Sindhiyat -- All Things Sindh

Encyclopaedia of Sindhi Launched

2010-12-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah launched the first ever comprehensive encyclopaedia of the Sindhi language, 'Encyclopaedia Sindhiana' on Saturday, Dec 4, 2010 at a ceremony at Karachi's Regent Plaza hotel.

The ceremony was also attended by Ms Sassui Palijo, the Sindh Culture Minister, Ms Sharmila Farooqi, Information Advisor to the Chief Minister, Mr Abdul Salaam Thaheem, Minister for Technical Education and a large number of Sindhi scholars and intellectuals including Dr GA Allana, Mr Mazhar Siddiqui, Sirajul Haque Memon and others.

The Chief Minister termed the launch of the publication a major achievement and lauded the efforts of the Sindhi Language Authority, the department behind the project, headed by Dr Fahmida Hussain. Ms Sassui Palijo, Dr GA Allana, Dr Fahmida Hussain and others also spoke on the occasion.

Two volumes of the Encyclopaedia Sindhiana have been published so far. The first volume contains about 3,500 entries comprising 650 pages and is based on the first three letters of the Sindhi alphabet. The second volume of 728 pages, out now, consists of 2,571 entries based on the next six letters of the Sindhi alphabet, and also include about 323 entries as addenda for the first volume.

About 80 percent entries are related to Sindh, such as personalities, places, flora, fauna, archaeological sites, other life forms, tribes, castes, beliefs, rituals and rites, culture, civilisation, language, dialects, literature, fine arts etc.

The encyclopaedia is dedicated to late Dr Tanveer Abbasi, who conceived the original project idea. Dr Fahmida Hussain is the editor-in-chief while Mr Taj Joyo is its editor. Consultation and guidance on the project are being provided by Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo and Dr Ghulam Ali Allana.

The third volume of Encyclopaedia Sindhiana is also in its final stages and will be published soon.

Support Flood Relief Campaign in Southern Sindh

2010-08-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

The earthquake’s that hit Pakistan in 2005 and 2008 were regarded as the worst tragedy for the nation. Few have realized that the recent floods have in fact caused more damage then those earthquake’s did. As per latest reports official figures stand at 1600 dead and 12 million left homeless.

The Monsoon rains began two weeks ago and have washed away roads, bridges and communications lines, hampering rescue efforts by aid organizations and the government. The downpours have grounded many aircraft trying to rescue people and ferry aid, including six helicopters manned by US troops on secondment from Afghanistan. Continue reading ...

Father sells infant of Rs. 100 (US $1.30) in Badin, Sindh, Pakistan

2010-07-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

BADIN: By being sick of poverty in Golarchi area of Badin district, a father sold out his infant of Rs. 100, who was born two hours ago on Friday.

Police raided the alleged buyer’s home on complaint of infant’s mother and recovered the baby.

Police recovered the baby having raided the home of alleged buyer on complaint of infant’s poor mother after five hours of the incident and arrested the seller (father) and buyer, police sources said.

Alleged buyer told the police that the infant’s father was unable to bring up his child that made him sell the infant. He then paid hundred rupees to the alleged father in return to buy sweets and guaranteed to bear the infant’s living expenditures in future. [GEO NEWS]

Continue reading to find out how you can help alleviate poverty in Sindh

Lal meri Pat Rakhiyo

2010-06-06T23:27:00.000-07:00

This song, one of the most famous qawwali, is written and sung in the honor of Sufi mystic saint 'Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar' (Usman Marvandhi) - may God sanctify his station. Every word of his name used in the qawwali has a meaning - he was known as Hazrat (holiness), Lal (he wore red robes, also mothers fondly call their kids as Lal in Punjab and nearby region), Shahbaz (Shah - King and Baz - Falcon, king of falcons and in Iranian mythology represent godly figure who led them to victory, divine spirit), and finally Qalandar (a qalandari - a sufi saint, poet, mystic, noble man). He settled in Serwan (Sindh, now in Pakistan) and tried bringing peace between Hindus and Muslims. Hindus regard him as divine reincarnate, avatar as well. Still today many Punjabi singers, singing in his praise. He is also fondly called as Jhulelal.

To whomever can help, please kindly provide a better translation by posting it as a comment to this post. Thank you for your support and patronage of Sindhiyat.

O Laal Meri Pat Rakhiyo Bala Jhulelal Laalan
Sindri Da Sehvan Da Sakhi Shabaaz Qalandar
Shahbaz Qalandar, Sakhi Shahbaz Qalandar
Duma Dum Mast Kalandar, Duma Dum Mast Kalandar
Ali Dum Dum De Andar, Ali Dum Dum De Andar
O Laal Meri Pat Rakhiyo Bala Jhulelal Laalan
Sindri Da Sehvan Da Sakhi Shabaaz Qalandar

O the red robed, may I always have your benign protection, Jhulelal (as he was affectionately called). O master, friend and Sire of Sindh and Sehwan (or Serwan), The red robed God-intoxicated Qalandar, The Lord in every breath of mine, glory unto to you.

