The Sindhi writers and poets have demanded preservation and publication of all the literature written by hundreds of writers about Sindhi folklore.
The demand was made at Sughar Katchehri (discourse of folks) organised by Sindh Culture Department at Sindh Museum’s Mumtaz Mirza Auditorium here.
Speaking on the occasion, former vice chancellor of Sindh University and known writer Dr Ghulam Ali Allana said a number of Sindhi writers have produced great works on Sindhi folk.
“The folk literature also embodies the history, tradition and culture of Sindh. Preserving it means that we would be preserving everything which has been Sindhi,” he stressed.
He praised Dr Fehmida Hussain, Janat Mangwani and Janat Jarwar for currently being the leading writers of folk literature.
“Some three to four million Sindhis live in different parts of the world. In my interaction with them during my foreign visits, I have seen a curiosity in them to read more about their motherland,” he said.
Meanwhile, Secretary Culture Saeed Ahmed Awan said the role of Sughar’s was instrumental in preserving the folk literature.
“We ought to preserve the knowledge of Sughars and also to make them a part of our curriculum so the future generations could read them,” he said.
On the occasion, Awan announced that the culture department would publish the unpublished works of Sughars as well as the books related to Sindhi folklore.
A linguistics teacher Dr Nawaz Ali Shauq, while speaking on the ocasion said Sindhi literature was rich in the sense that it was written by a constellation of writers, poets and Sughars.
According to him, at least 42 major books on Sindhi folklore exist while as many, if not less, contributed by famous writers were still waiting to be published.
The seminar was also addressed by writers Roshan Ali Korai, Ghulam Rasool Mangrio, Gul Muhammad Khatri, Rehmatullah Abbassi and Khalil Zaman Mahesar among other prominent personalities.