KARACHI, Feb 28: Renowned fiction writer of Sindh, Amar Jaleel, was conferred with the life membership of the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday.
KPC’s president Sabihuddin Ghausi and other members of the governing body presented the shield to Mr Jaleel who is generally accorded as the most revered storyteller Sindh has ever produced.
Mr Jaleel has written hundreds of short stories in Sindhi; he has also written one novel in Sindhi titled Naith Gongey Ghalahyo (Thus Dumb Spoke). He has various collections of short stories including: Sindhu Muhinje Saah Mein (Indus in my soul), Dil Ji Duniya (The World of Heart), Jadanhen Maa'n Na Hoondus (When I Won't be There), Tareekh Jo Kafan (History’s Coffin) and Munhinjo Dus Aasman Khan Puchho (Sky Would Give My Whereabouts).
In his brief speech on the occasion, 71-year-old legendary teller of unforgettable tales made some candid comments about the general political milieu of the country and regretted that he could not make a long speech because the most difficult challenge for him that he confronted throughout his life had been to speak or address the audience.
“And I have no friendship with any of the talented speech writers who helped many of our military and civilian rulers to address the nation,” he candidly said.
He said what he wrote was nothing but he discharged his duties towards his people. “And I request you, the journalists of Karachi not to forget the people who are living elsewhere in Sindh. They are terribly suppressed and deserve all sorts of help from you to get rid of the horrible clutches of the monstrous Waderas (feudal lords),” said Mr Jaleel.
He said the Waderas of Sindh had got immense power and influence and their atrocious might could well be judged from the recent incidents of molestation of innocent girls in different parts of the province. “We all see that these innocent girls are being molested every now and then and the molesters and culprits are enjoying full liberty to do what they want.”
“And those who are themselves in the assemblies or they have contacts with the influential quarters are behind this and other gruesome acts in Sindh,” he said and called upon media of Karachi to campaign against those feudal lords who were not ready to give equal rights of living to the fellow poor citizens.
“True, there are many problems in Karachi and I agree that it is not even the pale shadow of Karachi I had seen before 1947, but we should not forget the people who are living outside this metropolis,” said the spectacled writer who also writes weekly columns for Dawn as well as Sindhi and Urdu dailies.
He thanked the KPC’s hierarchy for according him the honour and enabled him lined up with the greats like Josh Malihabadi, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Habib Jalib.
Sabihuddin Ghausi said it was great honour for the Club that Mr Jaleel had accepted the offer for the life membership.
He said his columns were like short stories and had great strength to expose evils of the society.
Writer and critic Sirajul Haq Memon said he had the honour to have convinced Mr Jaleel to write columns for Sindhi daily Hilal-i-Pakistan in early 1970s when he was its editor. “His columns had played a huge role in multiplying the circulation of our paper,” he said.
Veteran critic Professor Afaq Siddiqui said Sindh was unfortunate to have no authentic history of its own and Mr Jaleel was playing the role of a historian through his strong fiction writings and critical columns.
Writer and poet Qamar Shahbaz and Professor Saleem Memon of the Karachi University’s Sindhi department shared their personal relationship with Amar Jaleel.
Journalist Nazeer Leghari said Mr Jaleel took the fiction writing from the point where great writers like Munshi Premchand had left. “Like Premchand and Krishna Chandra, he writes for his land and people,” he said.
Sindh Adabi Board Secretary Aijaz Mangi said Jaleel had the credit to prepare a whole generation of Sindhi readers.
KPC secretary Imtiaz Khan Faran thanked the guests while Fazil Jamili, head of the KPC’s literary committee, conducted the proceedings.