Chaar Charaag Tere Baran Hamesha
Panjwa Baaran Aayi Bala Jhulelal Laalan
O Panjwa Mein Baaran Aayi Bala Jhulelal Laalan
Sindri Da, Sehvan Da Sakhi Shabaaz Kalandar
Shahbaz Qalandar, Sakhi Shahbaz Qalandar
Duma Dum Mast Kalandar, Duma Dum Mast Kalandar
Ali Dum Dum De Andar, Ali Dum Dum De Ander
O Laal Meri Pat Rakhiyo Bala Jhulelal Laalan
Sindri Da Sehvan Da Sakhi Shabaaz Qalandar

Your shrine is always lighted with four lamps, And here I come to light a fifth lamp in your honor. Here I come with fifth O master, friend and Sire of Sindh and Sehwan (or Serwan), The red robed God-intoxicated Qalandar, The Lord in every breath of mine, glory unto to you.

Uchra Roza Peera Tera, Uchra Roza Peera Tera
Gaith Wage Gharyaal Bala Jhulelal Laalan
Sindri Da Sehvan Da Sakhi Shabaaz Qalandar
Shahbaz Qalandar, Sakhi Shahbaz Qalandar
Dama Dum Must Qalandar, Duma Dum Mast Kalandar
Ali Dum Dum De Andar, Ali Dum Dum De Ander
O Laal Meri Pat Rakhiyo Bala Jhulelal Laalan
Sindri Da Sehvan Da Sakhi Shabaaz Qalandar

Let your heroic name ring out in Hind & Sindh (or lets the gongs bell loud), Let the gong ring loud for your glory day and night by the people (ghadiyaal - watchman, symbolism of night).

Ghanan Ghanan Teri Nobat Waagay
...(Dhol Beats)
Ghanan Ghanan Teri Nobat Waagay
Naal Vajay Gharyaal Bala Jhulelal Laalan
Sindri Da Sehvan Da Sakhi Shabaaz Qalandar
Shahbaz Qalandar, Sakhi Shahbaz Qalandar
Duma Dum Mast Kalandar, Duma Dum Mast Kalandar
Ali Dum Dum De Andar Ali Dum Dum De Ander
Ali Dum Dum De Ander Ho

O Lord, may you prevail everytime, everywhere, I pray of your well being, In the name of Ali, I pray to you to help my boat cross in safety (in the river of life).

Pallu Machi

2010-04-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

Pala (Sindhi: پلو مڇي, Pallu Machi) is found in the delta region of southern Pakistan, in the province of Sindh. It's a similar to Hilsa (Bengali: ইিলশ Ilish) fish found in present-day Bangladesh. The fish was usually found in abundant quantities in the district of Thatta. Recently, however, the lower reaches of the Indus have dried up as water is stored upstream, and the Palla cannot make its journey into the river anymore. Continue reading

Note: Apparently there isn't much information on the Web about Pallu Machi. Readers if you have additional information or anecdotes please tell us by stating it as a comment to this post. We would love to hear your personal accounts and any family folk lore relating to this ancient delicacy from Sindh.

A Tribute to Allan Fakir

2010-02-26T12:25:00.000-08:00

I came across a tribute to Allan Fakir today, by a band from Jamshoro called Sketches. How it made me feel is the only reason I am writing this post.

I grew up in Sindh, and Sindhi is my second language (very rusty, to say the least). Over the last decade I feel that I have lost my identity as a Pakistani, and as a Sindhi. Listening to this song today made me remember everything I had forgotten, the places, the friends, the life I lived in Sukkur in just 6 minutes.

In sharing this song below, I hope it does the same for another lost soul.

"Moujood" is a sufi poem by Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai

Landless Harees Project in Sindh

2010-02-16T10:27:00.000-08:00

Benazir Bhutto, and her trailblazer of a political party, has always been a source of simultaneous intrigue and irritation for me; I’ve never quite been able to reconcile myself with her heroic popularity and what I perceive to be her gross ineptitude. On one hand, I grew up in a typical working class Sindhi family that adored her and had nothing short of awe for her father. On the other hand, living in Karachi meant a private school education where there were hardly any Sindhis around, and everyone I got to know in the city was far removed from the villages and people that were a formative part of my childhood. My very identity as Sindhi, in the upper middle class echelons of the capital city of Sindh, was a rarity. My friends, more often than not from business class or army backgrounds, always asked me to teach them a phrase or two in Sindhi or to tell them more about what the villages were like. While this was indulging as a kid, it was sometimes downright confusing especially when all of these friends became adults who were pro-army or pro MQM and almost always anti-People’s Party. This hatred juxtaposed with a poster of Benazir Bhutto that has always adorned our kitchen, I never quite figured out my place in this melting pot of political affinities.

Back then, I had no idea that being Sindhi would become the prime signifier of my identity today. Recently I joined the Sindh Rural Support Programme for monitoring, evaluation and research for the Landless Harees Project. I was hired because I was fluent at my mother tongue, which was apparently quite unexpected. Last week on my first field visit to Umerkot, Thar and Mirpur Khas, I interviewed many women farmers who had been allotted land under the programme initiated by the current government last year. Some of them had been provided with seeds, fertilizer, pesticide, health insurance, food nutrition and cash grants to prepare the unused land for cultivation. Moreover, they had received some rudimentary trainings on farming, book-keeping, cooperative formation and uses of health insurance. This is part of a large scale project started in 17 districts of Sindh with the objective of empowering women farmers by making them land-owners of hitherto government-owned land for free. “Marx would be proud,” I sputtered almost inaudibly to the District Manager sitting across from me in Umerkot. His eyes lit up with a childlike glee with the M word! He then went into a detailed account of his politically active days during the Zia era when he was part of the Sindh Haree Movement in its infancy. He jovially admitted to their mistakes and shortcomings as a socialist movement back in the eighties. Comrade Nizamani convinced me why this initiative today would be brilliant if we emphasized more on the cooperative model of development. In my head, I was just relieved to be far, far away from the ‘corporation model of development’ that so many of those same friends of mine in Karachi advocated from their privileged positions in Barclays, JS Investments and Unilever.

