DAWN.COM | Metropolitan | ?Urdu literature is the answer to terrorism?
KARACHI: The five-day Second International Urdu Conference was inaugurated in Karachi on Tuesday evening with many prominent writers and poets in attendance. The event, held at Arts Council, will also be hosting a music festival simultaneously.
Organizers at the opening ceremony said they were under a lot of pressure to postpone the event in the face of the prevailing security situation in the country. Even though we planned the event months before and went ahead with it, many of our friends from across the country in India did not manage to get clearance from their ministry for the gathering, informed Mohamad Shah, secretary Arts Council.
However, Dr Gopi Chand Narang, an Indian scholar of Urdu language and literature, managed to address the gathering via telephone from New Delhi. My heart is with the people of Pakistan in Karachi and I hope the condition in your country improves soon, Narang said to the sound of a rousing applause.
Urdu is unlike any language in the subcontinent and can tie the bond between India and Pakistan, he said, adding: Its a tragedy that so much blood is being spilled in our parts of the world. But Urdu is a language of love and peace, and has the power of bringing us closer together. There can be boundaries between countries, but literature knows no boundaries.
Professor Sahar Ansari said literature and wisdom was the answer to terrorism. Citing an anecdote, Ansari said: A man was found lurking in the streets with a lamp in his hand and asked what he was doing. The man replied that he was looking for a human among the many ghosts and demons among us. We live in times where all the world hears about us are the terrorist acts, but we need to let them know that we are a people of rich tradition and heritage, with a progressing Urdu literature.
Writer Intizar Hussain said before he left from his hometown in Lahore to attend the Urdu conference in Karachi, he was asked with disdain whether this was the time to debate the language, especially when theres a war going on in the country. I said this exactly was the right time to talk about Urdu literature. We need to assess and highlight our literature in these difficult times.
Dr Kulsoom Ashraf from the Bangladesh University, who flew to Karachi especially for the event said: Its unfortunate that Bangladesh always remains behind whenever we talk about Urdu. The language is not only limited to India and Pakistan, Ahsraf claimed. If you go to the Dhaka University today, youll be surprised to know that many Bangladeshi parents are sending their children to learn and earn degrees in Urdu literature, she said.
Earlier, eminent writer Iftikhar Arif explained how Urdu language had progressed over the last sixty years after Pakistans independence. We also must acknowledge the valuable contribution made by many Indian Hindus in the service of Urdu, Arif said.
Other stars of Urdu literature who attended the occasion included Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufi, Zara Nigah, Lutfullah Khan, Fatima Suraya Bajjiya, Hajrah Masroor, Dr Mustufa Karim, Dr Saleem Akhtar, Dr Masood Ashar, Agha Nasir, Kishwer Naheed, Fehmida Riaz, Asghar Nadeem Syed and Nasser Malik.
KARACHI: The five-day Second International Urdu Conference was inaugurated in Karachi on Tuesday evening with many prominent writers and poets in attendance. The event, held at Arts Council, will also be hosting a music festival simultaneously.
Organizers at the opening ceremony said they were under a lot of pressure to postpone the event in the face of the prevailing security situation in the country. Even though we planned the event months before and went ahead with it, many of our friends from across the country in India did not manage to get clearance from their ministry for the gathering, informed Mohamad Shah, secretary Arts Council.
However, Dr Gopi Chand Narang, an Indian scholar of Urdu language and literature, managed to address the gathering via telephone from New Delhi. My heart is with the people of Pakistan in Karachi and I hope the condition in your country improves soon, Narang said to the sound of a rousing applause.
Urdu is unlike any language in the subcontinent and can tie the bond between India and Pakistan, he said, adding: Its a tragedy that so much blood is being spilled in our parts of the world. But Urdu is a language of love and peace, and has the power of bringing us closer together. There can be boundaries between countries, but literature knows no boundaries.
Professor Sahar Ansari said literature and wisdom was the answer to terrorism. Citing an anecdote, Ansari said: A man was found lurking in the streets with a lamp in his hand and asked what he was doing. The man replied that he was looking for a human among the many ghosts and demons among us. We live in times where all the world hears about us are the terrorist acts, but we need to let them know that we are a people of rich tradition and heritage, with a progressing Urdu literature.
Writer Intizar Hussain said before he left from his hometown in Lahore to attend the Urdu conference in Karachi, he was asked with disdain whether this was the time to debate the language, especially when theres a war going on in the country. I said this exactly was the right time to talk about Urdu literature. We need to assess and highlight our literature in these difficult times.
Dr Kulsoom Ashraf from the Bangladesh University, who flew to Karachi especially for the event said: Its unfortunate that Bangladesh always remains behind whenever we talk about Urdu. The language is not only limited to India and Pakistan, Ahsraf claimed. If you go to the Dhaka University today, youll be surprised to know that many Bangladeshi parents are sending their children to learn and earn degrees in Urdu literature, she said.
Earlier, eminent writer Iftikhar Arif explained how Urdu language had progressed over the last sixty years after Pakistans independence. We also must acknowledge the valuable contribution made by many Indian Hindus in the service of Urdu, Arif said.
Other stars of Urdu literature who attended the occasion included Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufi, Zara Nigah, Lutfullah Khan, Fatima Suraya Bajjiya, Hajrah Masroor, Dr Mustufa Karim, Dr Saleem Akhtar, Dr Masood Ashar, Agha Nasir, Kishwer Naheed, Fehmida Riaz, Asghar Nadeem Syed and Nasser Malik.
