HYDERABAD: Eminent playwright and poet Asghar Nadeem Syed has said that Shaikh Ayaz fought not only for Sindhi but for all languages and he was not scared nor opposed to any language but opposed only lingual and cultural narcissism.

Shaikh Ayaz had got only one life to connect to people but he had tried to live multiple lives and play a unique role in every aspect of his life.

He was presenting a detailed paper in a session on Ayaz in the fifth Ayaz Melo that got under way in Sindh Museum under the aegis of Khanabadosh writers cafe on Saturday evening. The session was presided over by Sindh Minister for Culture Syed Sardar Shah.

Recitation of Bhitai’s poetry marked formal beginning of the melo in the lawns of the museum. Bhitai’s raagis presented ‘waee’ of Shah. Earlier, the minister inaugurated the festival and pictorial exhibition of Shaikh Ayaz and emphasised the need for publishing works of the poet into other languages.

Asghar Nadeem Syed said for many Ayaz was a poet but he felt he was a great novelist, a philosopher, a heritage scholar and a political-cum-ideological teacher. Ayaz was a narrator and civilised historian.

Ayaz was a researcher of international literature. He had gathered different poets of the world of different eras under one umbrella of his poetry. This festival identified poetic ideologies of Shaikh Ayaz and had he (Asghar) not read Ayaz’s prose he could have hardly understood his poetry.

He said that injustices in the backdrop of World War II when soldiers of British Empire were recruited in army from Chakwal, Sargodha and other villages of Punjab and given jagirs in lieu of their services formed the basis of Ayaz’s poetry. Progressive movement dominated scene then in India, but Ayaz remained perplexed on ideological lines at that time also. Today’s progressive forces could not understand this clearly.

He said that only Ayaz knew that progressive forces were divided into different camps then. Syed said he counted himself in the camp of impatient people whereas Ayaz was present somewhere at the confluence of philosophical pathways. Pakistan’s progressive forces did not understand the role of Ayaz because a barring few, the rest of writers and authors were deprived of Shaikh Ayaz’s ideology and philosophy.

He said that Ayaz wanted to bring Pakistan’s cultural, lingual, literary heritage to a common point. When Ayaz was going to Moscow, Faiz Ahmed Faiz complimented him, saying ‘Ayaz wanted to make Sindh Pakistan’s cultural club”.

Syed wished had it been done Habib Jalib would not have to be baton-charged all alone. Politics and literature of Sindh could not be conquered by Punjabis because they could not find its key as they were required to read immensely and lovers of “sri and paye” would have found their brains on plates.

He said Pakistan’s national languages and cultures were not only ignored but attempts were made to suppress them, what to talk of political rights of people at that time.

Rights of languages were rights of people. Sindhi language had taken a position in reaction and paid its price as Sindhi literature could not reach people of different languages while inter-provincial harmony was lost.

Syed felt that Punjabi, Seraiki, Pashto, Brahvi and Balochi languages had suffered the most.

Ayaz’s fight was not only for Sindhi language but for all languages. He was not scared or opposed to any language but opposed to lingual and cultural narcissism.

The ruling elite never read his poetry as it was afraid of Ayaz’s influence. Pir Ali Mohammad Rashdi had told Ayaz that even if the government snatched his pen, it would not make any difference for his poetry had already worked and his poetry would make him immortal, he said.

He said that Ayaz had himself wrote that anger and hate produced power in poetry. Anguish and hate were always at work in the world’s best poetry. Ayaz had extensively read international philosophy, political philosophy and other subjects.

Shaikh Ayaz left Karachi for his mother tongue because he feared his language would be swept away by different winds while Karachi was a modern city of the world at that time. Ayaz was a romantic and his life and poetry were sisters.

He said that writings of Ayaz suggested he kept trying to become an international individual and whether he became a true patriot was to be decided by people. His knowledge of international literature and philosophy showed he finally bracketed himself with Ameer Khusro and Kabir Das in international club of literature.

Syed Sardar Shah said progressive thinking in Sindh was stronger than it was in other provinces. Shaikh Ayaz laid foundation of modern Sindhi poetry. After Bhitai, Sindhis diverted towards Seraiki poetry but men like Ayaz introduced modern Sindhi poetry afresh.

He said Ayaz was a great poet with a creative mind. Ayaz had a commitment to the mother tongue and the soil. He linked Sindhi poetry with international literature. Ayaz taught even educated people.

Referring to Syed’s criticism of folk music in corporate world, he said that a studio was being established in Sindh for folk music to introduce Ayaz’s poetry in folk music. Ayaz had himself written that Asghar Nadeem Syed was his favourite poet.

Poet of Punjabi literature Ahmed Saleem said that he took interest in Ayaz’s poetry because of Rasheed Ahmed Lashari, who was inimical to Ayaz’s poetry. He said that he sought permission from Ayaz to translate his poetry into Punjabi.

Ayaz’s son Monis Ayaz said that it was a festival of entire Sindh and not Shaikh Ayaz’s alone. He said that it was success of this festival that it would continue for five days which was unlike other festivals. Taj Joyo, Dr Arfana Mallah and Amar Sindhu, convener of organising committee also spoke at the gathering.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2019