I’ve had a lot to chew on with the People’s Party being in power again and having to encounter a million jokes and insults everyday that being in power entail for anybody. To these farmers who have benefited from this project (admittedly few and far between), Benazir and her cronies have been a god-send. I do know that if this government goes bust tomorrow, this project would be discontinued and these women would lose ownership of the land to some newly empowered landlord. Like most initiatives in Pakistan, it is not going to be a sustainable project unless there is political continuity. Here I am two decades later and I still don’t know how to reconcile myself with the ubiquitous popularity in rural Sindh and the oft-articulated failures of Benazir Bhutto in urban Pakistan.

Sindh TV News Live via USTREAM

2010-02-01T00:45:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to cross post Sindh TV News' Live video stream via USTREAM.

Streaming live video by Ustream

RIP Sohrab Faqeer - Expired: October, 23rd, 2009, Karachi

2009-10-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

Sohrab Faqeer, the great Sufi singer of Sindh, Pakistan at 73 left hundreds and thousands of listeners morning on Friday, October, 23rd, 2009. We at Sindhiyat extend our heartfelt condolence to his family and friends.

His full name was Sohrab Fakir Khaskhely. He was born in 1934 in Khairpur. His father was tHamal Fakir, who was the disciple of Kush Khair Muhammad Fakir.

Sohrab Fakir is recognized as the greatest living Sindhi folk singer in his style of music, playing the yaktaro (single stringed instrument) and chappar (wooden clappers)

In a condolence statement, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah paid tribute to the deceased with respect for his traditional Sufi songs and said

It is difficult to fill the gap created by his death...Sohrab Faqeer would be remembered for his unique command over the Sufi genre of singing.

Marvi Memon, Member of Pakistan's National Assembly in her condolence tweet said:

Sohrab faqeer of sindh was one such treasure who was not taken care of n whom we lost. We mourn his death

From Peshawar, the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan Shihab Taqi Halepota in response to Marvi's tweet states:

Sindh, #Pakistan lost an other Sohrab Faqeer, a saint, sage and sufi singer. We value them once they depart. We are never in or on time.

Continue reading full article at THE NEWS.

Listen to Saiin Sohrab Faqeer on YouTube.

Cross posting to Siliconstani

Kalam Buleh Shah ... Sufi Poetry of Buleh Shah sung by Abida Parveen

2009-10-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

Baba Buleh Shah was a prominent 17th Century Punjabi Muslim Sufi poet who lived around the same time as the eminent Muslim Sufi poet saint from Sindh, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.

Following is a piece of Buleh Shah sung by Adi Abida Parveen. A promiment Muslim Sufi singer from Sindh.

Follow along ...

Safa Vere Aya Kar

The God that you find while
searching in the jungle ...
Is found by fowl and fish and beast

Bulleh Shah, only they find the True God
Who are good and pure at heart!

You have learnt so much by reading a thousand books ...
Have you ever read what's inside you?
You go sit in a Mosque and Temple.

You go sit in a Mosque and Temple
Have you ever visited your own soul?

You are so busy fighting Satan
Have you ever fought your own evil intentions?

You have reached the sky
But have failed to reach what's in your heart!

Come to my abode, My Friend
Morning, noon, and night!

Destroy the Mosque ...
Destroy the Temple ...
Do as you please ...

Do not break the human heart.
For God dwell's therein!

I search for you in the jungle and wilderness
I have searched for and wide ...

Do not torment me my love,
Morning, noon, and night!

Come to my abode, My Love
Morning, noon, and night!

Come to my abode,
My Guide, My Friend
Morning, noon, and night!

Blind Dolphins Of Indus

2009-04-29T21:23:00.001-07:00

The plight of the blind dolphin of Indus is well known. This latest story (extract) is worth sharing:

INDUS RIVER, Pakistan (AFP) – Nazir Mirani, 47, is the third generation of a humble family committed to saving Pakistan's blind dolphins, an endangered species swimming against a tide of man-made hazards. Mirani, once a fisherman is now among a handful of people officially assigned to protect the dolphins.

"No one can know them as meticulously as me. I was born in a boat and have been living with these fish ever since," said the lanky Mirani, his complexion darkened by years under the burning sun and his chest puffed up with pride.

"Look at my eyes," he said. "Aren't they shaped like the fish?"

Indus dolphins -- Platanista gangetica minor or "bulhan" in the local Sindhi language -- are listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union. According to local folklore, a lactating woman once refused to give milk to a saint, who cursed her and pushed her into the Indus. The woman turned into a dolphin and the freshwater species was born.

Females are bigger than males, weighing up to 110 kilograms (243 pounds) and growing up to 2.5 metres (eight foot) long. The brownish-pink mammals have lived alongside humans for time immemorial. Their long, pointed snouts thicken at the end, and the upper and lower teeth are visible even when the mouth is closed.

Their numbers are declining as fishermen deplete their stock of food, pollution worsens, and a network of barrages restricts their movements. Falling water levels due to declining rain and snowfall are another peril.

