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Decline of the humour column By Hasan Abidi A collection of newspaper columns, first published in an Urdu daily, was launched at the Arts Council last week. Its author, Salim Yazdani, had many admirers to praise the book. Gen Abdul Qadir, a former governor of Balochistan, presiding over the launch, said he had been reading Yazdani's columns since long as he found them "judicious and balanced". Newspaper columns are perhaps more popular today than previously, since there is greater freedom of expression. Vernacular papers are more generous in entertaining different views and opinions. One Urdu newspaper publishes four to five columns on a daily basis, some of these presenting contrasting political views. This doesn't hurt the editorial policy of the paper. How far columns help in formulating public opinion is a different matter. But the term 'column', over the years, has lost some of its meaning. In the days of Maulana Zafar Ali Khan and Maulana Chiragh Hasan Hasrat, newspapers used to publish only one column a day - a satirical or humorous commentary on some current development- and it invariably reflected the editorial policy of the newspaper or periodical concerned. Maulana Maikhash and Haji Laq Laq were popular columnists in the decades of 50s and 60s. The daily Inqilab was edited by Maulana Ghulam Rasool Meher and Maulana Abdul Majeed Salik, and the latter also wrote humour columns. Majeed Lahori, Ibrahim Jalees and Inam Durrani were also popular columnists of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Ibn-i-Insha and Nasrullah Khan, both had a distinctive style of writing. Tufail Ahmad Jamali, who wrote under the pen name 'Butshikan' was another favourite. Columns of all these writers were highly satirical, without being malicious. It is hard to determine when humour columns began to give way to serious essays. Perhaps, it was during the late 60s, when political opinion became highly polarized. Humour soon lost its meaning, and satire was turned into derision and ridicule. So-called political commentators elbowed out the humorists from the editorial pages, and occupied their place to the benefit of one political group or the other. Though Munno Bhai kept the old tradition going, but lately appears to have withdrawn from the national political scene. Yazdani's collection "Before 9/11 and after" was discussed by Mubin Mirza, Prof Saher Ansari and Mufti Munibur Rahman. Mostly, it was all praise and little analysis of the development of or decline in column writing. Yazdani has also some other volumes to his credit on religion and the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Most speakers agreed that the book provided a look into the past and a peep into the future. * * * * * A budding poet, Sarwat Zafar, presented her maiden collection last week (Dec 10). 'Hathon mey chand' was launched at the Arts Council with the blessings of noted writer and poet Jamiluddin Aali, who praised Ms Zafar's poetry for its fascinating images, maturity of thought and spontaneity in composition. It was a well-attended function, with Sindh Information Secretary Mehtab Akbar Rashdi as the chief guest. Among those who spoke were Ms Fatima Hasan, Prof Saher Ansari, Jazib Qureshi and Hasan Zaheer. Aali, known widely for his 'dohas', admired Sarwat Zafar for her own competence in composing dohas. However, he declined to accept any overt element of feminism in her poetry. Naming prominent women writers such as Ada Jafery, Fahmida Riaz, Shahida Hasan and Fatima Hasan, he said that these poets got prominence because of their powerful diction and poetic excellence and not by being particularly feminist in their expression. Aali opposed the very idea of dividing poetry along gender lines. Mehtab Akbar Rashdi said the contribution of women writers and poets should be generously acknowledged. She agreed with Mr Aali that poetry should be judged purely on merit and not on the basis of gender. Naqqash Kazmi found a blend of classical and modern thought in Ms Zafar's poetry. Fatima Hasan thought that one could also find an element of religion and spirituality in Ms Zafar's work. * * * * * At the launch of two novels by Canada-based Nilofer Taimuri, a question arose about the length of a novel. It should not be a long short story or a novella, one writer observed. The novels, each of them spreading over around 250 pages, were, in Sarwar Javed's opinion, simply "long short stories" because they did not reflect "life in full". Sketches, short stories and similar pieces portray life in small patches. As against this, a novel portrays life in all its detail - the cultural background of the characters, the land and physical environment, etc. Javed lamented that not a single Urdu novel had been written on these lines during the last five years. Forget the seniors, he said; they have already done their job and their contribution should be acknowledged. But where were younger writers? What were the causes behind the younger writers' neglect of the novel, he asked. Later, it was pointed out that novel writing required extensive study of society and culture. It may take the writer years to write, and when necessary re-write, requiring great patience and sustained effort. Young writers are likely to be comparatively more easy-going, in a hurry to see their thoughts in print. They are more inclined towards career building, rather than involving themselves in a tiring pursuit with uncertain returns. Many women writers are perhaps more fortunate in that, as housewives, they have the leisure to look detachedly at life outside and around them, and the time to write and re-write. Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)
