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Impact of T.S Eliot on Sindhi literature
(A simple study)
By Dr. Badar Ujan
Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in Saint Louis Missouri on
26th September 1888 in United
States of America. He had his
early schooling at Smith
Academy and then at Milton Academy.
He proceeded to Harvard
University
in 1906 for higher education and remained there till graduation
in 1910. Then, proceeded to Sorbonne University
Paris to study Philosophy.
Later on, Eliot studied
Classics, German, French and English Literatures and also a course
on comparative literature. His financial position went down and
thus he was constrained to accept the job of a School Teacher.
Eliot changed many jobs and became editor of popular journal “
The Criterion” in 1922. He regularly contributed to this
and other journals, as well and wrote on diverse topics without
gap.
In 1927, Eliot got
British citizenship and in the succeeding year he accepted Christian
faith. This marked a turning point in his career as a poet.
As far as Eliot's personal
life is concerned, most part of it was not happy. His wife became
insane after one year of his marriage. She was admitted in lunatic's
asylum till her death in 1947. All these years, Eliot was under
mental torture of lonely life. After here death Eliot married
with his private secretary, Valerie flitcher in 1957 and has a
few years of happy married life. He died in January 1965.
His Works
1. Eliot as Poet: Eliot
was basically poet, but later on he excelled in prose and worked
wonders. Eliot's first poems 'Prufrock and other observations'
were published in 1917 in London. Further collections
included poems; Richmond 1919, 'New York 1920' his popular poem
The Waste Land' was published in 1922, four Quarters in New York
in 1943 and in London in 1944, 'the Hollow men' in 1926 and Ash
Wednesday' in 1927.
T.S. Eliot became very
popular as a complex poet. He made his own 'Poetic form and style'
that is why it was difficult to understand his poetry in first
reading. Later on he achieved good name and fame of a great poet.
2. As a Critic: Eliot
is not only a great poet, but he is equally, most gifted, most
influential literacy critic of English literature in twentieth
Century the best after S.T. Coleridge. His views about criticism
are;
“Analysis and comparison,
methodically with sensitiveness, intelligence, curiosity, intensity
of passion and infinite knowledge, all these are necessary for
the great critic…..”
The poetic critic is
criticizing poetry in order to create poetry. Eliot's critical
writings may be divided into three main groups:
(a) those dealing with principles of poetry, drama and other writers.
In this group some important and valuable works are:
‘Reflection on verse libre- (1917)’
‘Tradition and the individual
talent (1919)’
‘The function of criticism
(1923)’
‘What is classics (1944)’
‘Poetry and drama(1951)’
‘The three voices of poetry
(1953)' and
‘The frontiers of criticism (1956)' etc.
(b) Those
dealing with individual writers, Eliot has
written bulk of essays on English writers of 16th and 17th centuries.
His essays on Dante, Yeats, Kipling, Ezra Pound and James Joyce
are master-pieces. His most valuable critical work has been reproduced
in his 'Selected Essays'.
(c) In
third stage, Eliot has dealt at length with the works of art in
relation to religious and social background. To this category
belong the last three chapters of 'selected essays', viz
i. The use of poetry
and the use of criticism,
ii. After the strange gods,
iii. Towards the definitions of culture.
3) Eliot as a dramatist:
Eliot's drama is the bi-product of his modern and complex poetic
industry. He devoted his entire attention towards drama in his
last days.
As Eliot's poetry can
not be appreciated in the light of age old rules and principles,
similarly, his dramas have violated the ancient rules of comedy
or tragedy. We find intermingling of them in all of his dramas.
He has adopted the style of Greek dramas. His dramas are; 'Murder
in the Cathedral'. The family reunion, The Cocktail
party', 'the Confidential Clerk' and The Elderly Statesman'.
In his dramas, Eliot
is found more clever, dominating and an expert. He has adopted
the form of 'Blank verse', just like Shakespeare and he has
successfully done so. Here Eliot has adopted a new tradition,
which contains tradition along with modern style.