The Worldwide Fund For Nature Pakistan estimated in 2006 there were around 1,200 Indus dolphins left -- 900 at a sanctuary near Sukkur in the southern province of Sindh and another 300 further upstream in Punjab.

The dolphin is blind because it lacks eye lenses and so hunts for catfish and shrimp using sophisticated sonar, said Hussain Bux Bhagat, a senior official in the Sindh wildlife department. Dolphins swam freely in the Indus until about 100 years ago when engineers under British rule started slicing up the river with irrigation projects in the dry hinterland.

The barrages pose a critical threat to the dolphins, dividing their natural habitat into five separate segments of the snaking river. "This species used to roam across 3,500 kilometres (2,190 miles) of the Indus but are now confined to 900 kilometres (560 miles)," Bhagat said.

As a result the risk of inbreeding "could lead to infertility and then extinction," Bhagat added. An alarming increase in pollution from untreated sewage dumps, illegal pesticides, and industrial and agricultural waste also threaten their survival.

The dolphins swim on their sides, trailing a flipper along the river bottom, and can move in water as shallow as 30 centimetres (12 inches). But each year up to 50 dolphins get trapped in the thousands of kilometres (miles) of irrigation channels, which are closed and left to dry out.

Fishermen used to kill them but awareness campaigns have improved to the extent that they now inform wildlife officials who come to their rescue. "People were so uneducated they used to shoot the dolphins dead until a few years ago," said Bhagat.

The trouble is that wildlife services have limited resources. Rescuers have just one van with a water tub, which they use to keep the dolphins alive for a few hours while they take them back to the river. "We have successfully rescued 50 dolphins this season but we could do it more efficiently if we get a helicopter," Bhagat said.

Dolphins also stray into narrow channels during monsoon season when sluice gates are opened to maintain the water flow at the barrages. Experts who did a 2006 survey for the environment ministry said the needs of Pakistan?s dolphins are the same as its people -- both need a clean, reliable source of water to survive.

Mirani - whose father worked with Swiss specialist Giorgio Pilleri who conducted pioneering research into the mammal - said his family tradition of helping conserve the dolphins will continue.

"My son Nadir Ali is ready to assist me," he said, gesturing towards a teenager holding an oar as he steers a boat along the river. "After me, he and his six younger brothers will try to protect dolphins," he said, before cheering loudly as a dolphin emerged to swim alongside their boat

Gorakh Hills

2008-08-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

I read with mixed feelings the front page news in Dawn on Gorakh Hills - Sassui Palijo has finally succeeded in reviving the Gorakh Hill development project and the Assembly has passed the Development Bill for the hill station.

Gorakh Hills is the highest point (about 6000 feet) of the Kirthar mountain range in Sindh, not very far from Dadu and along the border with Balochistan. The place gives some very breathtaking views of Sindh and Balochistan and climate-wise is very pleasant, with maximum temperature reaching 25C in summer time.

This location was identified in 1860 for conversion into a hill resort similar to Ziarat and Muree however despite a few attempts during the last few decades no development work has carried out.

Sindh has huge potential for tourism development, with a large number of historical sites and locations that need urgent attention and care, as well as places like Gorakh hills which have the potential to be developed into pleasant retreats. Let's hope this project gets the attention it deserves - but at the same time let's also hope that the project does not end up getting hijacked by the ever-hungry land mafia, as seems to be the case with Chaukhandi tombs detailed in the post below.

Note: ATP carried a very good article on Gorakh Hills (click here) along with more photos. The photo here is also courtesy ATP site.

CHAWKANDI TOMBS: Site Threatened by Proposed Industrial Development

2008-07-30T01:53:00.001-07:00

Guest Post by: Sameeta Ahmad, Founder Culture Concerns Group

A recent allotment of 68 acres of land adjacent to the Chawkundi Tombs in Karachi for industrial use threatens the 16th-century historic burial site physically, visually and in terms of allowing future public use - this is an amenity plot converted to a commercial plot to make this sale by the Sindh government to a private owner possible.

The ‘Chawkandi tombs’ site, a sixteenth-century burial ground at Karachi, is an officially “protected site” with the federal level of the Government of Pakistan’s Department of Archeology. It is a cluster of sandstone tombs, graves and pavilion tombs with exquisite carving of geometric arabesques and stylized motifs resembling that of the Samma Cluster at the Makli necropolis. Adjacent to it, a 68 acre plot of land has in 2006 been allotted to a private firm for industrial use by the Land Utilisation Department of the Sindh Government. The land is part of an amenity plot that has now been sold for commercial use, and since it lies between the burial site and the National Highway, construction on it will block the direct view of the site from the road, damage the sandstone with industrial emissions, and makes impossible the future use of this land for public use related to the heritage. The Antiquities Act that protects sites and monuments of historic significance in Pakistan only requires that a buffer area of 200 feet from any such site be left clear of any development, and officials claim that this rule will be followed there. The Department of Archeology states that it has not been officially consulted or informed of this major decision regarding the fate of this major heritage site in Karachi.

With industrial use, the resultant carbon emissions will directly harm the porous sandstone as will the pollution from the increase in vehicular traffic. Since there is no solid boundary wall to the ground, and its layout makes it hard to construct one, increased human traffic is also expected to create more intervention and vandalism at this exposed site. Already, there has been pilferage and new graves are constantly constructed there right next to the historic structures.

