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March 28, 2004
Review: Songs of innocence
THE innocence of a poor child marred by maturity brought about by an early realization of the facts of life is in fact the summing up of the contents of Mohammad Ali Majid’s anthology for children. Dharti Ja Baar, his maiden collection, contains simple yet impressive poems each of which has been supplemented with sketches by Fattah Halepoto and Munawar Abro.
The book contains poems in verse, libre and otherwise and a few Tairoos, a form similar to Japanese Haiko. The subjects of the verses can be divided into three categories. The first deals with the scenic beauty of Sindh with a glimpse of the River Indus and children’s pastimes in the rural areas. The second part urges children to concentrate on their education and adopt positive traits such as truthfulness, honesty, patriotism and respect for all elders. The third segment narrates the plight of the offspring of peasants and labourers in a class-based society.
Young readers would mostly enjoy the first category as the poems have a lyrical flow similar to that of folk songs. The second, despite being didactic, will leave an impact on innocent minds as the poems are written in a very simple yet expressive language. The final could prove to be a bit heavy reading for children since it portrays the deprivations of poor children in a gloomy way. If the author found it suitable to include poems challenging the class system in the book, he could also have taken up the issue of atrocities against children, which have lately plagued society in Sindh.
Although he has been living in Karachi for a decade now, Majid has left behind his heart in the dusty village of the arid Kachho area in Dadu district. He has employed a rich rural kind of diction throughout the anthology, which is rare for urban-based Sindhi poets whose language usually suffers because they tend to sever links with their rural background.
A few of the poems, which are in free verse, lack the melodious quality of the others. Some of his pieces also have minor technical flaws as pointed out by prominent poet Tajal Baiwas in his preface (there is only one, brief, preface instead of a couple of lengthy ones). The book is self-published. Printed on good quality paper with an attractive cover, it should sell well, especially because of its modest price.
Majid also writes for adults. On the last page of Dharti ja Baar, he has announced his next book: Maan Tunhje Nasib Men Nahyan which is actually his diary. He also plans to launch a quarterly literary journal, a need for which is felt badly by Sindhi readers.
Dharti Ja Baar
By Mohammad Ali Majid
Kachho Publications, Karachi Available from Tajal Beos, Bungalow No. 62-A, Block
4-A, Sahafi Colony, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Karachi. Tel: 021-4813459, 0300-2528062
63pp. Rs30
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