HYDERABAD: The 278th urs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai drew to an end in Bhitshah on Friday with distribution of awards among best performers and achievers in different fields and launch of new books on Bhitai’s poetry.

Sindh Minister for Culture Syed Sardar Shah, who presided over the concluding ceremony, told journalists after laying a wreath on the Sufi saint’s grave that official celebrations had to be suspended due to Covid-19 pandemic since it was government’s responsibility to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs).

He said that since millions of devotees would have turned up at the shrine, it could have led to fast spread of the virus. The culture department had held online urs celebrations for three days and a small gathering had been organised for a brief period that day only to distribute Latif Awards at H.R. Sorley hall, he said.

He said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had pushed the country to ignorance.

This government was least concerned about providing facilities and amenities to people while Pakistan Peoples Party government, right from Z.A. Bhutto to present rulers, had done tremendous services for people as well as for Bhitshah, he said.

He said that some schools, including public schools in Bhitshah, Tando Mohammad Khan and Tando Allahyar, had been handed over to N.J.V. Schools. The remaining development works at Bhitshah Public School would be completed and he would visit Makhdoom Ghulam Hyder High School in Hala to inspect conditions, he said.

On the issue of unemployment of ‘malh’ (Sindhi wrestlers), the minister said that culture and sports departments should organise different activities in collaboration with each other to address the issue.

He said over charges of bribe in job test for teachers that he would tender his resignation if it was proved that a single candidate had passed the examination after paying the bribe.

He said that 46,649 candidates would be appointed to vacant seats of teachers. Out of 160,578 candidates for the posts of junior school teacher only 1,200 had passed but if the job sale mafia agents had been active only 1,200 candidates would not have qualified, he argued.

He said that even sons and daughters of secretary of education and brother of a private secretary could not pass the examination. As the party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had called for ensuring strict merit in appointment of teachers, nobody would be accorded undue favour, he said.

Latif Awards

The recipients of the award included; Shafqat Hussain Shah (raat), Mumtaz Ali Abbasi (sughar), Rajab Ali and Saif Samejo (best raagis), Ghulam Dawood (dholak nawaz), Sattar Jogi (flute player) and Prof Bashir Ahmed Shad (researcher of Shah). Shields were also presented to Ayoub Gul Zeeshan, Arshad Shani, Shafi Faqir, Akhtar Dargahi, Roshan Sheikh and Mazhar Ali Dotio (IT expert).

Books launched

The books launched on the occasion are; Critical study of Latifiyat by Dr Sher Mahranvi, Hyder Ali’s book Latif key kalam main wujood ka khala,Shah ja parkho by Madad Ali Sindhi, Shah je risale ja sar chashma by Dr Nabi Bux Khan Baloch, Shah jo risalo compiled by Tara Chand Shoqiram, Shah jo risalo complied by Mohammad Soomar Shaikh and a Balochi translation of three selected surs of Bhitai by A.B. Sada Lashari.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2021