LARKANA: Speakers at a dialogue on ‘What Shah Latif expects from us’ said that the message inherent in Shah’s poetry should be used to solve today’s issues like intolerance, extremism and terrorism, and society should be taught anew the real meaning of love and sacrifice.

Shah had laid stress on action to change ones’ destiny and sung eulogies of his heroes and heroines for their quintessential qualities of patriotism, faithfulness, love and sacrifice, they said.

They were speaking at the dialogue on the concluding day of Jashn-i-Latif at Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) here on Sunday night. Besides the dialogue, the Jashn featured a book fair, art exhibition, music programme, tableaus, seminar and dramas based on different sur of Shah’s poetry which attracted large crowds.

Larkana Commissioner Ghulam Akbar Leghari, who is also ACP president, said at the dialogue that great poets not only expressed their own agonies but they also acquainted themselves with others’. “Shah demanded more action from us, sometimes overtly and at other times covertly,” he said.

Dr Sher Mehrani, who has done PhD on Shah’s poetry, said that one who treaded the right path, struggled and sacrificed his self for the supreme cause was a great and ideal human being in Shah’s eyes.

Shah had sung that ideal person and searched the ideal in his characters who were though mundane and taken from his own surroundings but he made them into masterpieces through his poetry, he had.

He said that Shah’s themes emerged from within the heart and he portrayed his characters as wise, courageous, loyal and chivalrous. Shah had turned his characters into immortal sources of inspiration, he said.

Taj Baloch, a seasoned writer, TV anchor, critic and editor of Sindhi monthly Sojhro, said that Shah had spoken of the ideal person and urged people to follow that ideal to ameliorate their society. Shah, he said, had exhorted the individual to be practical for the general good of society.

Ms Seema Abbasi said that Shah had attached great importance to women and the qualities of patriotism, truthfulness, unconditional loyalty and resistance to injustice were abundantly attributed to women in his poetry.

The speakers were of the opinion that Shah’s poetry should be applied to today’s issues like extremism and terrorism and the society should be taught anew real essence of sacrificed, love, dignity and tolerance.

Gul chhino girnar jo

The audience gave a standing ovation to the artistes who left them spellbound through their superb performance in the drama Gul chhino girnar jo at open air theatre of the ACP.

The drama was written by famous writer late Agha Saleem and inspired by Shah’s sur Sorath, which revolved around love, music and commitment.

The scenes, dialogues, sets, costumes and performance with background music of Sindhi instruments left viewers spellbound and they often broke into clapping to appreciate their performance.

The drama was punctuated with Shah’s poetry from sur Sorath and classical Sindhi music. When it drew to an end and introductions were made the audience gave them a standing ovation.

The Jashn festivities concluded with singing performance by Wahid Lashari, Ashique Nizamani, Atalf Samo and others.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2016