A tedious evening
Salman Siddiqui conducted the proceedings, and had drawn up an over-ambitious agenda, with two books to be discussed, each marked for five critical papers. The event began for behind schedule and went on till after 10 pm.
The first book was a novel, Kathputlian (puppets), from senior writer Shamshad Ahmad, who has many story collections to his credit. Was this a novel, novelette or simply a long short story spread over 123 pages? Arguments and counter arguments delayed the discussion on the actual writings. Shariq Balyavi was furious at the expression ‘long short story’ which he thought was a contradiction in terms.
Shamshad Ahmad described life around a bus terminal. The main characters are the owner Haji Sahib, the wagon driver Maajha, the cleaner and a young lad. Life was going on smoothly till Majha, a reveller and a happy-go-lucky person, one day decides to get married on the advice of the Haji Sahib. A day before the occasion, Majha on the last trip of the day meets with an accident and all good intentions perish. The story makes the point that man after all is a puppet in nature’s hands.
Tashna Barelvi was critical in his assessment of Kathputlian which he refused to accept as a novel because of its narrow time span. It was a long short story, close to a novelette, he said. He also objected to the use of idiomatic prose by characters to whom it would not come naturally. The writer had tried to be witty in every line which was tiresome. It was easy to start a novel but its conclusion demanded perfection in craftsmanship, Tashna added, and pointed out that the abrupt end of the story proved the author’s weakness.
Musarrat Afza Roohi, a story writer, liked the novel though she was not able to write an assessment of it. However, her share of the time was consumed by Shabnam Siddiqui who found the novel “an extraordinary piece of fiction”. Its characters, Siddiqui said, were very much alive and close to their environment. He spoke with much passion on the merits of the book, saying: “Life is after all an accident and nothing else”.
The other book Jadeediat sey ma baad Jadeediat Tak by journalist / critic Shafiq Ahmad Shafiq was again introduced by Salman Siddiqui. Explaining the term ‘Jadeed’ (modern), he said it was the key to success while the past was buried in time. The book has critical essays on different topics while only one short article relevant to the title of the collection — modernity — is to be found, and that was written as a classroom lecture.
Tashna Barelvi found the roots of modernism in 14th century Europe and in the age of Renaissance, passing through many literary and historical movements. The book, he said, lacked depth.
Shariq Balyavi, a progressive, had serious ideological differences with post-modernism in Urdu which started in and around 1985 and said it had no relevance to the realities of life.
And who were the exponents of those philosophical themes — Shabnam Siddiqi asked. Gopi Chand Narang, Dr Wazir Agha, the late Dr Fahim Azmi and one or two others?
Rauf Niazi in a full length paper tried to explain the intricacies of post-modernism and concluded with the remark that it was “a difficult philosophical term and demanded close study”.
But did all these philosophical theories carry any relevance to our creative writings? someone asked. For someone wanting to write a good short story or a poem, knowledge of post-modernism or de-construction was not required, Shariq Balyavi said.
The agenda was heavy and also tiring, remedied with a cup of tea at the end.
MUNTAKHAB Aalmi Afsanay translated and compiled by Qaiser Salim was launched a few days back.
The author, a senior writer, having some 300 short stories and many novels to his credit, was the guest at Majlis-i-Ahbab-i- Millat run by another writer and poet Jamil Azimabadi. Journalist and poet Rafiq Jabir presided over the proceedings.
A. Khayyam, whose story collection has just appeared, spoke about the collection, and commented that the author in choosing 43 stories from 34 different countries had used his own discretion.
Rafiuddin Raaz found the book informative, introducing many cultures and the social behaviour of different people.
Rafiq Jabir acknowledged the creativity of the writer and remarked that as for as he could see the short story now coming from the West lagged behind Urdu stories.
With all due respect to Jabir, should one evaluate the worth of western fiction in the light of our Urdu fiction?