THIS refers to Muhammed Habib Sanai’s article ‘The forgotten scholar’ (Eos: July 23). The writer has rendered a great service to Sindh by refreshing the memories of a great scholar of Sindhi literature, Dr Hotchand Mool Chand Gurbaxni, who methodologically compiled and interpreted the Shah Jo Risalo.
My grandfather, the late Sayed Pir Ali Shah, a judge, had two books on Latif in his collection of books. One was by H.T. Sorley, Shah Latif of Bhit, and another was Shah Jo Risalo in three volumes. Since my childhood, I had been told that Risalo was in four volumes.
Three volumes are available but the fourth one is missing. In response to my inquiry, my grandfather told me that in the 1930s there was no photocopying machine nor Sindhi typewriters available. And Dr Gurbaxani gave the handwritten manuscript, without retaining its carbon copy for correction and proofreading to one of his students.
That student in his heart was not happy with his teacher for including Sur Kedaro, the story of the tragedy of Karbala in volume three of the Risalo. And he psychologically tortured his teacher by not returning the volume. A similar story has been told by others.
In the mid-fifties, the Sindh government appointed a committee to look into the possibilities of establishing a university. Dr Gurbaxani was one of its members. He was likely to be appointed its vice-chancellor. But the then education minister, Pir Allai Bux, removed Dr Gurbaxani from the committee. This incident shocked the sensitive scholar and he died in March 1947 in Karachi.
Although, Dr Gurbuxani is no longer with us, his works on Latif are with us. In order to pay a befitting tribute to the great literary figure, a hall may be named after him either in D.J. Sindh Science College, Karachi, where he taught or in the University of Sindh or Karachi. Also, if the Gurbuxani family or anybody else has volume four in their files, it should be published so that the public gets to read Latif’s poetry interpreted in a highly scholarly manner.
Dr. Mehtab Ali Shah
Jamshoro
Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2017
