LARKANA: A launching ceremony of an anthology of seventeen short stories for children written in Sindhi by Ustad Gul Dayo titled “Kang Ji Nani” (The grandma of the crow) was held under the aegis of the Literature Department at Arts Council Larkana in its Bhittai Auditorium.
The ceremony was performed by a group of children and literati. It was presided over by prominent writer and poet Dr. Zulfiqar Sial. Prof. Mukhtiar Samo was the chief guest on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sial said that about five hundred thousand poets and writers lived in Sindh. If every one of them wrote only one book each for children, it would suffice in enriching the literature for children in the Sindhi language. He further said that much literature had been produced for children in Urdu, as was true for literature in English worldwide. He said that even the most prominent poets, including Dr. Allama Mohammad Iqbal and Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabbasum, had written for children, which only a few people knew and read. He said that all creative writers must write for children as well, and their creations should be based on education, entertainment, and knowledge to entertain and educate the kids. He highly lauded the efforts of Ustad Gul Dayo, saying that all three components were found in his storybook.
Prof. Mukhtiar Samo, writer, and founder of the Knowledge Centre Larkana, said that our educational institutions had failed in introducing children to the world of literature due to the unavailability of libraries. “If any had a library, it was not fully equipped, functional, and was short of literary books,” he pointed out with deep concern.
Professor Samo further deplored that whatever scanty literature being produced for children in Sindh was not reaching their all targeted population. “The children in far-flung areas and countryside of Sindh had no access to literary books at all. Closed, partially functional, and destroyed primary and middle-level schools in flood-affected, tribal feuds, and dacoits-infected areas had deprived children of even basic education, not to speak of literature only. He said that given the situations, Ustad Gul Dayo had been striving for the promotion of literature for children,” he said.
He added that the storybook and also poetry for children had always provided good reading stuff for children. Ustad Gul Dayo, the writer of the storybook, said, “whatever I have written for children I have done it with honesty and for the betterment of children so that they read it, learn lessons, and develop their reading habit.” He thanked the speakers for appreciating him for his literary work for children and vowed to continue this practice in the future also.
Mumtaz Lohar, short story writer, and poet said that it was good to write fiction and poetry for children but they also had to encourage writers to write profiles of exceptional children who excelled in their academics, art, and creativity as well.
Prof. Jahangir Abbasi, fiction writer, and translator said that many prominent writers in the current times started writing for children but later on quit doing so and limited their writings for grown-up readers only. He urged them to contribute to children’s literature also.
Manzoor Mangi, Yasmin Brohi, Sami Sajjid Jonejo, Ghulam Nabi Sariyo, and Faqeer Manzoor Ali Mahesar said that the storybook of Ustad Gul Dayo contained stories on various themes which would attract the child readers hence they would be inspired to read more books.
Zahid Jonejo, caretaker chairman of the Literature department of ACL, appreciated writings for children and vowed to arrange many such programs in the future as well.
