With Imdad Hussaini and Chief Election Commissioner Justice(Retd.) Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim 

Attending a Dissemination Seminar on Water and Sanitation in Urban Slums of Karachi.

With Renown Sindhi Writer Amar Jaleel

Actionaid Strategic Workshop

With Sindhi Writer & Dramatist Noorul Huda Shah

Receiving Award from Dr Hameeda Khurro as a Coauthor of a Book

 

 

 

Last month I visited a Bagrri Basti , a Basti of indigenous people who live like nomads even in 21st century in the very heart of city of lights. In this tent Basti I met many women and children living with scarce resources , no land of their own , but surprisingly children had not lost their laughter, they were living moment to moment in the true sense of the word.

I saw the glimpses of misery too.....a girl child hoards of flies hovering over her no one was paying attention to her pain and misery. When I asked other children about her they sad she is ill..... . Early marriage seemed a norm here , therefore boys and girls who were in their early 20s had 3 to 4 children. As a consequence children outnumbered the other population 

On the International Women's Day a 02 hour long morning show Salam Sindh was dedicated to this theme. I was invited in that programme too to discuss the hardships I faced as a women , women's issues, and what Save Nature Foundation has done or aims to do for women's empowerment.

My Article published on Voices from the Frontline - Peace X Peace

Dr Tanveer Ahmed , Dr Allah Nawaz Samo , Dr Ghaffar Billoo  , Madam Khamisani at Inauguration of Hands Institute of Community Development (ICD) Karachi.

International women’ s day which was celebrated to acknowledge the resilience of women in the face of hardships in the earthquake was organized on 8^th March 2007 in Muzaffarabad by UNFPA and government of AJK . It was widely attended by ERRA representatives as well as UN representatives including ERRA chairm and Mr Altaf Saleem deputy chairman ERRA General Nadeem. BEST RHR team members also attended this event and as RHR project manager I was given award on showing resilience in the earthquake in other words for my  work in earthquake affected areas since the earthquake.

Basking under the sunlight,

A Tree Standing Tall.

Brushing her leaves,

Against a brick wall.

Thinking about the day,

                          When she will fall.

یادوں کے دریچے ہیں
یہ بند نہیں ہوتے
ہوتے ہیں ساتھ ہر پل
جو سنگ نہیں ہوتے

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yadon Ke Darechay hen,
Ye Band Nahen Hotay.
Hotay Hen Sath Harpal,
Jo Sang Nahen Hotay

Chand Bhe Jata Hay Lot Aata hay Phir,

Who Gaya To Lot Kar Na Aye Ga?

Kion Mujhey Phir Yeh Guman Hota Gaya,

Janibe Manzil Rawan Hota Gaya.

Dar Tha Us Ko yeh who But Ban Jayega,

Jatay Jatay Lot Phir Who Aye ga.

Dar say Aankhen Moond ke Chalta Gaya,

Janibe Manzil Rawan Hota Gaya.

Lot Key Aye Ga Meray Pas woh,

Mosamon Ka Aana Jaana Dekh Kar,

Han Mujhay Phir yeh Guman Hota Gaya,

Janibe Manzil Rawan Hota Gaya.

Men To Bas Khwabon Men Khoey Reh Gayee,

Dard Ke Manind Who Barhta gaya,

Janibe Manzil Rawan Hota Gaya.

Who Gaya Tha Kashtion Ko Chor Kay,

Yad Ke Kitnay Salasal Tor Kay,

Jaisay Panchhe Qaid Say Azad Ho,

Who Ura Aisay Kay Phir Urta Gaya,

Janibe Manzil Rawan Hota Gaya.

Men To Bas Uskay Safar Ka mor Thee,

Konsey Manzil The Uskey Kia Pata?

Who Jo Pani Tha Dile Talaab Ka,

Mere Aankhon Say To Bas Behta Gaya,

Janibe Manzil Rawan Hota Gaya.

 

 

Ab Agar Bhoolo Tuo Itna Yad Kar Lena

Bhool Kar Bhe Log Aksar Yad Atay Hen.

Han Hawa Ka Rukh Agar Maloom Na Bhe Ho

Bade Saba Key Sath Chalna Seekh Jatey Hen.

