Journey through Sindhi literature
In my previous column (‘Who will guard the universities’, June 1), I highlighted the concerns of academics and intellectuals about the declining academic freedom at the institutes of higher education,…
Literature hostage to the elite
There was a time when literature throbbed with the heartbeat of the people, a time when the pens of writers shook empires, exposed social inequalities and sparked revolutions. Literature was…
Fading literature: Delhi’s famed Urdu Bazaar on last legs
In the bustling heart of Old Delhi, Indian bookseller Mohammed Mahfooz Alam sits forlorn in his quiet store, among the last few selling literature in a language beloved by poets…
A night for literature
I normally do not write on anything related to the corporate sector for two reasons. First, the corporate sector in Pakistan – or in any other country for that matter…
Finding solace in literature
There is too much politics around; to get some respite it is perhaps better to continue our discussion about some of the sessions at the 5th Sindh Literature Festival (SLF).…
Law and literature
Which is better – the spoken word of law or the written word of law? In the modern world this may not be a relevant question. We accept whatever as…
Animals, humans and literature: Part-II
Another interesting piece of writing about animal-human interaction, I found in the ‘Rasail-e-Ikhwanus Safa’ (Epistles of the Brethren of Purity). In tenth-century Basra, there was a group of Muslim philosophers…
Doctors and Urdu literature -Part II
In the first part of this article, we discussed the contribution of some medical doctors to Urdu literature and briefly talked about doctors Asif Farrukhi, Hasan Manzar, and Shershah Syed.…
Doctors and Urdu literature
In the past 50 years or so, Urdu literature has seen some extraordinary writers whose primary profession has been medical practice. Three of these names stand out: Dr Asif Farrukhi,…
The consequence of resistance literature – Part II
This is the second and final part of my column in response to some observations made by readers on the series about resistance writing. One reader, Retired Col Aizaz, asked…
