KARACHI: Speakers at a programme held to commemorate the fourth death anniversary of lawyer, writer and editor Sirajul Haq Memon said that the late Mr Memon had a multifaceted personality where every hue had a full-fledged significance.

“Siraj sahib’s one contribution was that he helped his sisters realising their dreams,” said playwright Noorul Huda Shah at the programme organised by the Siraj Institute of Sindh Studies at the Arts Council of Pakistan.

Five books of the late Memon’s literary works and columns were also launched at the event.

She said intolerance was increasing in Sindh, which was evident on the ground and on social media where everyone was lynching another.

Ms Shah said Siraj had lived many lives in his single eventful life in which he was an eminent tax lawyer, a vibrant editor, a novelist, a researcher and a critique.

“Instead of his family, it is job of the literary forums and culture authorities to publish his works and do research on his personality and his intellectual works that he left in abundance.”

Eminent scholar Dr Sulaiman Shaikh said Memon sahib was an organised person, who manifested that quality in all roles he played in his life.

“He organised his team when he was an editor and made Daily Hilal-i-Pakistan a newspaper which is still being run on sound footing. Similarly, he showed discipline in his profession as a lawyer and as a writer that helped him utilise time in useful manner,” he said.

Poet Imdad Hussaini said Siraj was among those people who were born for writing.

“He was equally a good researcher as we see him a sound writer in his epic novels,” said Mr Hussaini. Writer Taj Joyo said the late Memon epitomised work who wrote for the betterment of Sindh.

Jami Chandio said Siraj had good contribution to criticism and linguistics. He wrote that Sindhi was one of the most ancient languages, which had its own origins instead of the common notion that it was part of Indo-European languages.

Rahat Saeed said everyone living in Sindh irrespective of which language one spoke should own Sindh, because it was the only solution to harmonise society there.

He asked the culture ministry to translate and publish Sindhi books in Urdu, so that people like him who had little understanding of the language should also appreciate Sindh like those who spoke Sindhi.

Attiya Dawood spoke on the various facets of Memon’s life, saying he would encourage young writers and extend his arm to groom them.

Dr Ayoub Shaikh moderated the proceedings while Dr Fehmida Hussain, a sister, and Dr Amjad Siraj, son of the late Memon also spoke.

Published in Dawn February 6th, 2017