Forman Christian College, Department of History hosted writer Intezar Hussain in conversation with Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra on ‘Myth, History and Story’.
The programme began with a two minute silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives in Peshawar bomb blasts on All Saint’s Church.
Speaking on the occasion, Department of History Chairman Dr Yaqoob Khan Bangash said that this attack was on every one of us. He said, “All Saints Church was built like a mosque and showed the harmonisation of the Christian religion in the Pakhtun culture. Therefore this attack is on cultural interchange, harmony, and humanity.”
Intezar Hussain threw light on various things which inspired him to write. Underscoring the need for honesty he noted that a good writer should be comfortable writing in his or her surroundings. Giving the example of Josh Malhiabadi he said that he should have remained in India where he was highly respected. “Coming to Karachi did injustice to Malhiabadi’s poetry,” he said.
Hussain observed that a good writer should also be accepting of their influences. He said that Allama Iqbal obtained all of his knowledge from the West but then disdained it. “It was the West which enabled him to become such a great poet and every writer should accept and celebrate their influences,” he remarked.
Speaking of major influences on his writing, the writer said that he learnt a lot from Buddha. “The stories weaved in the discourse of the Buddha were the greatest stories ever told. I realised that the Buddha was the real story teller and I was wasting my time reading Chekov,” he opined.
Dr Arfa also noted that a good historian is one which connects the past with the present and this is exactly what Intezar Hussain has done which makes him one of the greatest writers of South Asia.
