Hypocrisy in the name of literary criticism

“IN literature,” said Andre Maurois, “as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others.” Lists of best-selling pieces of literature may or may not testify to the statement, but one cannot help feeling amazement, and in some cases even amusement, when a wretched piece of our contemporary literature is eulogised by some critics.

A look at Karachi’s literary scene would make you realize that we don’t really have any literary forums, seminars or symposia to weigh, judge and understand literary and social trends. What we have instead are literary sittings and book launches. Contemporary Urdu criticism in Karachi manifests itself mostly in the form of launch ceremonies. These ceremonies have been very common for the last two decades or so. What we find, however, at such gatherings in the name of criticism or literary evaluation is nothing but shameless flattery and hypocrisy. On the part of the writers, it is a naked public relations exercise in connivance with pseudo-critics -- a kind of distasteful and unsubtle self-glorification which morbid minds enjoy but which gives a nauseating feeling to many. It could have been dismissed as a mere promotional gimmick, but even a marketing campaign must have some subtlety.

As for pseudo-critics, it is a chance to go onto the stage, get photographed and coverage in the newspapers that publish every press release generally written by the ones they call “a well-known critic and intellectual Mr XYZ”.

This exercise has brought up a whole new breed of pseudo-critics who may not know much about either Urdu or literature but are well-versed with the art of public relations as well as grabbing photo sessions.

Gone are the days when Karachi had genuine literary critics such as Hasan Askari, Akhter Hussain Raipuri, Mumtaz Shirin, Prof Mumtaz Hussain, Prof Mujtaba Hussain, Majnoon Gorakhpuri and Saleem Ahmed.

Apart from these names of a bygone era and a few genuine and senior living critics, who are research scholars as well, Karachi has not produced any real critics in the past half century. What we have now is a crop of sycophants who don’t have any credentials in the form of published works but are eager to exhibit their smiles on TV screens and to rattle off speeches (from the podium at a book-launch, etc), which generally consist of classroom notes, prepared some 25 years ago to get through their exams. These fake critics can only eulogize their fellow writers who happen to be their friends.

G.K. Chesterton once said: “Either criticism is no good at all (a very defensible position) or else criticism means saying about an author the very things that would have made him jump out of his boots”.

But in contemporary Urdu literature criticism means saying things about an author the very things that would make him/her smile and would have made the listeners at the book launches jump out of the auditorium but they just cannot do this because most of them are either the author’s friends or want to have the same critic invited at their own book’s launching planned for next week.

What makes me wonder is who are the people -- apart from the organizers, the author and pseudo-critics -- that go to these ceremonies and waste their invaluable time listening to the same old, hackneyed platitude? Have any clues?

— drraufparekh@yahoo.com

Quality, not quantity!

QUALITY of education is anything but a priority at the Government College University, Faisalabad, which boasts of having 60 PhDs as part of the faculty.

Sources told Dawn that the varsity was facing dearth of experienced academics despite having “an army of qualified faculty members” as heads of departments. Now what it meant was, they said, that most of the university affairs were being run by subordinates and the qualified members were only enjoying perks and privileges.

So much so that those at the helm had started leaking papers at the institute that came into being on Oct 23, 2002 as Government College, Faisalabad. It was at a later stage that it attained the status of a varsity.

Information gleaned by Dawn revealed that anything the institution excelled in over the last couple of years was a lack of quality education. A quality enhancement cell was set up at the GCUF, but no remarkable improvement has been recorded and now the cell has been lying dormant for several months owing to ‘shortage of faculty’.

Sources claimed that a teacher of the Mass Communication department revealed to students three questions of her subject ‘Research Method’ to be put in final examination of MA third semester. A student confirmed the irregularity and said the teacher had leaked the information in a bid to improve results in her subject.

She, however, said it’s an old practice of this institution and high marks in graduation were enough to prove her claims.

Lamenting the poor educational standard of the university, a faculty member of the English department said most of the graduates, who obtained high marks, were not in a position to produce even a simple essay which was deplorable and a reflection on teachers. Even those at the master’s level were not capable enough to express themselves in the language, both oral and written.

A senior teacher, looking perturbed over educational standard in the institution, blamed it on ‘poor’ management. He said the newly-appointed teachers flew in the face of the instructions of the Higher Education Commission and facilitated their students by revealing the question papers of final exams.

He said teachers were engaged in ‘dirty games’ only to make their results excellent and win hearts of students instead of going by the book.

The HEC clearly says: “Quality is the means through which an institution can guarantee with confidence and certainty that the standards of its educational provision are being maintained and enhanced”, he quoted.

A student put the situation this way: “Elevation of the college to university level has demeaned its credibility rather than enhancing its respect among educational institutions. Our teachers are busy pleasing higher-ups and developing relations with students for vested interests instead of striving for excellence,” he said, adding that there was a greater need to motivate teachers and make them aware of their role in society.

GCUF vice-chancellor Dr Arif Ali Zaidi said the university was seeking persons for quality enhancement cell and for this purpose an advertisement had also been given. He said the administration was committed to improving quality of education, but some unscrupulous elements were brining a bad name to the institution. Such elements, he said, would be dealt with an iron fist.

Dr Zaidi said efforts were afoot to make the institution a reputed entity in the country.