ISLAMABAD: The second literature carnival started at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Friday. Several writers, poets, academics and media persons participated in the opening ceremony of the three-day festival.

Writers Attaul Haq Qasmi, Prof Fateh Mohammad Malik and Prof Syed Jaffer Ahmed inaugurated the carnival.

Former director of the Pakistan Studies department at the Karachi University, Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed spoke about the role of a writer from the perspective of a social scientist.

“Literature reflects the level of consciousness of society, which itself is not stagnant; it is constantly changing,” Dr Ahmed said, adding that writers should keep themselves updated on the changing patterns in literature and society.

He added that social sciences can help writers in this. He rejected the notion that writers should remain impartial in political conflicts.

“Since all societies are conflict-ridden, therefore writers have to decide which side of the divide they are on,” he said, and that writers have to be ideological like Shah Hussain, Bulleh Shah, Ghalib, Iqbal and Faiz were.

Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui said the main objective of the festival is to understand and promote culture and linguistic diversity in Pakistan and to provide a platform for writers and poets to share their literary contributions.

He said literature has an enormous impact on the development of society and that imperialists have used literature as an instrument of influence, to control the minds of people and to perpetuate their authoritarian rule.

Prof Fateh Mohammad Malik called for the revival of and adherence to the thoughts of Iqbal and other mystic poets in order to fight extremism.

Others writers who spoke on the occasion include Khurshid Nadeem, Mansoor Afaq, Zahida Hina and Ataul Haq Qasmi.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2018