Soc, Her: Books on Sindh -SINDHI SAMMELAN & all Sindhi functions

[Rohit Lekhraj Lalwani <Rohitlalwa@AOL.COM>]

Dear friends, all,
I like very much the idea of Nadeem Jamali (Date: 99-05-14 10:30:07 EDT -
Books on Sindh) for books to be available at good discounted price to
Sindhis, and particularly at Florida Sindhi Sammelan and at many functions
which Sindhis organize.
Will Nadeem Jamali kindly take the trouble to copy his message not only to
organizers of Sammelan but also to various organizations of  Sindhis who
organize such functions. I am copying this message to Gajwaniji (with request
to forward this to organizers) and some others who wrote about Sammelan but
Nadeem Sahib will know many more big guns who organize big Sindhi functions.
May I  refer to some connected matters on this very good message from Nadeem
Sahib:
(1) VaswaniA@aol.com/ had sent a nice message, and although I did not agree
with many other points raised by him, I think he hit the nail on the head to
point out Sindhi’s love for expensive watches, beautiful houses and fine
luxuries. Yes, Vaswaniji, it is time for Sindhis to go forward intellectually
also, and have books on Sindhi culture.
(2) If  Sindhis wish to impress others, as Vaswaniji says correctly, with
expensive watches, cars, beautiful houses and fine luxuries, then just think!
How much more will people be impressed with books on culture on your Library
Shelf. Seeing those books,  your guests will know that you are not only a big
spender on luxuries but also have something intellectual about you..
(3) It does not matter if you don’t read those books ( though you should)
There is a very fine writer on this Sindhi Net whose messages I like very
much for their real content. He is Inder_Kirpalani@railcom.com.au, and all
his messages end with a banner which says “Life is but our perception”. So,
even if you don’t read books, the perception of your guests on viewing  your
Library will be that you are highly educated and intellectual.
(4) If above does not convince you, and you say, why spend money on books on
culture which I never read, so give me a western novel or a comic book to
read. Even then, culture book buying is good. Leave that culture book for
your children to read when they grow up.
(I am not an Investment Councilor/ Adviser, but those on Sindhi Net who are,
are hereby requested to give their views to tell us if investment in
children’s cultural knowledge is superior than Mutual Funds or Bank Deposits
. Perhaps I am mixing apples and oranges. So what. I love them both).

WHICH CULTURE BOOKS?:
 Nadeem Sahib makes a good point. Book reviews on Culture books should be
available to give choice to readers whose limited budgets will  afford to buy
only a few books. Talimchand@aol.com has already given some nice review of
Gidwani’s Return of Aryans. I think it is a fine book which every Sindhi must
read, even though for certain circumstances I have read only upto about 700
pages of it.
But RETURN OF ARYANS is a must-read book, and if anyone wants, I can send
them extracts from foreign and Indian historians, a gist of which appeared in
SASIALIT ((SASIALIT -- Literature of South Asia and the Indian Diaspora).
This body - SASIALIT - extensively discusses South Asian literature etc., and
although many  commentators on SASIALIT rate Salman Rushdie and Vikram Seth
as writers of higher order, My own view is that Bhagwan Gidwani rates no less
and has much to offer on Sind’s culture - though RETURN OF ARYANS  is not
only confined to Sindh’s culture but has bigger canvas of  the culture of
Indian subcontinent .Another place where scores of Letters to Editor can be
seen on internet on Gidwani’s Return of Aryans, is WWW.INDIASTAR.COM/. This
is a Literary Magazine on INTERNET in  which many non-Sindhis and even
foreigners  have commented on beauty/elegance/historical significance  of
Gidwani’s RETURN OF THE ARYANS.

Summing up, while I must recommend Gidwani’s Return of Aryans at SINDHI
SAMMELAN and other Sindhi functions, I also welcome many other books on SINDH
culture, and we should welcome Nadeem Sahib’s initiative for reviews ,
selections and availability of good culture books at SINDHI SAMMELANS. Those
of you on SINDHI NET with influence on organizers of Sammelans , if you
agree, or disagree,  will you give your views to such organizers of Sindhi
functions.

Respectfully,
Rohit