LITERATURE

 

 

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.  

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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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