KARACHI: The Sindhi version of Vision: not just a dream, a biography by Dr Shershah Syed, was launched at the PMA House on Thursday.

The translated book titled Sapnan jo sarjanhaar (Creator of dreams) chronicles one man’s effort to set free his family and society from racial and religious prejudices in a turbulent post-partition era.

Dr Syed’s book recalls the struggle of his parents, Abu Zafar Azad and Atia Khatoon, who worked hard to give a better future to their children as well as to society.

Speakers at the programme remembered how the late Mr Azad opened and ran a school in a temple in Lyari where 600 children were enrolled in the morning shift. He also encouraged his wife to continue her studies who successfully completed her MBBS and inspired the entire family to adopt the medical profession.

“Azad’s family belonged to the Indian state of Bihar, which is still reckoned as the most backward and deprived region of the country,” said Dr Riaz Shaikh of the Shaheed Zulifikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology. Co-author Humair Ishtiaq said the book was a story of implausibly real events, which also showed the system’s failure.

Translator Aslam Khwaja said the story recounted in the book taught the lesson of love and humanity.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2014