The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's Convention held in Karachi last week, discussed in its three sessions the topics : The 21st Century and Writers - the Role of Writers and Artists in the struggle for Human Rights and Culture and the Challenges of the Age.
Almost all the prominent writers and artists of Sindh participated in the lively discussions of each session. The audience comprised writers, painters, sculptors - perhaps the first gathering of its kind under the HRCP banner. The convention opened with I.A. Rahman's address. He did well to tell the audience as to what prompted the HRCP to discuss the themes of the convention's sessions. He thought that the writers and artists, being the cream of the society, should be ideally more alive today than ever about the human rights situations in Pakistan to see how best they could enlighten their readers on this important issue.
He hoped that the artists could act as catalytic agent in increasing their awareness among the intelligentsia and literati. The first session was presided over by Dr Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, Rector of the Biztek University, Karachi. The keynote paper was from Professor Sahar Ansari and the panellists were Professor Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza, Rector of Ziauddin Medical University, Dr Zafar Iqbal, Ghazi Salahuddin, Nazir Laghari, and Ms Atiya Dawood.
Professor Sahar Ansari, in his paper, talked about the intellectual scene of the 21st century and the issues the writers have been grappling with. He expressed his view that the social responsibility of the writers is the most cherished of the responsibilities and no conscientious writer could be absolved from this responsibility ever since literature has emerged as one of the intellectual activities.
Among the panellists Ghazi Salahuddin, Nazir Laghari, Dr Zafar Iqbal and Ms Atiya Dawood talked about different aspects of the theme. Dr Zafar Iqbal was of the view that the writers have not done what they could, especially the progressives as most of them did not stick to their volition and gave up their mission as soon as opportunities were offered. Ms Dawood stated that the paper couldn't do justice to the vast number of nationalistic writings. Ghazi Salahuddin opined that media had acquired a position it never enjoyed before and the electronic media has not adversely affected book-reading culture.
Dr Muhammad Ali Siddiqui drew a line of demarcation between those who stood for the role of interpretation of the works and for literature so the importance of 'perspective' in the painters works which is being undermined by some post-modernists who pleaded that the medium was the message and nothing else was required.
He said that rights of each section of population in a region to see the blossoming of their language and culture has to be accepted as an undeniable right and any trifling with these rights would be fascistic. The second session was presided over by eminent journalist and activist Ms Zubeda Mustafa and Ms Zahida Hina was the speaker. Zahida Hina has a penchant for history which means interpretation and she talked about the White Rose Movement, the four heroes of Munich, during the World War II, who gave their lives opposing the Nazis. She refreshed audience's memories. She didn't realise that it was not expected that the writers as a community couldn't sing or cry in unison.
The panellists picked up their chosen areas to support the contention of Ms Zahida Hina and then Tauqeer Chugtai named many writers who had played their role and were not duly acknowledged by the writer of the paper which was under discussion. The third session had Ms Nilofer Farrukh, eminent painter, artist and editor of prestigious art magazine "Nukte".
The session was presided over by eminent painter Dr Muhammad Ali Bhatti, who was ex-Director of the Institute of Fine Arts of Sindh University. The theme of her session was Culture and the Challenges of the Age. Nilofer Farrukh's paper was elaborate and pertinent. She said that the past had its own healthy ingredients, which have to be imbibed in a region's culture. The indigenous culture and history of the region also play an important part along with the new developments eg globalisation and technology.
All of them help to have an all abiding syncretic matrix to play its part in the evolution of culture. She contended that while we have to keep our eyes open to the influences we are likely to deem as 'foreign' but a good part of it has to be accepted as inalienable. The contribution of the past, present and future in the evolution of culture doesn't wait for our approval or rejection. Some changes have to be accepted with grace if one believes in the immutability of change and progress.
Her lecture was well received. The panellists were Mehar Afroze, Noorul Huda Shah, S.M. Shahid, Fateh Daudpotha, Muneeza Shamsi and Naimatulah Khliji. The panellists raised important points especially Noorul Huda Shah complained against Urban population's apathy towards Sindhi culture. Fateh Daudpotha also created a stir by saying that all those artists who supported the establishment ceased to be conscientious artists.