The concrete boundary wall of the newly privatized plot is currently being built along the highway edge and is already beginning to block the view of the site from the highway. The back wall of the plot has not been marked yet but the legal requirement of leaving 200 feet clear could technically be accommodated. However, the burial site boundary, running parallel to the highway, which is marked by openly spaced concrete posts, is not uniformly distanced from the actual tombs inside it, which it is supposed to protect. While at the entrance gate of the site the distance between the tombs and their marked boundary is roughly 160 feet, this reduces to only 24 feet at the other end of its length. Thus the technical clause of clearing 200 feet will be meaningless in this case if it is not protecting the actual historic material, nor creating the visual and environmental buffer space needed.

The federal Department of Archeology states that it will be requesting the Sindh government to cancel the plot allotment and hand it over to it through the agency of the federal government. It says that it had earlier submitted a conservation master plan for the Chawkandi site in 2006, which is to be reviewed by the Federal Secretary of Culture soon. However, the plan requests only 8 acres of adjacent land to be handed over to it for protection and conservation, though the department does recommend keeping land between the site and the highway free from development. Public uses are also suggested by the local communities there, which urge authorities to follow a 1994 proposal for creating a public services complex on the same plot. At the moment the plot is only being used informally as a stop for trucks and trailers and can be easily and immediately cleared by the government. But authorities have instead ordered the police to provide protection to the new private owners.

References:

“Land near heritage site given to industry”, Hasan Mansoor, Dawn, Feb. 27, 2007.

Lari, Y., “Excursions & Trips - Chaukandi”, Karachi: Illustrated Travel Guide, Heritage Foundation, Karachi: 2002.

Personal Communication. Qasim Ali Qasim, Director, Department of Archeology (Southern Circle- Sindh and Balochistan), Government of Pakistan. March 1 2007.

*Cross-posted from Culture Concerns Special Interest Group. The author, Ms Sameeta Ahmad is an architect and planner who teaches at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

Justice Rana Bhagwandas at SANA Convention, July 5th, 2008, Dallas, Texas

2008-07-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

Biography of Justice Bhagwandas from Wikipedia:

Honourable Mr. Justice (R) Rana Bhagwandas (b. December 20, 1942), a highly respected name of the Pakistani judiciary was a senior judge and former acting chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He remained the acting CJP during the 2007 judicial crisis in Pakistan and also briefly became the acting Chief Justice of Pakistan when the incumbent Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry went on foreign tours in 2005 and 2006^[1], and thus became the first Hindu and the second non-Muslim to serve as chief of the highest court in Pakistan. [Continue Reading]

Highlights from SANA Conference in Dallas, Texas

2008-07-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

Courtesy: Ayaz Gul Soomro of KTN NEWS, Los Angeles Bureau

Highlights from the Annual SANA Banquet:

Courtesy: Ghorakh Hill, SANALand Blog

Josh FM 99 Sindhi FM Radio Station

2008-07-08T17:44:00.001-07:00

Josh FM 99 is Pakistan's Premier Sindhi FM Radio. It covers areas between DHA/Clifton Karachi and farthest borders of Thatta district. With 20 million potential listeners it is the newest and the fastest growing Radio Station in the region.

Josh FM 99 is the only Sindhi talk Radio Station (4 million exclusive audience) in Karachi and Thatta but also plays hit Indian and Pakistani songs in all languages.

Josh FM 99 has not only been envisioned, created and built by students but is also operated by students. The presence of young and energetic management is a guarantee to its listeners, that the hottest play list will be aired at all times. Josh FM 99 has a strong belief in the motto 'More Music Less Talk.'

Join this young team of Josh FM 99, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Visit the Josh FM 99 Facebook Page
Visit Josh FM 99 Home Page

SANA. 24th Convention: July 5th -Continued...

2008-07-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

Currently blogging live from conference floor. July 5, 2008, Dallas, Texas:

In my previous post I failed to mention Ahsan Iqbal, MNA Government of Pakistan (PML-N) as

Ahsan Iqbal spoke immediately following Justice Bhagwan Das' keynote, video to be posted shortly.

Ahsan Iqbal spoke candidly. He affirmed his party, the PML-Ns commitment to the coalition government. He also said that, if PML-N had the votes in the National Assembly it would have moved towards impeachment of President Musharraf. However he went on to stress the need for the coalitions cooperation, citing numerous conversations Sharif has had with Zardari.

Assemblyman Iqbal after asked about the National Language bill, said if presented to the house they'll most definitely move to approve it. The assembly requires a 2/3 majority to pass the bill.

Also, Ahsan Iqbal was asked about his opinion regarding the Kalabagh dam. Upon the audiences insistence, he said "if Sindh doesn't want Kalabagh dam, then we won't build it." This response got a standing ovation.

Ahsan sahib also commented about the PPP meetings with MQM. He said that PML-N signed the same resolution as other parties that there will be no dealings with MQM until the May 12th issues are resolved.

Click for Video of Ahsan Iqbal's Q&A Session

Click for Justice Rana Bhagwandas' Q&A Session

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

SANA 24th Annual Convention, Dallas, June 3rd - 6th, 2008

2008-07-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

On July 4th, 2008 over a 450 Sindhis from all across North America, and Pakistan gathered at the Westin City Center in Dallas, Texas for SANA (Sindhi Association of North Americas annual convention - http://sanalist.org.

The event spotlights were the recently disposed judge, Justice Bhagwansas, Ghazala Rahman Rafiq, Safdar Sarki, Nusrat Lashari, and several others from the Sindhi intellectual and activist sphere.

