HYDERABAD: Speakers paid tribute to noted intellectual Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo on his first death anniversary organised by Sindh culture department at Sindh Museum on Friday and called for opening a translation bureau named after him to translate Sindhi literature into English and vice versa.

Former MPA and noted writer Mehtab Akbar Rashdi said that the best way to pay homage to Joyo was to set up a translation bureau in his name to translate literature from Sindhi to English and English to Sindhi. Joyo always had Sindh in his dreams and he tried to translate his dreams into reality, she said.

She regretted that many Sindhi luminaries who were institutions embodied had been forgotten now. “We as a nation love sloganeering. Slogans will be raised again on culture day and then people will become silent for the rest of the year,” she said, adding that people should read literature and acquire knowledge.

Noted writer Shoukat Hussain Shoro proposed that an academic session should be held about Joyo as he had played a pivotal role for the dissemination of progressive thoughts and enlightenment. The best way to pay tribute to him was that his work be promoted academically, he said, adding that Sindhi Adabi Board was his biggest contribution. Analyst Jami Chandio said that people should talk about Joyo’s philosophy and thoughts. Joyo had a multidimensional personality, he was a political teacher and intellectual, he said.

He said that Joyo had worked for the dissemination of enlightenment and progressive thoughts prevalent in Europe. It would, therefore, be a great injustice with him if his personality was restricted to Sindh alone.

He said that Joyo believed that religion should be separated from state affairs. During his time in Sindhi Adabi Board, work on modern literature was promoted and this period was considered a golden era for both SAB and Sindhi literature, he said.

Prof Mohammad Saleem Memon said that if one wanted to understand Joyo’s ideology one would have to study his life first. Students must read Joyo’s biography which showed how he faced difficulties and deprivations in his life and came out a strong individual, he said.

Sindhology director Ishaque Samejo said that Joyo played an important role in the movement against One Unit and he was a staunch supporter of progressive movement as well.

Sindhi Language Authority secretary Shabnam Gul said that Joyo loved his motherland and his literary work was imbued with this love. He translated noteworthy world literature and books into Sindhi and though he preferred seclusion he produced tremendous work, she said.

Poet Adal Soomro said that Joyo always encouraged youth, respected young and budding writers and always showered affection on them with a smiling face.

Sindh Minister for Education Syed Sardar Shah’s message was read at the seminar which urged people to emulate Joyo who had devoted his life to his nation, language and literature. An auditorium had been named after Joyo in Karachi and construction work on his mausoleum was under way, he said.

Naseer Mirza, Ali Akash, Madad Ali Sindhi and others also spoke at the moot.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2018