Sindhis living in India and Pakistan hold Peace Conference

[Gul Agha <agha@CS.UIUC.EDU>]

Indo-Pak summit seeks greater interaction between Sindhis:

[World News]: Karachi, Dec 21 : The three day International Peace
Conference as part Indo-Pak Sindhi summit has Indo-Pak summit ended
with the delegation members voicing on the need to carry forward the
friendly ties between the two countries.

According to the Dawn, the speakers at the "Shah, Sachal, Saami;
International Peace Conference" organized by the Sindh Graduates
Association unanimously passed the resolution that enhanced
interactions between the Sindhi peoples living on both sides of the
Indo-Pak border would help in the establishment of friendly relations
between the two countries.

The resolution presented by the leader of the Indian Sindhi literary
delegation, Suresh A Keswani, a Rajya Sabha member and the
vice-chairman of the Sindhi Academy Delhi, stated that " for the
preservation, protection and strengthening of the over 5000 years old
Sindhi culture and historical heritage as well as to ensure its
passage to the next generation, it was necessary to hold exchange
programmes between the Sindhi youth of India and Pakistan.

"To strengthen the foundation of Sindhi education in both India and
Pakistan the teams of educationists and academicians be exchanged
between the two countries and the research facilities should be
provided," the paper quoted a resolution passed at the conference as
saying.

The delegation also mooted the idea of relaxing the postal tariffs
existing between the two countries to help in the promotion and free
movement of Sindhi literature between India and Pakistan. (ANI)
                ****************************

From: Ayaz Latif Palijo, Advocate
Subject: Sindhis of the World Unite

Sindh Research Council (SRC), Sindhi Adabi Board, Sindhi Adabi Sangat,
Sindh Graduate Association, Awami Tahreek, Bazm-e-Rooh Rehan, Manak
Motee Tanzeem and other literary and cultural organizations will be
hosting number of literary and musical evenings and welcome parties in
honour of Sindhi Adabi Delegation of India here in Hyderabad on 21st,
22nd and 23rd December.  Famous Sindhi singer Dushant Kumar Ahooja
will perform in Sindh Museum and Sindhology on 21st and 22nd December.

The 41 member delegation includes Motee Prakash, Senator Suresh
Kaiswani, Dr Jetho Lalwani, Wimee Sidarangani, Professor Chandiram
Daswani, Shrikanth Bhatia, Maya Rahee, Lachman Koomal Bhatia, Dushant
Ahooja, Sateesh Rohera, Arjan Hasid, Haree Motwani, Heero Shewkani,
Jagdeesh Lachani, V A Tharwani, Gobind Khushhalani and others.

While speaking at Shah Sachal Sami Peace Conference Senate
Chairman Mohd Mian Soomro and Senator Suresh Kaiswani said that
Sindhis of World should unite for peace and development. In a
message sent to the conference Indian Congress leader Sonia Gandhi
has said that Sindhis are peace loving secular people and they
should jointly come forward for peace in subcontinent and South
Asia, she promised that congress will host a national conference
of Sindhi writers and parliamentarians in Delhi very soon.

While talking to newsmen Sindhi writer Lachman Koomal Bhatia said that
Khokhrapar-Monabao route would open a door for millions of non Sindhi
illegal immigrants and it will harm the interests of Sindh. He said we
Sindhis can come to Sindh more conveniently through Amritsar-Lahore
road and via Mumbai-Karachi ferry route. All sindhi writers demanded
that special visa facilities and travel package be announced for
Sindhis of both countries. They declared Shah Latif as most unique
peace loving secular poet of the world.

Ajju aagria aaya, saoo kee sujani,
laheenda moriani, ruku kareendaa padhiro. (latif)

Deenhan doreen duthu khe, ratian kaana rahani,
omara tineen kani munhinjo roohu rarriuun karey. (latif)

Ayaz Latif Palijo
******************************************

Excerpts from Daily Dawn, Karachi news reports (Also see
dailykawish.com and other Sindhi newspapers for reports)

Sonia Gandhi's message

Ms Gandhi said: "Sindhis of India and Pakistan symbolize the rich
ties of shared culture, language and history that bind our
countries. Sindhi culture and literature has a long noble tradition of
secularism, universal brotherhood and peace, and it is heartening to
know that this conference will pay homage to these values.

"Meaningful people-to-people contacts, such as those encouraged on
this occasion, will ensure that these bonds, and the teachings of
Sindhi saints Shah, Sachal and Saami are revived.

"From my own experiences, I know that members of the Sindhi Academy,
Delhi, who are attending the conference, will have received a welcome
that is as heart-warming and hospitable as only the Pakistanis can
be. I hope, we in India will soon have an opportunity to welcome
members of Pakistani's Sindhi community in our country.