Sindhi is an ancient culture that dates back to the Indus Valley civilization. Its langauge is the only structured regional language of Pakistan.

During the first day, July 4th sessions the following motions were called to action:

* Call for the uncoditional restoration of pre PCO judges.

* Motion to give Sindhi, along with other regional languages status of national languages in Pakistan.

* Appeal to the Federal Government in Islamabad to honour the 1940 Pakistan resolution that allows for provincial autonomy.

* Call for the impeachment of President General (rtd) Pervez Musharraf on grounds of violating the constitution of Pakistan

Following the days session, conference attendees flocked to a energic Sindhi music night.

More updates to follow, along with Bagwandas' keynote address.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Online Sindhi English Dictionary

2008-07-05T07:10:00.000-07:00

The South Asia Language Resource Center at the University of Chicago have funded a project allowing for a Sindhi English Dictionary on the web. The site also has an online Sindhi script keyboard so people can type in words in Sindhi to look up the relevant English translation.

I found it a bit difficult to look up words by typing in, but thankfully all the Sindhi letters are on the website so one can just click on a particular alphabet and see all the words starting with it on a separate page. There's also a 'word of the day' feature like other online dictionaries.

The project was developed in collaboration between the Center for Research in Urdu Language Processing (CRULP) at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences in Lahore and Dr Jennifer Cole at the Univeristy of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Good stuff and definitely worth a look.

University of Karachi Resolved to promote Sindhi Culture and Language

2008-06-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

KARACHI, June 8: Several provincial ministers and members of the Sindh Assembly at the Kahani Conference held at the University of Karachi resolved to promote Sindhi literature and culture as part of the government’s policy of raising the standard of education and literacy rate in the country.

Speaking at the conference, organized by KU’s Sindhi Department in collaboration with the Anis Ansari Academy on Saturday on the campus, Sindh Minister for Culture Ms Sassui Palijo, who was chief guest along with Minister for Works and Services Manzoor Hussain Wassan, said that the government was paying utmost attention to the education sector. She observed that youngsters of our society were quite able and talented.

Ms Palijo announced a sum of Rs1 million for the “Sindhi Chair” at the university.
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Fahim Allan Fakir in concert

2008-06-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Son of the world renowned charismatic singer and musician, Allan Fakir, Fahim Allan Fakir was trained from an early age in the Sufi tradition still prevalent at the Shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.

Fahim will be performing at Alliance Francaise with traditional Sindhi instrumentalists and is geared to mesmerize you with his soulful voice.

Date : Saturday, June 7, 2008
Time : 9:00pm - 11:00pm
Venue : Alliance Française de Karachi
Block 8, Kehkashan Clifton
Karachi, Pakistan
Contact: director@afkarachi.com

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SANA: 24th Annual Convention, July 3rd, Dallas, Texas

2008-05-25T01:47:00.001-07:00

Sindhi Association of North America, SANA is holding its 24th Annual Convention in Dallas,Texas from July 3rd to 6th, 2008. This will be the first SANA convention in the Dallas metropolitan area.

For information, or to sign-up click here.

Note: Sindhiyat is currently recruiting freelance (volunteer) bloggers and podcasters to report about SANA conference. If interested email info@sindhiyat.org

Marvi Jo Melo

2008-05-03T02:17:00.000-07:00

The annual Marvi Jo Melo was inaugurated yesterday at Marvi Jo Khooh near Bhalwa village in Tharparkar, Sindh. This mela, a two-day affair, is arguably the biggest social and business event in the Thar area in which thousands of Tharis from various villages participate by putting up stalls under straw huts and shamianas to trade their arts and crafts and bringing their camels and horses to take part in the animal racing events. Other attractions of the mela include malakhra (wrestling competition), adabi conferences and musical programs in which various artists play or sing traditional folk songs.

The annual mela is a mark of tribute to one of the most well-known legendary heroines of Sindh, Marvi, famous for her purity and patriotism. The legend goes thus:

In the period of the Soomra rule there lived in Thar a poor shepherd named Palni, who had a beautiful daughter named Marvi. As Marvi grew older the fame of her beauty spread far and wide and reached the ears of Umer, the King of Umerkot and ruler of the Soomras. Off Umer went in search of her, disguised as a traveller and vowing to himself that he would find and make the beautiful girl his queen. On the fateful day they met, Marvi was filling water alone from a well. Looking at such beauty Umer was mermerized and knew this was her. He knelt down pretending to be a thirsty traveller asking for water, and as Marvi complied he swept her off her feet and forcefully on to his horse and made for Umerkot.

In Umerkot he tried to woo her but Marvi, who was engaged to her cousin Khet, held steadfast in her resistance and resolve to go back to her land and people. He tried to win her, proposed, begged, pleaded, offered her jewels and riches, confined her and eventually tortured and intimidated her, but Marvi did not relent. She shunned his advances, rejected his jewels, refused his velvet offerings and scorned his love - for she declared her love and longing for her land, her beloved and her people above everything else. As a fine translation goes,

My soul is sewn finely with my people
I miss the earth, the grass, the trees of my land
My heart dwells there though my flesh may be here
My breath is in the hut although my body to mansions bound

Seeing such sincerity and purity, Umer was heart-broken and finally sent for her people to come and collect her. Once back, Marvi walked on burning coal to prove her chastity and innocence, and lived happily ever after. This remarkable tale of Marvi's longing for her barren but beloved land has been immortalized in the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.

