LARKANA: A conference on recognition of folk literature held in Lalu Ronk town near here the other day urged the government to establish a folk literature institute, include folk literature in syllabi taught in educational institutions and organise competitions for folk poetry to create awareness about this dying form of literature.
Noted writer and researcher Dr Kamal Jamro who spoke as chief guest at the conference organised by the Sindh Sughar Lok Adab Tanzeem (SLAT) lamented that the government had ignored the folk literature and the authorities concerned had done nothing for its promotion.
He said the department of culture should look after wellbeing of sughars (folk poets) because they sincerely and selflessly served the language and culture.
He regretted that during recently held Sindh Literature Festival in Karachi folk literature was completely ignored and folk poets were not invited to the event. Credit went to SLAT for working for the promotion of folk literature on its own, he said.
He said: “Folk literature is a powerful medium of expression through which not only good traditions and cultural values are transferred to the new generation but it also serves to enrich the language and protect it from negative influences”.
Sikandar Ali Rind, producer at Pakistan Television, said that by recognising folk poets’ contribution to the promotion of literature the organisation had created awareness about folk literature and issued a wakeup call to the institutions concerned to pay attention to the indigenous genre of literature as well.
Twelve books were launched at the conference and awards of silver crowns, Sindhi turban and Shah jo Risalo were given to folk poets, folk singers, writers, journalists and radio and T.V producers in recognition of their contribution to the promotion of folk literature.
The conference passed a resolution demanding the government establish a folk literature institute, create departments of Sindhi Folk Literature and Latifiyaat in all universities, introduce folk literature in the syllabi taught in educational institutions and organise folk poetry competitions to create awareness about the indigenous form of literature.
PTV producer Sikandar Ali Rind, Radio Pakistan Khairpur producer Khalil Kakipoto, Radio Pakistan Larkana programme manager Ali Murad Tanweri, writers Dr Kamal Jamro, Sughar Muhammad Qasim Rahimoon, Gul Hassan Malik, Sughar Mehboob Ali Depar, Sughar Badruddin, Mohammad Luqman Khokhar, Punhal Piyasi, Allah Bakhsh Samat, Ali Gohar Mahar, Irshad and Ali Akber Chandio received awards.
Founder chairman of SLAT Aajiz Rahmatullah Lashari, Ali Murad Tanweri, Khalid Chandio, Gul Hassan Gul and Mahram Chandio aslo spoke at the conference.
Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2016