"I send my warm greetings and good wishes to all those participating
in this conference, which, I am confident, will help foster
understanding, friendship and cooperation between India and Pakistan."
     ***********************************

KARACHI: Sufi poets' role in promoting peace, love lauded
By Our Staff Reporter

KARACHI, Dec 19: Speakers at an international conference on Sunday
suggested that teachings of the Sufis like Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai,
Sachal Sarmast and Bhai Chanrai Saami, which were based on love and
peace be spread , so that the people in subcontinent could coexist in
a peaceful and harmonious environment.

They were speaking at the second day of the three-day "Shah, Sachal
and Saami: International Peace Conference" organized by the Sindh
Graduates Association. A 32-member delegation of Indian Sindhi
literary people is also participating in the conference.

The speakers, in their thought-provoking, well-researched papers,
punctuated with select couplets from the works of the Sindhi Sufi
poets, stressed that the saints of Sindh preached messages of
liberalism, love, peace and universal brotherhood.

They stressed that in the present environment, it had become all the
more important that such messages be spread widely, so that the world
could become a better place for future generations to coexist
peacefully.

They said that the Sufi poetry highlighted the issues faced by the
common man, and it was a proof of the greatness of these saints that
their poetry was still relevant, and people could still identify with
the issues taken up these great poets...

Dr Satish Rohra, Dr Nawaz Ali Shouq, V E Tharwani, Prof Nagpal, Tejal
Bewas, Hari Motwani, Laxman Bhatia Komal, Anwer Pirzado, Dr Moti
Prakash, M H Panhwar, Hiro Shewkani, Badar Abro, Hidayat Baloch,
Gobind Khushalani and others read their papers on Shah, Sachal and
Saami, at the conference conducted by Shamsher-ul-Haidery. A cultural
evening was also organized for the visitors at the Arts Council of
Pakistan that continued till the early hours of Monday.
           **********************************

Steps urged to preserve Sindhi culture
By Our Staff Reporter

KARACHI, Dec 20: The participants of an international peace conference
have stressed in a resolution adopted at the end of the moot that
enhanced interaction between the Sindhi peoples living across the
Indo-Pak border could help establish and strengthen friendly ties
between the two countries.

The resolution was unanimously adopted by the participants of "Shah,
Sachal, Saami; International Peace Conference" organized by the Sindh
Graduates Association that concluded on Monday.

The resolution was presented by the leader of the Indian Sindhi
literary delegation, Suresh A Keswani, who is also the vice-chairman
of the Sindhi Academy Delhi, besides being Rajya Sabha member...

"Sindhi culture and historical heritage which is over 5,000 years old
needs to be preserved, protected and strengthened. The language, the
literature, the art and craft of Sindhi people settled all over the
world needs to be promoted and fortified.

"To ensure passage of this legacy to the next generation, the
programmes of exchanges of the Sindhi youth should be organized. The
delegations of performing artists and craftsmen be exchanged between
both the countries.

"To strengthen the foundation of Sindhi education in both India and
Pakistan the teams of educationists and academicians be exchanged
between the two countries and the research facilities be provided."

Both groups also resolved to take up with their respective governments
the issue of relaxations in the existing visa regimes. To promote free
movement of the Sindhi literature on the both sides, they demanded
that postal tariffs be softened.

Both the groups agreed to use the IT resources to widen the area of
their accessibility. In Earlier sessions, 15 papers highlighting
different aspects of the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal
Sarmast and Bhai Chanrai Saami were read out by the scholars,
intellectuals, writers etc.

Taj Joyo, in his paper discussed the liberalism in the Sindhi poetry,
while Krishin Rahi discussed the post-partition Sindhi poetry in
India. Arjun Hasid spoke on the Sindhi Ghazal, and Taj Baloch spoke
about the new lot of Sindhi short story writers.

Post-partition trends of Sindhi poetry were also discussed by Shrikant
Sadaf, where as Vasdev Mohi spoke on changes in Sindhi language in
India. Shoukat Shoro highlighted the role played by the television and
radio in the development of Sindhi drama.

Arbab Nek Mohammad spoke on the relations between Sindh, Gujarat and
Rajasthan. Mohammad Qasim Bughio spoke on need for use of IT in Sindhi
language, while Sahar Imdad discussed the local elements in the Sindhi
poetry.

Inam Shaikh, highlighting the declining reading habits, said that
though the population of Sindhis, from different claims ranged between
10 million to 35 million, sometimes it is difficult to sell 1,000
copies of a Sindhi book. Jagdesh Lachhani and others also spoke at the
conference conducted by Shamsher-ul-Haidery.

A reception was also organized by a former Senator and a literary
figure, Hussain Shah Rashdi, which was followed by a musical programme
that continued till early hours of Tuesday.

The Indian visitors will leave early on Tuesday morning for a
week-long tour of the interior of Sindh to visit various places
important from the religious as well as cultural point of view.