Coming back to the mela, the well where Marvi used to fetch water and was kidnapped from is today called Marvi Jo Khooh (the well of Marvi), though today the well, as most of Thar, has no water. The annual mela is the only time that the vast and desolated desert is in the news, in remembrance and celebration of the Thari Marvi's legendary patriotism.

In the words of Asif Farrukhi, all that is left of Marvi today is eternal thirst and longing for what is no longer there.

Cross-posted to chawkandi

Heritage Spotlight: Hindu Gymkhana

2008-04-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Seth Ramgopal Goverthandas Mohatta Hindu Gymkhana was built in the year 1925, to be used as a club by the elite and upper class Hindu community that formed the backbone of commercial acitivity in Karachi at the time. It spans an area of 47,000 sq yards and was designed by a Muslim architect, Agha Muhammad Hussain, who boldly used a Mughal-Hindu mix of architectural design, arguably the first of its kind in a city that was dominated by European-style architectural buildings. With its thick walls, carved cupolas and other features the building reflects in miniature the magnificence of a grand Rajasthani palace.

After partition in 1947, the premises were used by the Federal Public Service Commission until the capital shifted to Islamabad some years later. As has been the case with a large number of such historical sites, the Hindu Gymkhana subsequently fell victim to neglect by the authorities and suffered severe physical deterioration and degradation. In 1984 the site shot into limelight when the government of the time decided to demolish the building, but the efforts and intervention of various local and foreign bodies saved it from extinction.

In 1994 the building was declared a cultural heritage site to be protected under the Cultural Heritage Protection Act. In or around the same period a scheme was approved, first to convert the premises to establish Sindh College of Arts, later revised and decided to turn the Gymkhana into a cultural heritage complex by the name of Kak Mahal Cultural Complex, with an approved cost of Rs 38 million.

In 2004, President Musharraf issued a directive to hand over the building to actor Zia Mohyeddin who had selected it as the site to set up the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA), the first academy of its kind in the field of performing arts in Pakistan. All the cultural material placed in the building was shifted to the Sindh Provincial Museum in Hyderabad to make way for NAPA, which was formally inaugurated by Musharraf after a year in February 2005.

In April 2006 the Hindu Gymkhana was in the news again when it was reported that illegal construction work was being carried out by NAPA in order to build a 50-feet high theatre and auditorium at the site. The site being declared protected under the Heritage Act, any changes or construction required mandatory clearance and NOCs from KBCA (Karachi Building Control Authority) and the Sindh Culture department, which was not done by NAPA. The ensuing publicity made NAPA stop this construction, however small illegal alterations continued to be made to the building in order to accomodate the requirements of the Academy.

This year in February 2008, a Hindu welfare organization took both NAPA and the government to court in a bid to reclaim the building, claiming that the property belonged to the Hindus of the city who had no place of their own to carry out social or cultural activities of their community. The organization also alleged that of the total 47,000 square yards area, over 27,346 sq yards had been ancroached upon by the Police department, 6,700 by the Federal Public Service Commission, 4,164 by the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association and 416 sq yards by a private individual. The organization also alleged that parts of the building had been demolished, damaged or modified beyond recognition, in gross violation of the Heritage Act.

Two weeks ago, on April 17, the new Culture Minister Sassui Palijo while appreciating the efforts of NAPA, declared that the Academy will have to vacate the Hindu Gymkhana building and find some other premises, as the historical site will be handed over to the Hindu community to carry out its social and cultural activities.

There is diverse reaction to this decision. On one hand many are hailing this move of handing back the building to its 'rightful' owners, and on the other many are also lamenting the treatment meted out to NAPA which has also done some praiseworthy work towards the revival of performing arts in Pakistan. Perhaps if NAPA had remained within the confines of the law in preserving the protected site it would have continued to occupy the premises. Another question that comes to mind is where was the Hindu community during the last 60 years when the building was deteriorating badly and why it did not make any demand for its restoration earlier.

In any case, there is no doubt that the government must make more efforts to protect and preserve the sites that fall under the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, but while doing so there is also a need to devise some sort of strategy to put these buildings to good use in a manner that can promote and enhance their cultural and historical value further.

Cross-posted at Chawkandi

Sindh Wildlife

2008-04-19T01:51:00.001-07:00

About a month ago an uncle of mine who works in the Sindh Wildlife department visited me in office. We started talking about Wildlife reserves and I told him about my interest in getting involved in WWF initiatives in Sindh but that I could not find any good website that would guide me in this direction. He told me to log on to http://www.sindhwildlife.com.pk. I typed the web address on my computer right there and the page that flashed before me said, 'Site suspended due to non-payment of bills'. Chacha was obviously embarrassed, but called me up a few days ago to say the outstandings have been settled and the site is now functional.

It is mainly a limited resource site providing information on the organization and history of the department, the main animals found in Sindh, info on protected reserves (the photographs don't seem to load) and some external links. Interestingly the Public Awareness section devotes most space to information on game hunting rules, permits and fees, when what I really wanted to find was how common people can assist in protecting our diminishing indigenous animal species in the province.

Another interesting thing to note is in the Animals section the population estimates given are from the year 1999 or 2001, meaning that since the last 7 years no estimates have been prepared (or published), especially for the endangered species like the Indus Dolphin or Marine Turtle.

