A glaring tribute was paid to renowned scholar of Sindh Sayid Ghulam Mustafa Shah on his 100th birth anniversary at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi.
Scholars, writers, historians, academia, civil servants, bureaucrats, journalists, etc. attended the event with acknowledging the services of GM Shah, which he rendered as a teacher and civil servant and public intellectual for the wellbeing of society.
The event was jointly organised by the ACP in collaboration with the Servants of Sindh Society (SSS).
Fazal Sulaiman Kazi President SSS while presiding over the session said that GM Shah was a multi-faced robust personality and outstanding educationalist, scholar and a public intellectual for his signal contrition to public issues and events.
Shah used to express his stance without fear and favour, he never sought anything from those in power.
His writing affects his perceptions on men and matter of this country. He was friend of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who often discussed matters with him.
Zia ul Haq in a speech in Multan declared GM Shah to be the most dangerous man in Sindh, as all educated people and students were behind him. He was founder of SSS.
Professor Ejaz Ahmad Quraishi said Shah as a civil servant served Sindh well particularly in the field of education. He said Shah was a visionary civil servant. He sent 100 teachers for PhD and MSC to USA and UK.
He served UOS twice. Hundreds of high level research articles were published in his Sindh Quarterly. He wrote books on social and cultural issues of Sindh.
Professor Mehtab Akbar Rashdi asked the people to respect and celebrate Shah like personalities when they are alive.
She said Sindh Quarterly was a qualitative publication of Shah. He used to write his editorials even with fighting the establishment of his time. Whatever he could think, he was trying to transfer. He was the man of vision, a dreamer.
Former bureaucrat Salman Farooqui, said he had been the student of Shah back in 1953 till 1957 in SM Law College. He said Shah was a great education administrator. He had passion to see his students successful.
He recalled that when Shah was transferred from SM Law College in January 1953 allegedly on political grounds, students gathered to protest against the government's move. Some 28 students threatened to go on hunger strike if the government did not review its decision. However, due to this pressure from students, the administration had to cancel the notification just within two hours. He said Shah was a bold principal. He was advocate of students unions.
Writer Javed Jabbar said Shah as education minister established thousands of schools across the province that helped hundreds of thousands of students to seek education at their doorsteps.
He used to give scholarships on the basis of merit. He was very difficult person to get along with. "I see him humbly not just as a servant of Sindh, but the custodian of Indus Valley," he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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