T.S. Eliot has remained
a dominating personality of twentieth century. He was highly educated
and a man of profound scholarship. He has criticized the works
of great English writers viz, Shakespeare, Milton, S.T. Coleridge,
Johnson Goethe, Kipling and many others. He has opposed the romanticism.
He calls himself to be a classicist. He has placed the cause of
religion and is supporter of tradition. His poetry, criticism
and drama are thus non-parel. In the twentieth Century, Eliot
is a torch bearer for new comers. He tells us that, the function
of great literature is such that it must provide such a 'form',
in which we should get glimpses of happy and prosperous life.
It must contain universality with the help of creative activity.
And this we get from poetry and criticism of Eliot. T.S Eliot
is not only the dominating scholar of west or Europe, but he has
equally influenced the literature of East
Asia.
T. S Eliot has influenced
firsly Bengal. Tagore was the first man who has translated Eliot's
poem, Journey of the Magi' (Tirtha-Jatra) in 1931 into Bengali
and thus introduced him to Bengali readers, others were Sudhir
Datta and Bishnu Dev.
Eliot has very effectively
influenced Urdu Literature Dr. Abul Khair Kashfi in his essay,
'Eliot's impact on Urdu literature and thought writes, “The fact
is that he has given us a way of thinking, moulded our literary
mind, and has changed many of our critical conceptions. In the
same essay he writes ahead; Not only Mr. Eliot has been quoted
by our critics, but many of our novelists have begun their novels
with quotation from him, as in the case of Miss Qurat-ul-Ain Haider,
whose novel 'Aag Ka Darya', begins with lines from Eliots's poem,
'Four quarter', which are: “I do not know much about gods; but
I think that the river is a strong brown god”. Dr. Mamil Jalibi
was the other man who has translated the 'Essays of Eliot's, in
Urdu. Upon this work, Dr. Ahsan Farooqi was compelled to write;
that the progress of Urdu criticism after Hali,
is solely due to this translation of Eliot', some writers of Urdu
literature who have been influenced by Eliot are; Prof. Ahmed
Ali, Prof. Ehtisham Hussain, Prof. Kalimuddin Ahmed, Prof. Hassan
Askari, Niaz Fatehpure Dr. Muhammad Alli Siddique.
As far as Sindhi literature
and language is concerned, sindhians are proved of their literature,
being the part and parcel of World literature. Sindhi literature
has influenced oriental literature very much and to some an extent
the writers of West. The Sindhi literature and language has been
influenced by the East as well as west. That is why from Shakespeare
to Kalidas, hundreds of scholars, intellectuals and men of letters
are well known to Sindhi readers since long.
Eliot has also very
profoundly affected Sindhi writers and men of letters as well.
Dr. Badar Ujan was the first man who has brought out on research
book on the life and works of T.S. Eliot, translation of his popular
poem 'the Waste Land' and on of his drama, 'the cocktail party'
into Sindhi.
A brief account of
others is given in the pages that follow in alphabetical order:
ALLAH DAD BOHIO DR.
Dr. Allah Dad Bohio
was an educationist, critic and scholar of Sindhi literature.
He in his book “Tanqeedoon”, published in the year 1980 by the
Institute of Sindhiology
; has described an account of European literary criticism
in which he has touched upon words worth Coleridge, Shelley, Arnold
and T.S Eliot. He has also given translation of one of the Eliot's
essays, “Religion and Literature”.
Dr. Allah Dad has described
in detail the principle of social impact of poetry in literature.
Poetry is for people, it cannot be for any space or void. Thus
it must have an impact, a power to impress its readers. Without
its social impetus, it is of no use.
ABDUL HALEEM “JOSH”
Mr. Haleem Josh is
a senior writer, Journalist, a poet and a critic. He has written
critical appraisal of Dr. Badar's book on T.S. Eliot, which was
published in a daily Sindhi newspaper. Hilal-e-Pakistan dated
12th April 1991.
Mr. Haleem Josh has
described the importance of T.S. Eliot in the field of literature
of twentieth Century. He has also appreciated the labour of love
of Dr. Badar Ujan and has opined that the present book is a good
contribution in the field of Sindhi literary criticism.
