HYDERABAD: Intellectuals, writers, politicians and social activists paid homage to Shaikh Ayaz for his poetry, prose and unconditional love for the motherland and termed him one of the great personalities who laid foundation of modern Sindh.

They were sharing their thoughts at the inaugural ceremony of ‘Ayaz Melo’ that got under way at Sindh Museum under the aegis of Khanabadosh Writers’ Cafe here on Wednesday evening.

Veteran politician Rasool Bux Palijo who chaired the programme said that it was no easy task to talk on Shaikh Ayaz. “He has a thousand colours in him and it is equally difficult to understand him,” he said. He said that whenever Sindh came under attack Ayaz stood by the motherland and he never, not even for a moment, supported ‘enemies’ of Sindh. Ayaz never praised any tyrant, he said.

He maintained that Ayaz always encouraged those who were fighting for Sindh’s rights. One could disagree with Ayaz but this great poet was a teacher of Sindh, he said.

Celebrated writer Noorul Huda Shah was highly critical of people who continued to pick at Amar Sindhu and her team and equated their cafe with an ordinary “hotel”. It was really painful to read some comments on such gatherings and the hosts’ efforts on social networking websites, she said.

She expressed concern over the fact that the gatherings addressed by religious clerics drew huge number of people who also included Sindhis and said that she was frightened at the pace Sindhi youths were joining forces of religious extremists.

“If we want to reverse the trend then we will have to engage them through such gatherings to keep personalities like G.M. Syed, Shaikh Ayaz, Ibrahim Joyo and Rasool Bux Palijo alive in their hearts,” she said.

“Let’s say it in unison we are heirs of Shaikh Ayaz, G.M. Syed, Rasool Bux Palijo and Ibrahim Joyo. Our men should come forward,” she said.

MPA Mehtab Akbar Rashdi said that Ayaz had confidently stated in his poetry that his departure from this world would be followed by “festivals” and today one could see it happen in these gatherings.

She was critical of Sindh culture department for not supporting the hosts in holding this event and said that it was time that Sindhi people should also “salute” those who were upholders of Moenjodaro’s civilisation. She said that her resolution on “Ibrahim Joyo Research Institute of Translation and Compilation” was adopted three years back but not a single penny was allocated by Sindh government to materialise the institute.

She underscored the need for the establishment of this institute and said it would allow the rest of the world to discover Sindhi literature. “Ayaz was a poet of passion and peace. He wrote on valour and bravery demonstrated by our heroes. He was poet of future, not past or present,” she said.

Amar Sindhu, chairperson of the Ayaz Melo organising committee, described G.M. Syed, Shaikh Ayaz, Ibrahim Joyo and Rasool Bux Palijo as four pillars who created modern Sindh. She said that Mr Joyo and the rest kept promoting secular and pluralist ethos in society. Ayaz’s poetry symbolised Sindh’s political, national and philosophical maturity, she said.

Shaikh Ayaz’s daughter Dr Roohi Altaf also spoke at the gathering.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2017