HYDERABAD, Oct 26: Noted playwright Noorul Huda Shah has said that it is not Rasool Bux Palijo who moulded Jiji Zarina in his political philosophy but it was the other way round. It was Jiji who had moulded Palijos in her philosophy.

Ms Huda was one of the speakers at function at which politicians, writers, poets and scholars paid glowing tributes to renowned singer, writer, teacher and political and social activist Zarina Baloch for her services in the promotion of Sindhi culture and literature and her political activism at a gathering held here on Saturday evening to mark the third death anniversary of Jiji Zarina.

The speakers at the function organised by the Sindh culture and tourism department at Sindh Museum said that Jiji Zarina had a multidimensional personality and all through her life she had struggled for the promotion of Sindhi culture, literature and art.

They said that Jiji did not lag behind in political field and she was perhaps the first woman of Sindh who had been sent to jail for her political activism. Whether in rail, jail or a long march, she was a source of inspiration for others, they said.

Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism Ms Sassui Palijo said that Jiji Zarina was a role model not only for women but also for men and she was always in the lead in all the struggles for the rights of Sindh and Sindhi people.

She said that even jail failed to dampen her spirits. Many people had said that Jiji Zarina’s biography was not complete because it failed to encompass her multifarious activities. Jiji’s letters written to different people at different times would be collected within next six months and her new biography would be rewritten.

The chief of Awami Tehrik and the husband of Jiji Zarina, Rasool Bux Palijo said that Zarina was the first woman of Sindh who had talked about the new world. She could be compared with other women of the western world who had led many a struggle and on whose lives films had been made and stories had been written, he said.

Mr Palijo said that fighters of Vietnam and China were Zarina’s role models and she had tried to mould the women of Sindh on the pattern of China.

Noted writer Agha Saleem said that Jiji Zarina was his cultural guide and Murshid and a role model as she was a role model for thousands of others.

Dr Ghulam Ali Alana said that it was a wrong impression that Jiji Zarina was introduced to Sindhi people by Radio Pakistan Hyderabad and pointed out that Radio Pakistan was established in 1955 while Jiji Zarina had come into the limelight much before that.

Secretary of culture Shams Jafrani said that Jiji Zarina had made her mark not only on folk music but she had also contributed to the field of education, art and broadcasting.

The others who paid tribute to the late artist included Shamsherul Haideri, Taj Joyo, Naseer Mirza, Fehmida Hussain, Shoukat Hussain Shoro, Ayaz Latif Palijo, Ms Mariam Majeedi, Tajal Bewas, Inayat Baloch and others.