BADAR ABRO
He is a free lancer
journalist, Editor, archeologist and a man of letters. He has
toured Sindh and has sailed through River Indus. A
book on 'criticism in Sindhi'. It is research as well as
translation. It was published by Sindhi Adabi Sangat Karachi in
1985. Through the good offices of its secretary
late Faqir Muhammad Lashari.
Mr. Abro, in the above
book, has give in Nut shell, same account of T.S. Eliot and has
opened that, he is a representative of twentieth century with
confused and biased mind. Mr. Abro has not been able to recognize
the status of Eliot, because he has not student him in detail.
Some of our writers see him through their own angle and declare
Eliot as on staunch Christian leaving his other qualities of head
and heart.
BADAR UJAN DR.
Dr. Badar Ujan, formerly
lecturer of English literature presently a member of Civil Services,
has compiled a book on T.S Eliot which was published by Mehran
cultural society Moro in the year 1989. The second edition was
brought out in 1995 by Gul Hayat Institute Larkana, which was
revised and contained life chronology of T.S Eliot and poetic
rendering of 'waste Land' in Sindhi. It is a complete research
document in Sindhi language and literature. Dr. Ujan has written
in detail on the life and literary contribution of TS Eliot in
his multifarious capacities of a poet, a dramatist, an essayist
and as a critic.
Moreover Dr. Badar,
has translated in Sindhi the popular Drama, 'The Cocktail Party'
of T.S Eliot, which has been published by Sindh Reader's Forum
Hyderabad in 1997.
DR. GHULAM HUSSAIN
PATHAN
Dr. G.H. Pathan, the
well known scholar of Sindhi literature has quoted T.S Eliot in
his dissertation on “Evolutionary History of Sindhi Novel “(in
Sindhi) at P-37, written in the year 1976, which was published
by Institute of Sindhiology in the year 1982. The reference is
regarding the element of reality in Novel writing. The novels
are represented through characters and those are very near to
life and living beings
HAMEED SINDHI
Hameed Sindhi is a
well known figure in literary and social life of Sindh. He started
his career as journalist and social worker. Basically he is a
short story writer.
In his early days he
was the editor of popular progressive journal “Roh Rehan”. An
editorial on the sad demise of the great personality 'T.S Eliot',
appears in one of its issues of February 1965. The editor has
lamented on the loss of great man of twentieth century and that
loss according to him was not only to humanity but equally it
was a tremendous loss to literature and culture of the world.
From this it was obvious that Sindhi journalism was equally aware
of the towering personality of T.S Eliot that is why it was considered
as a loss to world literature which includes Sindh literature
as well.
HADI BUX MEMON
Hadi Bux Memon was
a man of letter and a senior legal practitioner
. His article regarding Eliot's views about literary criticism
appear in an issue of 'Rooh Rehan' a popular Sindhi monthly journal
in September 1966.
The writer has dilated
upon the importance of critical opinion of Eliot and through this
he has desired that Sindhi writer should also know and practice
in their critical activity in Sindhi literature.
INAM SHEIKH
Mr. Inam Sheikh is
a well known writer, columnist and Lecturer of International Relations.
While commenting upon the poetry of Muhammad Ali Pathan entitled
“Aashora Ahin”, which was published by Sindhi Adabi Sangat Nao-dero
in the year 1965, is of the opinion, that, Muhammad Ali has reached
that level of Art in poetry, to which T.S Eliot has referred.
MOHAN KALPANA
Mohan Kalpana is a
big name across the border. He was a short story writer, poet,
novelist and a critic. He has written his comments on many writers
of Sindh as well as Hind. While writing in preface on his Novel
“Jalawatan” (in Sindhi), he has compared and contrasted the art
of writing of a Novelist with that of T.S Eliot. The Comparison
has been made in a moving style and is worth appreciating, which
appeared in an issue of a popular Sindhi journal “Sohni” in the
month of February 1975.
MUHAMAD IBRAHIM
JOYO
Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo
is a well known, political, social reformer, a teacher and popular
literary scholar. He has realized the importance of T.S Eliot's
essays and thus has translated one of Eliot's essays, concerning
importance of poetry in social life, which stresses that the creation,
when connected with rich tradition of the past, will give us tremendous
results and that creative poetry will be considered as a land
mark in literature.
