Poem, short story discussed at literary sitting | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Poem, short story discussed at literary sitting

KARACHI: Two pieces of Urdu literature – one a poem titled “A’ane wali kal” (the day that comes tomorrow) by Saba Ekram and second a short story titled “Bebasi ki masroofiat” by Qamar Afzal Qamar – were discussed at a literary meeting arranged by “Mumasilaat”, where the participants termed the poem a wonderful creative piece that predicts the fate of a man in an industrialized society, whereas the short story was described as a unique story of a family in a settled society.

The participants noted that the story of a stable family in a settled society has now disappeared in the present setup, as the idea of living together in a traditional family unit has been abandoned in present day times.

A study (in black and white) on the poem was presented by Dr Professor Muhammad Raza Kazimi who said the poet has predicted that the future of human beings in the context of a modern or industrialized society was not so bright as it involves industrialization that creates a great divide between the classes. In such a setup the life of middle and lower class segments seem to be more tough and hard.

Commenting on the short story, a critic and writer Asrar Hussain said that it depicted the life of a certain family but it showed the overall social values and trend of friendly living by a settled family. The role of a character namely Qazi highlights the true happiness of life owing to total articulation, friendship and sympathy not only with the human beings but with the pet animals and birds as well. This approach rejects the divide and discriminatory approach towards life rather it emphasis on strengthening love and brotherhood among the families and friends.

Prof Ali Haider Malick presided over the meeting and Anwar Ahmed Alvi was the chief guest on the occasion. Both of them appreciated the elements of “creativity” and “power of expression” in the poem and beautiful description of the story by Qamar.

The participants also discussed a study presented by a writer and critic Saira Ghulam Nabi on the art of Sa’adat Hasan Manto in the context of his short story titled “Sheed-saz”, noting that the study was useful in understanding the recent trend of writing story in comparison to the trend set by Manto.

Earlier, the participants were told that the idea of forming “Mumasilaat” was totally different from other literary organisations in a sense that it was not only limited to covering certain forms of literature but it also respects all forms and formats of communication and expression in art and culture. It also aims to hold gatherings on paintings, music, fiction, poetry and other mediums of expression.

Welcoming the participants, Shahid Raza, who conducted the proceedings, said that it was the third sitting of “Mumasilaat” and every participant was free to make comments on the pieces of literature presented at the meeting.

Noted writers and scholars present at the meeting included Hasan Akbar Kamal, A. Khayyam, Naseem Anjum, Liaquat Ali, Jameel Ahmed, Shujaduddin Ghauri, Himayun Mirza and Khursheed Mirza. They praised the writers for presenting such fantastic pieces that would help evolve a good understanding on contemporary criticism and creations.
Source: The News
Date:8/4/2011