Yad Merey Kay Baghair Bey maney Lagtay Thay

Kia who Saray Pal Tumhen Bhey Yad Aatay Hen.

Baat yay Janan Tumharey Ho bhe Saktey Hay

Piyar men Tuo Log Sab Kia Youn Nahen Hotay.

Jo Mila Dasto Garayban Zindagey Say Tha

Jo Sukoon Men Hon Kahan Woh Log Bastay Hen.

ڈوبا ہوا سورج تھا

کچھ چاند بھی مدھم تھا

وہ شام ستاروں بھری

تاروں میں نمی تھی

ہاں دور پہاڑوں پے کہیں

 برف جمی تھی

اور تو سب کچھ تھا

بس تیری کمی تھی

 

Dooba Hua Sooraj Tha,
Kuch Chand Bhe Madham Tha,
Woh Shaam Sitaron Bharee,
Taron Men Name The.
Han Door Paharon Pe
Kahen Barf Jamee The.
Aur To Sab Kuch Tha,
Bas Tere Kame The.

 

Roshan Mughal (In the middle) my maternal grand mother’s younger sister who died in her youth , was among few graduate ladies of Sindh after the partition. First Pakistani lady who received foreign scholarship. She introduced KG(Kinder Garten) system in Pakistan. First Sindhi lady education officer of Karachi after Partition. Roshan Mughal was known as Resham within her close family circle. My maternal grandmother and Roshan Mughal’s elder sister Badam Natawan was world’s first woman Sindhi novel writer. On her right is her mother saran and left is her aunty Khairunnisa Mughal. Both were first Muslim teachers in Shikarpur.

Naseem Thebo , Roshan Mughal’s niece, Badam Natawan’s daughter, Rasool Bux Palijo's wife and my mother  inherited the art of writing from her mother Badam Natawan. She was born in Shikarpur and she got an early education from Ghari, a village in Dadu district and did MA in Economics from University of Sindh Jamshoro. Born in a landlord family on her paternal side she observed the village life very closely and all the impinging images of village life later on got transformed into the short stories written by her . Although her father was not a typical wadera but even then there was enough misery and injustice faced by the village folks that left it’s mark on her sensitive mind .

She wrote her first short story ” Ghoran Ji Rekha” meaning  “line of teardrops” when she was studying in tenth standard. The subject of this story was poverty. She wrote many other short stories as well. Titles of her other stories are “Ghayal The Ghariyan” meaning “living being injured”, “Wadhay Jin Widhiyas”, “Mon Jherenday chadia” meaning “I left them fighting ” this story was written on the subject of separation of East Pakistan from west Pakistan,” Ubhur Chand Pas Piren” ” O Moon rise and behold my beloved”, “Rasando Bharjando Ghaav” meaning “Lacerating Healing Wound” , “Ahsas Ja Chak” etc. Most of the titles of her short stories are taken from the verses of  great Sindhi Sufi Poet Shah Abdul Latif bhittai.


Many of her stories are written in the backdrop of village life, she had chance to witness up-close. The misery of women folk, plight of Hari’s at the hands of landlords, thanna culture, were some of the glimpses of ugly side of village life that found place in her stories. later on she wrote many stories on the intricacies of relationships especially that of man and woman with each other. All these stories were published in different popular journals of Sindhi literature of that time , such as “Sojhro”, “Barsat”, ” Halchal” , ” Mehran” etc.

Badam Natawan my maternal grandmother, a renown writer of Sindhi language and  first female Sindhi novelist was born in Shikarpur in 1930. She wrote first book “ Shikasta Zindagi” spread over 500 pages in two volumes, second book Khush Khaslat Khatoon”, third book “Qalbi Unj”, fourth book “Nimani Naar”, fifth book “ Khilwat mein’ and last book” Runam Rat Phurra”. She also published a magazine “Tunhjee Yaad Mein”. Besides Sindhi she was also fluent in English, Urdu and Persian. She died in Gulzar village in Khairpur Nathan Shah at her eldest son’s house on 08 February 1988. Encyclopedia Sindhiana Vol 1 p= 374) and My Shikarpur’s Pictures.