MITHI: Thar has been an open museum of nature and it has produced many giant personalities who glitter in fields from art to literature and stand out in generosity, but the successive governments did not bother even to hear the cries of the dying children and peacocks.

This was stated by known critic, poet and former Sindhi Language Authority chairman Taj Joyo at the launching of Chand Kheryo Chelhar Te (The moon shines in the sky of Chelhar), a book written by poet, writer and historian Mr Bharoo Mal Amrani.

Known writers, poets, artists and activists of civil society gathered in Mithi on Sunday night to participate in the book launching held at the Thar press club. The event was organised by the Sindhi Adabi Sangat.

Mr Joyo said Amrani in his book tried to depict all the issues of the desert in a very delicate and soft diction with great poetic imagination. Arbab Nek Mohammad, columnist and historian, claimed that the issue of deaths of the Thari children was first raised and highlighted by local youngsters like Mr Amrani in their write-ups.

Praising the poetry of Amrani, Sindhi Adabi Sangat Mithi branch secretary Dileep Doshi said art and poetry were the great hindrance in the way of increasing religious disharmony and extremism in Thar.Senior poet Juman Darbadar said: “As long as we have poets and writers like Mr Amrani and many others like him in Thar, there is no threat to the religious harmony of the arid zone.”

Mr Khalil Kumbhar said Bharoo Mal fully depicted the sorrows, traditions and rich culture of Thar in very simple words, which, he said, was a great addition to Sindhi literature.

Bharoo Mal said he wrote what he observed in Thar which was the centre of his affection and inspiration.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2015