The site is a good initiative by the Sindh Wildlife department, but a lot more can be added especially with respect to ongoing activities by the department, providing downloadable material and providing suggestions on how the public can assist and contribute in this very important arena.

If anyone is aware of more sites that have info on how to help/contribute, please do share.

Ex Chief Minister 'Manhandled'

2008-04-09T12:22:00.001-07:00

Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, ex Chief Minister of Sindh under Musharraf rule, was a very frightened man on Monday, trying to run for his life and escape from the clutches – and shoes – of the mob that was trying to get their hands on him outside the Sindh Assembly in Karachi.

The scene in which somebody succeeds in hitting him hard on his face with a shoe has been shown countless times by all TV channels. This was after he had taken oath as MPA inside the assembly hall where someone else also threw a shoe at him (and missed) from the visitors’ gallery.

Later when someone interviewed a couple of women MPAs, instead of condemning the incident they started lamenting that they had not managed to get their own hands (read shoes) on him!

To give the devil his due, Arbab during his tenure as Chief Minister had been very vocal about his hatred for and criticism of Benazir Bhutto, had accused her of corruption and even went as far as to say that from a religious point of view the “leadership of a woman – and therefore BB – is a curse!” All this obviously seems not to have gone down well with the public.

In any case the incident can in no way be condoned. It is totally and completely deplorable and shameful that such an act was allowed to occur in the place where our representatives take the solemn pledge to protect the constitution and maintain law and order!!

Benazir Bhutto herself had only responded to Arbab’s accusations by taking strong exception in the media to his comments and sending him a legal notice of defamation, which was the correct course of action and response. Those jialas and supporters of BB who are defending the attack on Arbab are simply not helping BB’s cause. They have a much higher responsibility, especially after her death, to ensure that order is maintained at any and all cost and that we move on as a nation on the path of reconciliation and real democracy that BB envisioned.

Anwar Solangi: State of the Pakistani Artist

2008-04-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

Well-known TV and Radio artiste Anwar Solangi, known popularly as Makno Khan after one of the characters he portrayed in Urdu serial Deewarain, passed away yesterday in Civil Hospital Karachi after a prolonged illness at the age of 64. Despite having worked in over 500 TV plays, 1200 radio programs and over a dozen Sindhi films, Anwar Solangi enjoyed neither the fame nor fortune that actors with such a portfolio are able to achieve in other countries. On the contrary, Solangi lived almost hand to mouth in a rented house, supported by small payments made to him whenever he could find some work.

Being very bitter about the system and the lack of acknowledgement for artists in the country, Solangi once admitted that he would never have ventured into acting had he known beforehand how artists are treated in Pakistan. In an interview in 2002 he had said, ” I run from pillar to post each month when my telephone connection is terminated for non-payment of bill. With 5000 or so rupees of cash per episode, I have to keep focusing on how to keep my bills cleared and my stomach full. I live from episode to episode for a livelihood in the most basic sense.”

Once, having received an award for best actor of Sindhi dramas, he had said, “An award is the biggest form of appreciation for an actor and all I received with this award was a total of 4500 rupees with 500 deducted as tax. The award is sitting in my drawing room. I can’t eat it. Don’t artistes have a right to a normal life? I have given this field my best. My youth, my energy, my devotion. And what have I received in return? Regrets, bitterness and poverty.”

Solangi’s example speaks volumes of the state of performing arts and artists in the country. Despite the mushrooming of TV channels in the country, many artists are not able to make ends meet. Some private channels do pay well, however by far the majority of channels, including PTV and especially regional or non-Urdu language channels simply are either unwilling or unable to compensate actors in line with their talent, time and efforts. Most artists therefore either act as a part-time profession or as a hobby - it is becoming rarer and rarer to find full-time actors.

If cricketers can be paid millions of additional rupees and other ’gifts’ for winning matches, surely our actors and artists can also be paid in line with their talents. It is high time that the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, under whose jurisdiction this falls, revisits and regulates the dismal wage, employment and royalties structure of TV and Radio actors in Pakistan.

Anwar Solangi will probably not be the last artist to die in poverty and bitterness, but may his death mark the beginning of change.

Cross-posted at chawkandi.wordpress

The Writing Tribe of Sindh

2007-12-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

(The following article was first printed in DAWN)

Perhaps the largest literary association in Asia, with a membership knitted only by the Sindhi ukhur, and woven throughout Sindh’s cities, towns and villages, the Sindhi Adabi Sangat, despite a recent structural and ideological controversy within its ranks, continues to crackle. It does so because of an innate academic and artistic dynamism that has sustained it for over 50 years. Its chapters, extending to remote Sindhi hamlets, give it an atypical range in variability and imbue its collective mind with an equal passion for both Sindhi canonical and modern literature.

This writing tribe of Sindh talks constantly and easily with each other, in magazines and forums across Sindh. They speak and write as exhaustively of Shah Abdul Latif and Sachal Sarmast’s musiqiat as they do of Biloo Dada and Pishoo Pasha, (famed Sindhi short stories).

At its recent commemorative conference, held at Karachi University, the Sangat offered its usual literary cornucopia and connections. A far cry from the days when Sindhi was officially banned from the university as an examination medium, one could see young Thari anthropologists from Umerkot enjoying fellowship with the Sangat’s octogenarian, Sobho Gianchandani. A thick black/white wool scarf wound round his head, in Sobho style, he poured love and intellectual encouragement on adoring young writers.

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