The above mentioned
translation of essay was published in the popular Sindhi periodical
journal, 'Mehran' (3,4) in the year 1969.
TANVEER ABBASSI
Tanveer Abbasi the
prominent scholar and poet of Sindhi literature in his essay on
free verse, has quoted T.S Eliot, which was published in his book
'Tirvira' in the year 1988.
He has explained the
verdict of Eliot, by saying that verse is not free, whosoever,
composes free verse with hard labour, is
equally important as it cannot be called free. Any creative activity,
may it be free or according to rules of prosody is important and
it has the same value or status in the field of literature.
Further, Tanveer quotes
T.S Eliot, by saying that, the poet can be enlightened to very
much an extent from the knowledge of music. It will give him much
impetus and his poetry will have additional qualities and the
readers will enjoy his poetry.
Further in his presidential
address delivered during the opening ceremony of a book on T.S
Eliot in Sindhi compiled by Dr. Badar Ujan, Tanveer Abbassi has
explained the poetic qualities and symbolism in T.S Eliot's poetry
particularly, his poem the 'Waste land' and also he has spoken
on Dr. Badar and his critical insight in explaining and understanding
and then extending the teachings of T. S Eliot.
TIRATH BASANT
Tirath Basant is well
known Sindhi writer originally hailing from Sindh migrated to
Bharat after partition. While writing on Sindhi literature, he
has referred to T.S Eliot, who has very largely affected the writers
of Sindhi literature, not only in Sindh but also in Bharat. His
article was published in a journal “Sahatia Sarr” in the year
1961.
TAJ BALOCH
Taj Baloch is a well
known poet, journalist, and critic. He has remained editor or
two monthly journals. Four books of his poetry have been published
up till now.
Taj has written preface
of Dr. Badar's Book on T.S Eliot in which he has discussed in
detail the qualities of T.S Eliot and his various capacities i.e.,
as poet, a dramatist and a critic. One more article of Taj, written
on T.S Eliot was published in Daily newspaper 'Hilal-e-Pakistan
on 14th May 1989, which was appreciated by readers.
SHAIKH AYAZ
Shaikh Ayaz, the popular
poet and prominent man of letters, has quoted T. S Eliot in his
preface written on anthology of Sindhi poetry compiled by Muzafar
Chandio and published by Sindhi academy in the year 1992. He has
quoted the very verdict of Eliot in which he has declared that
the poets are the torchbearers and they pave the way for men,
how to pass a good life. They peep in future and predict how to
make it pleasant and worth for enjoying. Their function is equally
important as is that of a Novelist.
SHAMSHEER-UL-HAIDERY
Shamsheer Haidery is
a well known poet and critic of Sindhi language and literature.
He is author of a book, “Development of free verse in Sindhi literature”,
which was published by him in the year 1987. He has very rightly
advocated the cause of free verse in Sindhi literature, because
in those days, classical poets were reluctant to recognize free
verse in Sindhi poetry and they have rejected it completely.
Shamsheer Haidery,
took bold stand and pleaded that, free verse must be accepted
and duly practiced, because it was a popular form in the world
literature. Thus he quoted T.S Eliot, if new forms are not recognized
particularly 'free verse' then that literature could not stand
in line with world literature. New forms are must, as well as,
traditions should not be done away with, this was the famous contention
of T.S Eliot which was quoted by Shamsher in his book.
ZULFIQAR RASHDI
SYED
Syed Zulfiqar Rashadi
was a popular poet, pertaining to feudal class. He has contributed
a little to literary criticism also. He in his book “Kaswatti”, published
by SUGANDH publications Larkana in the year 1986, which contains
his prose writings on Art and Artist, has taken refuge in the
realism of T.S Eliot, while stating the importance of poet, particularly
his choice of words for poetic compositions, proper words for
proper tune and further those words should convey/ contain music
as well. This was a good idea pointed out by Zulfiqar Rashadi
by saying that good poetry is that which should convey music and
selection of proper words is essential for them.
