KARACHI, Aug 4: Speakers at a seminar on Monday highlighted the message of love and peace given by the great poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai through his poetry and stressed that people should adopt the lifestyle in accordance with his perception. The speakers were expressing their views at the seminar on Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai organized jointly by the Sindh Adabi Board (SAB) and the Sindhi Kitab Ghar.
They said that if one wanted to learn about the history, culture, heritage, traditions, literature, etc. of Sindh, he should go through the poetry of Shah Bhitai.
Urging non-Sindhi speaking people to learn the language, they said that though the Shah Jo Risalo (a collection of Shah Bhitai’s poetry) had already been translated into many a languages, its original language gave the reader a better understanding of Sindh’s history and heritage as well as the poet’s perception of lifestyle and culture.
Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar, speaking on the occasion, described Shah Bhitai as ‘a universal poet’ and said that his his poetry, comprising message of love and peace, was relevant even today after the passage of more than a couple of centuries.
He said that while his poetry had been translated into many a languages, its translation in German language by the German government was under way which, he added, proved that Shah’s message of love had been reached across the globe.
He urged people to spread further the message of Shah Bhitai so that people could live in harmony and understand each other’s shortcomings and limitations in order to settle their conflicts without causing harm to anybody.
Referring to a request by the Sindh Education Minister, Irfanullah Marwat, the CM announced that Rs20 million would be given to the Sindhi Adabi Board to carry out its literary work. He said that more funds would be provided if the Board became active and played its due role in promoting literature, culture, history, heritage, etc. of the province.
He said that he had also allocated Rs25 million for the repairs, renovation and expansion of the Shah Bhitai’s Mazar and for provision of other facilities at Bhitshah. The officials, he added, had been asked to make plans for the restoration, renovation, extension, etc. of the Mazars of other great sufi saints like Lal Shahbaz Qalander and Sachal Sarmast.
Earlier, Mr Marwat observed that due to the declining reading habit in people, the gap between literature and masses was widening. He called for efforts to bridge the gap so that young generation could know about the great poets and understand their poetic messages.
The minister announced that such seminars and symposia would be held in all the major towns and cities of the province so that themessage of Shah Bhitai could reach all over the province.
He declared that all those living in Sindh are Sindhis and they should also try to adopt the culture, heritage and traditions of Sindh.
Earlier, Ghulam Nabi Agro, giving a brief resume of the SAB said that over 450 books had been published and that the Board also had a large number of valuable manuscripts in its collection.
The provincial Information Secretary, Mahtab Rashdi, Mazhar Yusuf, Prof Afaq Siddiqui, Agha Saleem and others also spoke on the occasion whereas Haider Bux Hakro, Arif Ansari and others recited Shah Bhitai’s poetry.
Over 150 books published by the Board were on display at the venue of the seminar. A three-volume manuscript of the Holy Quran, written during the era of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, besides Tafseer Kashaf, Tafseer Neshapuri, Tafseer Bezawi and Tafseer Hussaini was also put on display.
