“THE greatest are the men who master our mind by the force of truth, and not those who enslave them by violence, that we owe our reverence” — Voltaire

THIS old-age maxim of the 18th Century French thinker befits perfectly Muhammad Usman Deeplai whose 10 reprinted books were launched recently at the Shaikh Ayaz Auditorium of the Faculty of Arts, University of Sindh(Dawn, Nov 23).

While speaking on the occasion, provincial Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq rightly said that the late Usman Deeplai was a legend Sindh has produced. His entire life is nothing but a ceaseless fight, through the sword of his pen, for the betterment of society and uplift of the poor from the influence of nefarious designs of the vested privileged class.

Muhammad Usman, known as 'Deeplai', a pen-name he assumed from Deeplo, a small and remote sandy village of Thar deserts where he was born in a modest family of landless peasants.

Although circumstances did not allow him to initially acquire formal education beyond the primary level, yet a strong longing for acquisition of knowledge and an unbearable pity for the sufferings of the downtrodden led him to those uncharted and most thorny areas of journalism which he chose to express his passion.

Through his pen the unassuming and simple but extremely fearless Deeplai took the cause of the wretched of the earth who were suffering tyrannies of Sayeds, Pirs (so-called spiritual leaders) and the feudal lords through centuries.

He authored more than 150 books on various topics where he tried to enlighten the people about deep-rooted ills of superstitions and obscurantism, society of Sindh was suffering from. He also published single-handedly many newspapers challenging the sitting government's working against the interest of the people.

In the process he was interned many a time, and at times was even confined with hardened criminals so as to dampen his spirit.

But even the ruthless power of martial law regimes could not budge the courageous Deeplai an inch from his passion for espousing truth, except banning his writings.

During one such imprisonment, Deeplai wrote magnum opus of Sindhi literature, 'Sanghar', a historical fiction with the background of the 'Hur Movement', a most significant resistance against the British imperial power.

It was during this movement that the first martial law was imposed in Sindh (1942). The revolt was finally crushed with the help of the regular army and air force, killing thousands of men, women and children.

Resistance leader Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi was sent to the gallows on on March 20, 1943, who is now acclaimed as a legendry hero of the freedom movement. The publication of 'Sanghar' immortalised the 'Hur Movement' in the literature of Sindh.

Deeplai was intrinsically a reformer who through the power of the pen incessantly and single-handedly spread the light of education to emancipate the oppressed Sindhi masses, exploited by the pirs-feudal nexus throughout history.

The education minister while paying tribute to Deeplai has rightly said that it is the duty of the Sindhi Adabi Board to publish his entire works/writings not only to enlighten the young generation about the immense sacrifices given by this great soul for the cause of the masses but also to emulate his model and earn a name in history by standing for the just cause which Deeplai endured valiantly despite all odds.

I also request the vice chancellor the University of Sindh, the mother institution and the first higher learning institute of the province, that in order to pay suitable homage to Mohammad Usman Deeplai, an indomitable reformer and man of letters, a chair may be created in his name in the department of mass communication/journalism.

Manzoor H. Kureshi

Karachi