THOSE who lament that Urdu — at least in its literary manifestations — is on a slow and steady decline, would have taken heart from the recently concluded International Urdu Conference at the Arts Council in Karachi. Despite the five-day duration, the longest in its decade-long history, the event was extremely well-attended. Moreover, coinciding as it did with 70 years of Pakistan’s independence, it was a fitting occasion to reflect upon this country’s journey through the decades. From literature to music, film and theatre, the conference’s various components spanned the entire gamut of cultural expression in Urdu with several stars of its literary pantheon among the participants. Inevitably, some sessions were more relevant than others; some trod a well-worn path while others were more stimulating. For instance, as expected, there was a particularly animated discussion about how Pakistan today compares with the country that Jinnah had envisioned, with various speakers presenting diverse points of view.

‘Conference’ is a term that conjures up a purely academic and cerebral ambience. However, so wide was the canvas of the event that it could quite aptly be described as more akin to a festival. But that is all very well, for such an approach, especially the showbiz element, lent variety to the occasion and in the process attracted younger people as well. That is an important consideration. This is the demographic for whom literary pursuits in the national language are taking a back seat, partly because higher educational institutes in Pakistan place disproportionate emphasis on ‘career-oriented’ disciplines such as IT, and business and finance at the cost of the arts. Also, in an age of media overload and its culture of instant gratification, such events are a reaffirmation of Urdu as a significant repository of our cultural memory and political consciousness. At a time when regressive currents are threatening to overwhelm debate, sideline critical thinking and impose a one-dimensional worldview, every effort to retrieve the space ceded to the right wing is vital for a pluralistic, democratic polity.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2017