KARACHI: A calendar for the year 2022 with the theme Urdu shaeri mein tasavvur-i-insaan (the concept/treatment of human beings in Urdu poetry) was launched by the Jahan-i-Maseeha Adabi Forum (JMAF) at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Monday evening.

The forum has been coming out with such calendars for a little more than two decades.

Eminent poet and former Karachi University vice chancellor Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim was the chief guest on the occasion. He said the forum’s effort has been going on for many years. A distinguished pharmaceutical company is involved in it whose literary branch has come out with the calendar. They have clarity (wazih) in what they do. Making medicines is important for people’s health; and at the same time the forum through its endeavours is trying to tell us that we live in a society, which is why we should keep the present and the future both in mind in whatever we do. And in the process we can develop a system that influences our thoughts and ideas (fikri taur per mutasir ker sakey).

Dr Qasim said after the initial phase when the human brain came out of its one-dimensionality (yaktai se nikal ker) it saw that there was an environment which contained our life. Man’s initial form of expression was to do exert power (ibtidai izhar meinquwwat thi) — as to who is more powerful on earth. After that came about change on the level of thought when man began to think about others as well. It enabled him to understand that this earth is providing us with things to live. It is evident how many things there are in the world that contributes to our living. In that regard human beings is a huge subject. “There are at least three big subjects for mankind: 1) time; 2) life; and 3) human beings.” All of them are connected with human beings.

Earlier, poet Khwaja Razi Haider, who was instrumental in selecting the 12 verses for the calendar, said the effort contains poetry representing traditional Urdu verses with the theme of the year in mind. “When we started selecting the verses there were about 70 to 72 ash’aar that we came across. Then we chose 12 that can be read on the calendar. The purpose of the entire exercise is to emphasise that it’s important for human beings to understand other human beings. Until that happens, we cannot expect man to do good (falaah).”

JMAF’s Syed Jamshed Ahmed, who was the last of the three main speakers, introduced the forum to the media after which he said that the idea behind the venture is that in a capitalist environment we should return something to society that does not involve money.

He added that in 22 years this is the 23rd calendar that the JMAF has published.

Dr Mansoor and Prof Ishaq also spoke.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2022