HYDERABAD, March 6: The controversy over the authorship of Sur Kedaro included in manuscripts and printed versions of Shah jo Risalo continued to dominate Tuesday’s second session of the annual Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai literary conference held in Bhit Shah this year after being held in Hyderabad for a couple of years.

Speakers, including eminent writers, poets and intellectuals of Sindh, said that the great Sufi poet had immortalised folktales of Sindh, and stressed the need for a thorough research on his work. They said that Shah jo Risalo was a call for continuous struggle.

Taking part in the Kedaro controversy, Dr G. A. Allana rejected the theory that Sur Kedaro, woefully narrating the tragedy of Karbala, was not the creation of Ehsan Faqir but that of Shah Latif. He said that there was a world of difference between the poetry of Ehsan Faqir and Shah Latif and Shah Latif could not be reduced to the level of Ehsan Faqir.

Dr Allana said that the mysticism of Shah Latif was embodiment of Wahdaniyat (oneness of God).

He said that the immortal poet should not be confined to Bhit Shah, and proposed that papers on Shah Latif should be read not only in Sindhi but also in English, Urdu and other languages. Similarly, conferences on Shah Latif should be held in other provinces also, he added.

He said that the Shah Latif Literary Conference, which earlier used to be a one-day event and was extended to two days this year, should be held on all the three days of the Urs celebrations.

He regretted that they had divided Shah Latif and Sachal Sarmast between Laar and Uttar (north and south of Sindh).

Referring to the empty seats in the conference hall, Imdad Hussaini said that the hall used to be brimming with the people when common people were also allowed to attend the conference. He said that the conference should be open to all as Shah Latif was very popular among the common people.

Abdul Qadir Junejo said that many modern things could be found in the poetry of Shah Latif, and urged the scholars to undertake exhaustive research on the poet on scientific lines.

Dr Mohammad Ali Manjhi said that Shah Latif’s poetry depicted dawn of Sindhi society and all aspects of Sindhi culture.

Taj Joyo recalled that foreign scholars had played a great role in disseminating the message of Shah Latif.

Shoukat Hussain Shoro said that Shah Latif was simultaneously a universal poet and the bard of Sindhi people as he had composed poetry on the pains and happiness of Sindh.

Afaq Siddiqui said that Shah Latif was the greatest poet of the world and Shah jo Risalo was a complete cultural history of Sindh.

Dr Basheer Ahmed Shah, Dr Habibullah Siddiqui, Sehar Imdad, Dr Ghulam Nabi Sadhayo, Mohammad Panah, Hizbullah Soomro and others also spoke on the occasion.