LAHORE: The first session of a conference on Ali Sardar Jafri on Sunday turned out to be a debate on various aspects of progressive literature and its role in the contemporary era.

The conference was organised by the Progressive Writers Association to mark centennial of the birth of Ali Sardar Jafri, one of the pioneers of Progressive Writers Movement, at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) auditorium in Garden Town. The session was titled “Ali Sardar Jafri and Progressive Literature.”

Dr Zial Hassan, a teacher at Punjab University, said progressive literature never changed the society directly but it changed the individuals who became a force to change the social setup. Quoting Ali Sardar Jafri, he said consciousness could not be separated from society and change with the passage of time was inevitable, suggesting a change in the behaviour of progressive writers too.

Dr Hassan, comparing earlier and latter works of Mr Jafri said he was more ‘balanced’ in his approach when he was not ‘stuck in’ progressive literature. Jafri’s analysis of Iqbal was based on pure literature, regardless of progressive elements, Dr Hassan said.

Dr Yahya Ahmed furthered the argument by saying that while many progressive writers had rejected Iqbal, Jafri supported his poetry. Dr Yahya said Jafri lauded Iqbal for never writing against the Hindus, and added that he supported even aesthetic aspects of the Muslim rulers of India and criticised the poem ‘Taj Mahal’ by Sahir Ludhianvi for targeting a masterpiece of architecture. Dr Yahya said progressive writing meant discovering new avenues of thought and Ali Sardar Jafri fulfilled that criterion.

Aslam Tariq said dynamics of Jafri’s time and the contemporary world were different, questioning whether progressive literature of the current era could be understood by using the yardstick of such works produced in the middle of the last century.

Dr Saadat Saeed rejected mere slogans and tags, saying anybody seeking justice under oppression was a progressive. He said all progressive writers with ‘insight’ liked Iqbal despite the religious elements in his poetry. He said following religion did not make one anti-progressive as it’s more about following cultural and social norms, adding that Jafri wrote poems on Karbala while Sajjad Zaheer used to go to Imambargahs.

Saleem Raz rejected the categories of ‘classical’ and ‘modern’ approaches towards progressive literature, saying it would not be different fifty years on as it was not some other thing half a century back. He said mere realism was not progressive literature but an element of revolution made it so. He asked the progressive writers to open up and mingle with the masses, getting out of their groupings.

Muslim Shamim from Sindh said life was a moving flux so was the progressive approach in literature. He said understanding of the current era was a must to comprehend the progressive approach in literature.

Dr Aalim Khan and Dr Perveen Kallu read their papers in the session which was moderated by Abid Hussain Abid.

The second session was held on ‘Literature and Consumerism’ in which Pervaiz Pana, Saeed Ibrahim, Saulat Nagi, Mazhar Haidar and others read their papers. Later, a Mushaira was also held.