HYDERABAD, Feb 13: A consensus that the history of Sindh detailed in different eras is full of contradictions and needs correction was voiced by the intellectuals and writers.
This, they said, was necessary for the advantage of future generations.
They called upon the universities of the province and educational and cultural organizations to come forward in rectifying the faults being fed into the minds of students since many generations.
The Sindh Culture Department and the Sindh Language Authority (SLA) jointly organized a function late on Sunday to observe the 34th death anniversary of Rahimdad Maulai Sheedai, an eminent historian and intellectual.
The province has an old and distinct history but unfortunately its depiction is full of contradictions which need to be corrected for bringing to fore facts and fictions, said short story writer Hameed Sindhi.
Dissimilarities and discrepancies are evident in the writings from the Arab historians to martial law periods he said adding that everyone harped their own tunes to hoodwink masses.
However, the works of Pir Hishamuddin Shah Rashdi provided guidance to Maulai Sheedai, he said.
Dr Qazi Khadim another intellectual said Maulai Sheedai was successful in conducting a detailed research on Sindh's history with the assistance of Sindh University and Sindhi Adabi Board. The work is found to be without any religious bias.
Chairperson, SLA, Dr Fehmida Hussain said that Maulai Sheedai began his career by writing columns in Sitara Sindh and in 1950 became Editor of daily Hilal-e-Pakistan. He had the honour of writing the history of Balochistan in 1941.
The histories of Sindh written by Arabs, Iranians and English are all full of falsehood and contradictions, she said. The history written after the inception of Pakistan wrongly depicts the heroes as villains she said and called upon the historian to correct it for the coming generations.
Novelist Ghulam Nabi Mughal commending death commemoration at the government level said that Chach Nama, Jannat-i-Sindh and Tareekh-i-Tahiri were important books on the history of Sindh but in Chach Nama, Arab conquerors wrote the history as per their own perceptions.
Director, Culture Department, Dr Mohammad Ali Manjhi read a message of Culture Minister Sassui Palijo wherein she promised to get the remaining work of Maulai Sheedai published as one book was already under publication. She announced construction of a mausoleum soon.
People were proud of this great historian and both Pir Hishamuddin Rashdi and Maulai Sheedai had the previlage of correcting contradictions prevalent in different histories, she said.
Maulai Sheedai wrote numerous books including Jannatul Sindh, History and Culture of Sindh, History of Sukkur, Economic History of Sindh and a brief history of Balochistan.
Among others who spoke on the occasion included Ms Nazeer Naz and Taj Joyo.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.