Again Zulfiqar Rashadi
has quote T.S Eliot in the preface of his book, 'SoochKhe-Loash'
which pertains to his poetic collection in Sindhi, where in he
has discussed the creative power of a poet with reference to Eliot's
stress upon the synchronization of creation with the past traditions.
According to him if poet is not aware of his post, his creation
can not be effective and impressive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Badaruddin Ujan,
born in April 1947 at Shikarpur, is a research Scholar and
a critic of Sindhi Literature; He did his master's degree in English
Literature and started his career as, a Lecturer. Later on, he
switched over to Civil Services through competitive Examination
and was placed in District Management Group.
Dr. Ujan is author
of three books in Sindhi and two books in English his dissertation
written on the literacy criticism in Sindhi Literature, on which
he was awarded the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the year
1997 by Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur. He has written 20
research papers in Sindhi language and fifteen articles in English,
some of them have been published. Critical appraisals on two hundred
books, (some of them published), are also ready for publication.
Dr. Ujan has done a wonderful research work on the biography of
Sindh Folk lorists.
TOP
Shah
Abdul Latif: Champion of Gender Equality
By Saleem Bhutto
Lateefi

Sasui breach her
friends and fellows to return. She says how could they go with
her. They would curve her Punhoo at the simplest difficulty.
Simple obstacle, a hardship. She shall have to cover miles and
miles hundreds of those many nights and days, no one can
go with her. It is only one who loves travel, drag the self,
the body, through the mountains, through the hot sands. These
may be lions and other furious animals. Who else could stand
with her. So she advices them to go back.
“Oh wedded ones! To
your spouses return, I will not without mine,
This formidable rock's depth
will I search,
Nothing can ever come between
me and my love for Jat.”
So she alone starts
her journey, the journey never to end and never to return. She
moves a long distance. Bhambhore her village and everything associated
with it including the beautiful and loving faces of her parents
and friends are getting dimmer and dimmer. Memories of her childhood
pass before her eyes. But the fire of love, love for Punhoo! Her
heart burns, her feet shake, her yes burst in unceasing flow of
tears. She is double mind caught in two thoughts, her sweet home
and the love of Punhoo she is helpless and torn between
two feelings. At last her Punhoo has upper hand and she decides
the leave everything behind and starts searching Punhoo. She wants
to burn Bhambhore that Bhambhore which Punhoo her beloved has
left forever, as she says in several text couplets. She wants
to burn Bhambhore to desolation. For her, it is already barren.
When there is no Punhoo, there is nothing.
1.“Save yourself sisters!
Make harte and quit Bhambhore,
For many friends have suffered
her before.”
2. “Sisters! I find
hell's smoke in this Bhambhore,
Find guide soon oh! Sasui, under
shoes guidance, you must go.”
3. “Friends! I prefer
waste land to Bhambhore,
Sorrows deter me not, for their
sake the socks I must experience.”
Sasui is going, she
moves on new miles away. There is no life. There is searching
that over her and that earth under her feet. The storm is blowing
with heart of burning fire. Her delicate feet which were red with
dye of 'mehndi', get no place to stand. She seems there and there
not a shadow, not a drop of water, her lips have grown dry but
her eyes weep for Punhoo and thus the tears trickle, they quench
her dry lips, fall on her feet and she cries again. She is helpless
wanderer to be buried in the desert.
1. “Oh mother! hot
is the ground beneath my feet, fire of love within me burns,
Burning in double flames, shear
yarns.”
2. “Tears from my eyes
fall like drops of rain,
What I consider love was in truth
fires flames.”
