HYDERABAD: Latif awards and shields were distributed among artists and various other people who had rendered outstanding services in their respective fields on the concluding day of the 275th urs celebrations of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai on Friday evening.
The best ragi of Bhitai award went to Faqir Jawan Chhajro and the award for the best artist was clinched by Rashid Hyderi, Zulfikar Loond was given award for the best instrumentalist and late Mamoor Yousfani was bestowed award for the best researcher posthumously at the ceremony held in Bhitshah auditorium.
Dr Sher Mahrani received award for the best research, Taj Mohammad retained the award of the best sughar, Bakshan Mahranvi got the best compere award and Eeshwar Das Mandnani was given special Latif award. Haji Bashir Abrejo and Haji Siddique Rahu were given trophies for the best milk production.
A book Shah jo ganj was also launched on the occasion which was brought out by Sindh culture department in three different languages and shields were given to officers, including deputy commissioner, senior superintendent of police, officers of livestock, culture and information departments for rendering services in the arrangements of the urs.
Sindh Minister for Education and Culture Syed Sardar Shah who was chief guest at the ceremony praised efforts of all Sindh government departments for organising the urs celebrations in a befitting manner.
He said that performing duties in Bhitshah was not a job, it was an honour and all those who had done their work sincerely and selflessly in Bhitai’s home indeed deserved appreciation. Nowhere in the world could one find a poet that much loved by his people, he said.
He said the characters in Bhitai’s poetry were not members of elite neither did they hold important positions in society; they were representatives of general public. Bhitai had rejected the official court language and preferred to compose poetry in the language of the common man, negating the popular adage of the times ‘Farsi ghoray chaarh si’ (Persian will get you higher places).
He said that millions turned up in Bhitshah every year to pay homage to Bhitai and termed Moenjodaro and Latif identities of Sindh. Every possible step was being taken to promote Bhitai’s message, he said, adding that work on translation of Shah jo risalo into Arabic and Persian languages would be completed in three months.
Sindh Minister for Livestock Abdul Bari Pitafi also spoke at the ceremony. Late Khurshid Bughio, a journalist of Bhitshah, was posthumously awarded a shield for his best services which was received by his son Noshad Ali Bughio from the education minister.
Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2018
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