HYDERABAD: A two-day literary and Sindhi language festival will be organised at national level in August/September.

This was announced by chief minister’s special assistant on culture and tourism Sharmila Farooqui while presiding over the ‘Literary Awards 2013’ ceremony held on the Sindhi Language Authority premises on Friday night to distribute awards to best writers of the books published during 2013.

Ms Farooqui said that a committee comprising noted writers, researchers, scholars and intellectuals would oversee the arrangements and proceedings of the festival. The aim, she said, was to promote the Sindhi language.

She supported calls for giving Sindhi the status of national language, and said the culture department was preparing a draft bill on the subject which would be tabled in the National Assembly soon.

Later, she gave away the Literary Awards 2013 to Subho Gyanchandani (literature), Rehmatullah Manothi (story writing), Tara Mir Chandani (novel), Ahmed Solangi (poetry), Manzoor Jokhio (safarnama) and Zaib Nizamani (children literature).

She also announced an additional cash prize of Rs25,000 for each recipient of the awards, and asked the SLA to establish at least three awards in each genre in order to encourage writers, poets, playwrights, researchers and scholars. Speaking at the ceremony, noted researcher and writer Subho Gyanchandani said he was still writing despite his old age and poor health and would continue with his mission to to contribute to the Sindhi language and literature till his last breath.

He expressed his pleasures over the fact that all his books had been translated into Urdu.

Scholar Abdul Majeed Sindhi said a writer’s pen had the power to bring about a significant change in society. It was the works of great scholars and literati that enabled most top leaders of the world to launch movements and bring about a change.

Sindh also produced many such scholars, whose works had also made the Sindhi literature and history rich, he added.

Dr Habibullah Siddiqui referred to great literati of Sindh and noted that they rendered great sacrifices by contributing truth and facts to history and literature despite all odds.

N.A. Baloch Institute of Heritage and Research director Dr Yaqoob Muchal also spoke.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2014