Tribute paid to Baloch scholar Gul Khan Naseer
By A Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a literary seminar here on Monday showered tributes on the memory of the indomitable Baloch progressive nationalist poet, historian, politician and journalist Mir Gul Khan Naseer (1914-1983), who worked tirelessly for the rights of the people of Balochistan.
Prominent among those who shed light on the life and contribution of the polyglot poet, included Senator Ismail Buledi, Senator Dr Abdul Malik and Nawabzada Mir Lashkari Raisani, Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power, writers such as Wahid Buksh Buzdar, Raheem Buhksh Mehr, Ziaur Rahman Baloch, Advocate Muhammad Usman and historian Dr Arshed Hameed.
They saw the conference as an attempt to bring the neglected resource-rich restive province to the national mainstream.
Senator Nawabzada Raisani, who is also president of Balochistan chapter of PPP, described Gul Khan Naseer as the leading intellectual and poet of his age, who wrote patriotic poetry in the Baloch language as well as in English, Urdu and Persian.
“He not only raised his voice against exploitation but also revolted against a constricted political order. From the prison during the Ayub regime he gave a wake up call to the Baloch nationalists and provided political guidance to the people. Senator Ismail Buledi stressed the need for practical steps to end the sense of deprivation of Baloch people, and to solve their problems which have been kept on the back burner during the last 60 years. “Balochistan must be put on the road to progress,” said Senator Buledi.
Senator Abdul Malik appreciated the sentiment adding that the late poet worked for the unity and self-respect of Baloch people in spite of many hardships.
In his presidential remark, Prof Wahid Bakhsh Buzdar referred to the central point in the poetical works of Mir Gul Khan Naseer, which was filled with protest and revolution brining new voice to modern Baloch poetry.
“He composed resistant poetry all his life and opposed class conflicts and political oppression, not as slogan but from personal observation of the national scene.”
“He lives in the hearts of his people,” Prof Buzdar observed.
Gul Khan Naseer was at the forefront of the Baloch nationalist movement and was most active between 1935 and 1980. He wrote poems in English, Urdu, Balochi, Brahvi and Persian. He was a good friend of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Mir Gul Khan’s poetry is filled with revolutionary and anti-imperialist themes and reflects his progressive and socialist ideals. Mir Gul Khan wrote many books on history and poetry and translated several works from other languages into Balochi and Urdu.
Source: Dawn
Date:10/14/2009
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