04 September 2004	Saturday	18 Rajab 1425

KARACHI, Sept 3: A literary sitting - Mehfil-i-Naqd-o-Nazar - at the Arts Council was held on Thursday with Prof Saher Ansari in the chair. First a poem, then a short story, and in the last a ghazal were presented and discussed.

Prof Ansari while passing comments on various pieces, found the poem 'Duaye basher' by Ishrat Haani quite good. He differed with the remarks earlier made by Sarver Javed that metrical poems were no more popular in present times and free verse was much in vogue instead.

He quoted the example of Aziz Hamid Madni whose collection 'Nakhl-i-Guman' carried only metrical verses to refute a popular stance against it. The important element was the creative strength of the poet.

The poem was "good" in contents, but its diction and choice of idioms reflected the poetry of Iqbal and Josh, Sarver remarked. Shamim Siddiqui also commented on the form of the verse.

The most discussed piece was the short story by Talaat Aftab titled 'Sanjogta'. Recalling the pre-partition period, it was based on the story of an unmarried girl Sanjeeda, who had become a 'devi', in her spirituality, after being dejected in love.

The story between the lines exposed a whole culture of the villages where Muslims and Hindus lived together in complete harmony. Its narrative prose, typical of the Muslim families of the yore was quite fascinating. Such characters were found in remote corners of the Sindh even today, many opined.

The theme was further explained by Sayyeda Kazmi. Sarver Javed this time lodged a "protest" when he said the story, admirable in its narration and choice of words, though added with nostalgia, had not been properly discussed. Anis Baqer felt, it was no use recalling the past buried in the dust of five decades.

Prof Anis Zaidi said, that literature and culture knew no bounds and the story, Sanjogta, was an effort to delve into the past and find roots of present culture. Dr Viqar Hasan Gul was most vocal in his praise and congratulated the writer. Among others who spoke on the merits of the story included Rehman Nishat and Shabnam Siddiqui.

The ghazal by Mansoor Multani was admired by everyone. Inam Nadir explained some of its couplets while many other nodded on his eulogical remarks. Naqqash Kazmi did the compering.