By Jehangir Khan Tareen
MULTAN, Apr 02 (APP): Literature is the common heritage of human beings. It is just like a mirror through which history, culture, tradition, customs, sorrows and joys of people and thoughts of the era are reflected.
Known as a sweet language, the history of Saraiki dates back to approximately 45,00 years in the Indus Civilization. This region has been conquered a number of times by people from the West including the Aryans and the Greeks. Persian influenced the region for many centuries with the Saraikis as well as Persian art, poetry and architecture still form a part of their culture.
When the Muslims conquered the region, Islam spread and it became an important Islamic centre. Saraiki is one the three dialects spoken in Sindh. Among the different ethnic groups in Pakistan, 8.38 percent are Saraikis.
The region is mainly home to sufism and has a number of shrines of saints including Hazrat Shah Rukn-i- Alam, Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya, Hazrat Shah Shams, Hazrat Bibi Pak Mai etc. Other sufi saints such as Khawaja Ghulam Farid and Muhammad Suleman Taunsvi and especially the tomb of Sakhi Sarwar are very popular.
The Saraiki poetry has four phases and its story revolves around two poets including Luft Ali Khan and Khawja Ghulam Farid. The magnificent poetry of Khawaja Ghulam Farid celebrates scenery of local desert with an abundance of purely parochial vocabulary and continues to be a major inspiration of modern Saraiki Literature. Dawaan-i- Farid is his famous collection.
Iqbal Sokri, a celebrated poet who has nine books to his credit, informed that he had started composing poetry in 1958 and had written Saraiki ghazal in 1961-62 adding that poems and dohra were already in vogue.
‘I was bitterly opposed to writing ghazal in the beginning by the critics who believed that it had no place in Saraiki literature but later they were convinced that literature took time in its recognition.” he disclosed.
He maintained that with the passage of time, culture changes with advancement of people internationally and regretted that some organizations working here for Saraiki language and culture even do not know what to do.
Mr Sokri reminisced that late journalist, Khan Rizwani, Mehar Abdul Haq, Umer Kamal Khan, Bashir Zami, Brig (rtd) Nazir Ali Shah, Nizamuddin Leghari worked a lot for Saraiki literature adding Alsam Rasoolpuri also did a lot of work on research but now no one was conducting research on it.
“Saraiki Literature does not have resistance. It is full of wailing and crying besides depiction of deprivations in it. Its singers not only cry but also make the audience and listeners cry with their singing.” the acclaimed poet lamented.
Though ghazal is a difficult kind of literature, but a single ghazal offers six or seven subjects in it, he said and added that of his nine books seven are on ghazal and two consist of poems, kafi and dohra.
“Zameen Jagdi Hai, Hanjoun de Haar, Dohkh di Jang, Kaley Ru, Chiti Barf, Warqa, Warqa Zakhhmi, Lee ru leer Pachawan, Uthwan Asmaan and Bey Unt” are his contributions to Saraiki Literature,” he informed.
In performing art, Saraiki singers who have earned names at home and abroad included: Suraiya Multanikr, Abida Perveen, Atta Ullah Khan Essa Khilvi, Pathanay Khan, Ustad Muhammad Jumman, Mansoor Malangi, Shafa Ullah Khan Rokhri, Ahmed Nawaz Cheena etc.
In the world of broadcasting, Dr Nasrullah Khan Nasir, Pride of Performance Qaisar Naqvi, Dr Nazim Labar, Late Shamshir Haider Hashmi, Ali Tanha, Mohsin Gillani, Kausar Samreen,, Jaffar Baloch, Riaz Mailsi and Rizwana Tabassum are known figures hailing from Saraiki region.
Living Legend Shakir Shujabadi, Late Arshad Multani, Ashiq Khan Buzdar, Dr Riffat Abbas, Dr Ashraf Shoua popularly known as Ashoo Lal, Aziz Shahid, Late Ahmed Khan Tariq, Jahangir Mughlis, Dr Najma Shaheen Khosa and Aman Ullah Arshad are some of the renowned poets who wrote on a variety of topics including commoners and their sufferings.
“Assan Qiadi Takht Lahore De” is a poem which made Ashiq Buzdar a household name which struck the hearts of Saraiki as well as other readers. He used to organize the annual Saraiki culture festival. He is a towering personality who has always voiced on Saraikis issues.
This year a two-day maiden South Punjab Literary and Culture Festival (SPLCF) was arranged in Multan featuring dialogues, mushaira, handicrafts and musical evening to promote Saraiki culture.
Acclaimed broadcaster and academician, Dr Nasrullah Khan Nasir noted that kafi, seh harfi, charkha nama, dhola, jogi nama, gharoli, chala, marsiha and ghazal are some of the main types of Saraiki poetry.
In the Indus Valley, Saraiki region is considered as its heart as great ancient cities Harappa and Mohenjo Daro existed in its right and left sides, he said and added that South Punjab is a land of enriched culture.
Ancient Multani, Brahami, Devenagari writing styles are kinds of Saraiki writing patterns, Dr Nasir said, adding that Arabic and Persian writing systems also influenced it.
Songs sung at weddings, mehndi, Lollian by parents, seasonal songs, and boatmen songs, ‘chaley, mahye and jhoomur songs are related to happy moments in Saraiki culture, the broadcaster concluded.
Saraiki Literature travelled from classic to modern trends, but the basic themes remained the same which are mainly based on folklore stories, romantic and tragic poetry, prose, deprivations and sobbing of public of the region.
