PROF Dr Arif Naushahi is among those scholars of our country who shun publicity and believe in serious academic and research work instead of seeking ways of self-promotion.
But in one of his recent works he has pointed out some painful facts about research and academic activities in Pakistan and it is truly heartbreaking. Dr Naushahi does not care about his own well-being nor does he seek any reward or compensation. His lamentation is not about material things because he cares least about them. A great scholar of Persian and Urdu literatures and an authority on Persian and Urdu manuscripts, Arif Naushahi is respected for his numerous research works in Urdu and Persian not only in Pakistan, but abroad as well, especially in Iran from where he has been invited umpteen times to deliver lectures or read out papers at international conferences. But his brief foreword to his latest book Punjab mein Farsi adab, he can clearly be seen in great distress and it breaks our heart when he says that considering the state of research and the standard of research journals in the country, he has “almost abandoned writing research papers”.
When a scholar of international repute who works hard for the sake of knowledge alone and does not seek any material benefits decides to forsake writing research papers, it is clearly a sign that all is not well with the standards of research in the country and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the body responsible for monitoring and financing the higher education and research activities in Pakistan, must be concerned.
Prof Naushahi says in the foreword that “ever since the introduction of new educational system in the region --- especially in Pakistan, India and Iran --- the university teachers seeking promotion to the higher grades are required to get research papers published in research journals. As a result, almost every department of every university has launched its own research journal. Among the ‘flowers’ that have blossomed in this ‘research spring’ are the great many research articles for everybody to see their standard. All the stress is laid on quantity and in the haste the quality has been left behind somewhere.”
These articles, written mostly by university teachers, are published in the HEC-approved research journals. Then he adds that “Papers are written on hackneyed topics, issues already trampled to death are repeatedly discussed in a few pages. Hardly any line of Persian text included in Urdu research papers is correctly proofread. These journals are supposed to meet the international standards and the editor is responsible to maintain that standard. But what can the poor editor do when he or she also teaches. These editors are heads of departments as well and even deans of faculties. In addition, they are also members of numerous committees. How can they find time to maintain the standard of the journal? I receive in mail journals published by Indian and Pakistani universities and academic institutions, but, believe me; I put them aside after cursorily glancing at the tables of contents because not a single topic seems attractive”.
But most stressful is the way he ends this note: “Looking at the state of research and research journals in this beloved country of ours, I have almost withdrawn myself from writing research papers”. Then he quotes a couplet by Hakeem Sanai Ghaznavi, a great Persian poet of classical era, that says:
First I wrote painstakingly many books, But lastly broke many pens in amazement
Such is the standard of our research journals that a renowned and sincere researcher like Prof Naushahi has to break his pens, wondering at the standard and criterion. As we know, breaking the pen is a symbolic way of saying the pen will never be used again to write what it did before. Judges are said to do it after giving the death sentence. In Prof Naushahi’s case, it is the research articles that he wrote in the past and thinks he should never do it again. But one feels it would be a death sentence to a part of research, the research on Persian literature and especially the Persian literature penned in the Indo-Pak subcontinent.
Arif Naushahi’s book Punjab mein Farsi adab makes it quite clear that the tradition of Persian literary works penned in Punjab goes back to around 11th century AD, when Sheikh Ali Hajviri, the Sufi saint popularly known as Hazrat Data Ganjbakhsh, wrote Kashf-ul-mahjoob, a treatise on Islamic mysticism. Also, Masood Saad Salman Lahori, a poet of the 12th century, had penned three divans, one each in Urdu, Persian and Turkish.
The book includes 23 research articles on Punjab’s classical Persian poets and their works. Published by Lahore’s Majlis-i-Taraqqi-i-Adab, the book is packed with rare and important information on Persian literature written in Punjab. After reading the book, all we can do is keep our fingers crossed and pray that Dr Naushahi may not break his pen. Amen!
Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2018
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