The mountains come,
a few trees there is a path. She asks mountain if it could tell
her the path from where Punhoo passed. If it could talk to her
and could get her along the path that Punhoo took. There is long
dark night. There are furious animals rearing, there are snakes
coming out to enjoy, but where can she go! She is woman. She is
alone, there is nothing but there is only love of Punhoo with
her. She does not see the path, flow to move. She stops but a
thought come in her mind that she must move. She does not idle
away a single moment. She moves on. She struggles. She does not
spent because for her the nights of comfort are not sweet but
the nights of separation and suffering are source of making her
grow to love. Love is tasting bless and bless, that purifies her
soul. She goes undergoes purification burns herself as much as
possible because when the trees give fruit and when the sun shines
it becomes ripe, then it becomes sweet and acceptable. So the
sufferings make her matured feeling within her, and then there
is nothing beyond her reach and then Punhoo is within her Punhoo,
the real Punhoo! This within (Punhoo) becomes her companion and
light.
“Sasui became Punhoo,
her beauty disappeared.
“God has made man in his own
image”, trees constantly repeat.
The love crazed me in ecstasy
took beloved in her arms.”
Sasui moves on, she
is not tired. The smiling face of Punhoo is becomes her source
and solace. She asks mountains to be witness for her to her Punhoo
that how. She have been roaming and weeping for Punhoo. If she
does and when Punhoo passes the through you (mountains) tells
him that Sasui is dead Sasui wept and called all the time
Punhoo! Punhoo!.....
“Be near me oh Love!
Go not far,
Return oh Preserver, lest I perish
on the rocks,
Beloved Punhoon! Forsake not
the lonesome one who in this journey walks.”
It is love alone that
makes one move Sasui is alone and her lover is with her. Love!
What a blessing! Love is light when it is washed with suffering.
Love that is pure lights the mind within. So, she has become brave,
sufferings made her sweet and beautiful. The sorrows resulted
from the separations and the pangs of separation that she bears
that have turned her veins and nerves into strings, tuned to a
certain pitch, and she have became music. How she sings what
a singing it is! This singing is eternal Sindh, the homeland of
Sasui sings it for ever. Sasui is soul of Sindh that weeps alive
and always. Sorrows of Sindh and Sasui have striking similarities.
Both deprived and deserted. Both robbed and ruined. Both punished
for their sincerity and honesty.
1. “Cry arose in the
wastes, like the son of a nightingale,
This weeping and waiting in truth
was the cry of Loves distress.”
2. “Sasui's tale
of woe that she related to the rock,
Beasts heard, they wept and were
in a shock.”
3. “Oh mother! sorrows
never lessened in my case,
water in water wheel is full
to its ege.”
Sasui has become beauty
a marvelous and innocent beauty. Beauty that she never was
before sorrows. Sorrows have given her different impression. She
is supreme beauty, an angel most loved and now alone, fororin
and forgeted, rejected and dejected, neglected and desolated.
But for her, it is Punhoo alone that cants with Sasui. he alone
in her destination, her love! Her association. She runs after
Punhoo, she is smashed, her feet are bleeding and barren. Her
head is sealing. This is a bullet from flue.
“The suffering Sasui
and the rock together weep,
They tell not anyone of their
love so deep.”
Such a hot wind, such
a divesting storm driving her out of her way every moment and
she is lying helpless. Nothing has mercy on her. How helpless
she is there is no shelter, not a drop of water to quench her
thirst, the tears have stopped falling on her cheeks. She is on
the verge of death but even then she gets up and moves on. Bleeding
through feet caines a feeling a of pity on her. She is rare that
mountains and other creatures must have pity on her. How vacant
she is but even then she challenges cruel mountains and even death!
1. “Those who desire
to live, find the mountain high;
Oh death! Be my guide that I
may your steps try.”
2. “The maid has given
up tomorrow for today,
In helping her, let there be
no delay;
Either grant her union or give
her death.”
3. “ Beloved is close
to the needy, he is far from those with plenty,
He is with those who prefer to
live in society.”
Sasui due to sorrows
and sufferings has become ripened, matured and evolved. Sasui
has grown wise, her inside has become brilliant and bright. She
speaks to within. What a reward! The mystery of universe is unfolded
to her, the universe as a whole has became an open book to her.
She can read it. What a great and good fortune! How marvelous
it is that she can read the truth.
“I searched all places
for my Beloved Baloch”,
“God surrounds all and every
thing” she came to know,
Punhoon is in all, nothing exists
without Baloch.”
