment to progressive thought and his concern for the marginalized people of Pakistan. Among the 18 stories found in the collection, ^YDagh Dagh Ujala, there are stories also on the oppressed Palestinians, on Iraqis, Afghans and about Gujarat. The same theme was found in his previous collections - Satai huey loag (1990), Asmaan sey aagey, Sayaonke Suraab (2001) and Rait ke bagooley (2003). Bedari, born in Hyderabad, came over to Pakistan in 1953, did his matriculation in 1960 and MA in political science in 1967. Later he did his master's in journalism in 1969 and started his career as a columnist in different papers and periodicals. Meanwhile, he also worked in the trade union movement. He was associated with the weekly Lail-o-Nahar in 1970 and Awami Adalat in 1973, the latter brought out by noted columnist and writer Ibrahim Jalees. At present Bedari is editing his own literary magazine, 'Farda.' Muslim Shamim, Progressive Writers' Association secretary, conducted the proceedings and praised the writer as "an honest and committed person." As modernity in fiction is the subject of debate in literary circles, Dr Fauq referred to symbolism in short stories and observed that it was found in progressive writers like Krishan Chand and Bedi, but it was not so with later-day writers. Modernity and symbolic writing must not be turned into "absurdity", Dr Fauq said. * * * * * The lifetime achievement award given to Ms Ada Jafery as a befitting but belated recognition of a writer who has continued to write both poetry and prose in quietude, away from the fanfare of mushairas. Ada's first poetry collection Maen Saaz dhoondti rahi was published in 1950. Later collections include Shahr-i-dard, Ghazalaan tum tan Waqif Ho and Saaz-i-Sukhan Bahana till 1988. Another commendable work was the compilation of 'Ghazal numa' in two volumes, carrying introductory notes on the old masters and selections from their poetry. Ada Jafery has always been amazed at nature's phenomena and has looked deep into the human soul. Her poetry remains outstanding. Born in the confines of a grand haveli in the historic town of Badayun, she has written a fascinating account of her early years and the period spent till the decade of 80s. 'Jo rahi subekhabri rahi' is the portrayal of a culture buried in the dust of time. Girls in the confines of the haveli could not think of looking beyond the four walls. Ada recalls with a sense of loss that while in later life, she travelled around the world, visited the archeological sites of Rome and the museums of London and New York, she could not go to the lanes of her birth place and see for herself the gigantic yet dilapidated fort of Badayun. Ada Jafery kept a diary since her childhood, a record of daily events, but during the chaotic partition days, it was destroyed, rather "killed" as she wrote, but she never lost her writing habit. She was nine when she wrote her first poem - to the extreme delight of her mother. She was honoured with the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in 1981, and was awarded with Adamji Literary Prize in 1965. * * * * * Mohsin Alavi, an engineer by profession based at Jeddah, launched his poetry collection, Chiragh-i-Jaan, at the Pakistan Arts Council on Sunday. Poet Sarshar Siddiqui was in the chair while Izhar Ather Siddiqui was prominent among the speakers. That was his third presentation. Earlier he had published a collection of naats - Waraftagi. Sarshar Siddiqui found in Alavi profound love for the Muslims, deep emotions for Pakistan and its people and the power to translate his feelings into poetry. What was even more admirable was his devotion to naats and devotional poetry. Most middle class Pakistanis origin in Jeddah and in the Gulf states - Dubai prominent among them - have formed a Bazm-i-Adab and other literary bodies to satisfy their craving for literature, particularly poetry. This helps to lessen the pangs of separation from their families and living in isolation. Mushairas constitutes a major part of their social activities and keep them busy round the year. Dubai, as one knows, is famous for holding 'aalmi' mushairas, attracting prominent Urdu poets from Pakistan, India, the US, Canada, etc. Religious poetry is also popular among these poets and some of them have excelled in this genre like Mohsin Alavi. This is but natural and one can also understand their feelings for fellow Muslims, but there is a serious lack of attention to the prevailing conditions in the Muslim world, and one finds this a glaring lapse. Is there no place for the injustices we see in the ecclestical poetry of our expatriates? Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)
