KARACHI, Dec 4: "Literature and the new age" was the topic discussed by writers at a seminar held under the aegis of Urdu Sindhi Adbi Foundation at the PACC on Friday.

Ghulam Rabbani Agro, Sindhi Adabi Board chairman, presided over the deliberation. Prof Nazir Somro who had to attend the seminar from Larkana was the special guest. The speakers included Agha Noor Muhammad Pathan and Prof Afaq Siddiqui who presented the welcome address and

introduced the Adabi foundation as a literary body meant to bring the writers of both languages closer.

Akhtar Hamid Khan, a known Urdu writer, delivered an introductory speech and explained the role of modern writings in improving the society.

Some papers, quite academic and informative, were read out by Riaz Siddiqui, Shahnaz Shoro, Shafiq Ahmad Shafiq, Ali Haider Malik and others.

While Riaz Siddiqui in his essay defined the modernity in literature and the definition of the 'new age' (Asr-i-nau) and the history behind both the terms, Ms Shahnaz lamented the decline in literature. She was saddened to see that Persian and Arabic languages in the teaching even at the higher classes were being ignored with the result that Urdu was denied of its blood. She expressed the need of a liberal social order and a free expression opinion, to be precise "coffee house culture", she said.

Sarwer Javed said that literature throughout the history had been anti-establishment. But sadly the link between the creative writer and the common people was lying broken and social evils were allowed to grow and prosper. Because of that the writers could not play effectively the role they were required to do.

Ali Haider Malik wanted the writers to define the modern scientific knowledge and its effects on human values. Mirza Ghalib, he said, was even today modern and relevant to our times because he was a visionary and could look into the future.

While Nazir Somro had many complaints against Urdu writers, Prof Afaq Siddiqui said that writers must respect all languages and their classical literature. He said writers should be fully rooted in the land culture in which they live. To him, he said, Sacchal Sarmast, Shah Latif and others were great in many ways.

Ghulam Rabbani Agro defined the needs of modern age and defended the writers if they did not fulfil the expectations of some readers. "What have we given to the writers?" he questioned. One must not expect too much from our creative writers and poets, Agro said.

Jamal Naqvi did the compering.