Sasui has got the Punhoo,
the real Punhoo (God) within her. Yes Punhoo is within her and
she is Punhoo! She at last got her Punhoo yes a Punhoo
much greater, much superior to mortal Punhoo. This Punhoo will
never separate from her. There is all calm, all love, all mercy.
The ultimate has been reached by Sasui.
“Ari Jam's eyes are
with this blind maid;
“They guide me to the direction
of Vinder shades,
They Punhoon's countenance behold
and show it to me.”
“If I wonder, He is
further than Kech, I sit still He is near, May acquaintance with
Ari Jam began in way strange yet clear”.
Shah Latif though his
women characters stresses to build the moral power of women and
gives a comprehensive presentation of the women's situation in
the west and pluralistic society. Shah Latif likened the moral
power in a woman in their non-violent struggle to the pure and
gentle but from womanhood continuously display in life. His poetry
is open discussion widely on gender issues, issues in contemporary
feminism. In poet's opinion men are not necessarily the oppressors,
in case of Leela and Moomal and Makhi, Shah cites may historic
role of many men who did strive to deliver justice and freedom
of women folk from the shakes of caste and creed, and class, shifting
he emphasis from welfare to development of women, but gender discrimination
is widespread yet because an awareness of women's oppression and
exploitation in society, at work and within the family, and conscious
action by women and men to change this situation is required.
Just to go on to arrest a mere recognition of session is not enough
to, it has to be accompanied by action. Shah Latif's contribution
unveils the rich heritage of women's creativity in the master
can of global society. A towering figures of Sindh society Shah.
Latif's heroines are the champions of women rights movement. A
reader can note that the preserve of Muslim and Hindu women and
a large discussion of their individual mortal and family affairs
is sort of debate on feminism overtaken by globalization and women
rights issues and other trans gender global concerns. Shah Latif
is an ardent defender of the feminism cause. A reader of poet's
poetry does not need to take much pain in tracing female sensibility
in his poetry. There is universal caught of womanhood, womanhood
according to the poet is manifold phenomenon as different women
live and behave differently in different circumstances and conditions.
When we agree with
reformers and social workers that woman should work shoulder to
shoulder with men, we should also be prepared to see women participating
in the bad as well as good pursuits of their fold. A change is
definitely in the air, for we hear of more and more cases of crime
by women, sometimes abetting with man and sometimes striking out
on their own. All this happens and taking the under advantage
of their freedom and gender equality, women are indulged and involved
in the smallest domestic crime and the heiress underworld gangs
of criminals, even in wars crimes we find the women soldiers body
involved as we find many examples in Iraq of American women soldiers
and in Palestine by Israeli women soldiers. This is for then,
the true gender equality but with Shah Latif the case of women
rights and gender equality is different. Whenever, the great poet
encourages women to fight for their rights, there he teaches them
to strictly abides by the social, moral and religious and cultural
and traditional norms.
There is another women
character of Shah Latif named Sohni, the beautiful girl, daughter
of a potter. She is a beautiful lover who has no attachment with
parent, no association she remembers. She remembers only whether
her beloved. Nothing could close her vision, there is nothing
to occupy her thoughts. For Sohni, Mehar is the destination. Nothing
can shake her, she is determined. She does not shake. She stands
like a mountain with determination sacrifice her life for her
beloved. He is not for pretenders, false lovers selfish
ones that there can be the supreme moment of love that
blissful moment what is in flesh? Flesh pleasures are dirty shadows,
the bliss the highest moment is at the time of utmost sacrifice.
There is call for sacrifice death dark death, who
will comply to the call? Not all, only those who love, who love
to lose life at the attar of love. Death brings no fear for Sohni,
she has no threat of it.
“In mid winter, while
rain is falling, she enters the deep,
Let us go and ask Sohni who love's
secret keeps,
Who day and night, has Mehar
in her mind.”
Sohni is much a lover.
There are many who got dreamed but Sonhni the pure girl of Sindh
is smiling, she will make such a sacrifiece and in such a way
that it is Sohni but it will be Sindhi, Indus River itself that
will get carved with Sohni love.
“Love killed Sonhi,
so says syed,
She would have died anyway, drowning,
her with doubled.”
Sohni has never accepted
that fate to mould her course. She has changed the course of the
world. She is a woman who is a ruler of destiny. Sohni is not
only a lover but a spirit to lovers. Death comes to all of sudden
to all and they welcome but over only. For sohni death comes every
now and then. Every night she used to die. So she lived within
death, always dead. Death has tried her several time but she always
stood like a rock against death. There are no desires no
passions. There is nothing but devotion, the promise that she
had made yes a premise not to Mehar but to death she is
devotion. She is sacrifice she has conquered death. Death is simply
shaking under her feet.
“From waters, land
and trees, one voice is heard;
All of them ask in the same way
to be punished,
All are slansoors, how may an
gallows will you hang?”
She is the conqueror.
Sohni is the highest human ideal. She is shining light. What a
great girl fortune. Not her body but her soul too has reached
a beautiful stage. There agencies, sorrows, separations, weeping
and tears have washed her clean! She is angelic girl. There is
will in her. She takes a jar and jumps in the river. The furious
river has at last got her. The jar was unbaked, it melts. She
keeps on moving her arms. The struggle of arms and legs is there.
There is no calm in river. It is very furious. It is thundering.
There is storm above the rain is exceptionally heavy. It is rainy
cats and dogs. There are waves upon waves. There are crocodiles,
other animals in river, the black snakes, but Sonhi moves on sometimes
she goes above the waves, sometime below the waves. She is tossed
upon the waves. She has gone in deep in the water. She is moving
fast in bottom of the river. She cries for Mehar her beloved Mehar
is rising in her mind. Sohni becomes Picher and Sohni is dead.
Mehar, real Mehar has appeared in her mind, within her, at the
end when Sohni has disappeared died, and gives her life.
“Saher, Suhni and the
sea, are one and the same,
This in effable mystery none
can scan.”
Mehar they say also
jumped in river like Sohni who had Mehar within her mind. Mehar
alone, no Mehar had Sohni in his mind, his heart. He too had two,
one Mehar died and Sohni in his survived. Souls are souls, they
are uniform, since they are not mortals, there is no gender of
souls. Sohni and Mehar as souls have no gender. Ultimately they
are one and the same. Call them any name whether Sohni or Mehar,
it makes no difference.
“The who Mehar seek,
Mehar seeks them two,
Raft becomes a hindrance for
those whose love is true.”
Sohni becomes Mehar
within and Mehar becomes Sohni within, may they are no either
Sohni or Mehar. This has become the ultimate final love
love that pervades throughout soul.
In world literature
a question stands always where is the mature women in literature
and why is she not written about in novel, drama, story and poetry?
But Shah Latif's every women characters is mature women and the
feudal, chieftains and religiously ultimate oriented society is
afraid to confront the mature women as the working women of Latif's
poetry, who has a brain of her own. So, until we start writing
about her, Sindhi literature like Urdu, Persian and other literature
will still remain only one side of the story.
Whenever, wherever, whoever utters word
“Bhitai”, it is sufficient to drag him/her from any corner of
Sindh to the poetry of great mystic poet and his mighty women
characters. Every one rings his songs throughout Sindh. In deserts,
in cities, in forests, in mountains His women characters are immortal.
Their names are prominent than any famous figure. Perhaps there
is no other name that could match the popularity of Sasui, Marvi
and Sohni with the people of Sindh. There are no heroines, no
heroes, no kings, no queens, none who could match these three:
Sasui Marvi Sohni. Who are dominant character of Sindh. Sasui
stands for sorrows, sufferings, pangs of separation and struggle
to reach the ideal. Marvi stands for love for land and her people,
who never succumbs to temptations, coercion who was most faithful
to her land and people, their traditions the soul that stands
highest virtuously pure are who achieved the ultimate for when
body becomes immaterial and who brought on end to her life, rather
then face dishonor. Sohni stands for utmost sacrifice for the
ultimate the supreme. This these three characters are virtue,
suffering and sacrifice, beautiful, best but eternal women.
(Concluded)
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