LITERARY NOTES: International Urdu Conference: A unique event

The 6-day International Urdu conference, hosted by the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi should be deemed as the biggest event of its kind in Pakistan.
And it is worth applauding that this event didn't have any politician as the chairman, save in one session on Ghalib, which may better be termed as an independent event, having its own organisers and format. Dr Khaliq Anjum, Secretary General of the Anjuman Taraqui-i-Urdu, got the Ghalib Award for his outstanding services to Ghalibeana in this event.
The first program of the conference-before the inaugural session-was on Jone Elia. As a popular poet of Urdu, who died six years ago, it was quite thoughtful of the organisers to pay tribute to Jone Elia whose poetic career in Karachi is the story of a steep rise to fame.
As someone having 45-50 years close association with the poet, I can reminisce on his eventful career for quite sometime. Mushtaq Yusufi stole the show and thrilled the audience with his wit and humor. A strong Indian contingent of writers-perhaps the biggest so far, was invited to this event.
Among the Indian delegation were Dr Gopi Chand Narang, Dr Khaliq Anjum, Dr Shamim Hanafi, Dr Ali Ahmed Fatimi, Dr Ali Javed, Dr Shahid Mahuli, Nusrat Mohiuddin, Zahid Ali Khan, Editor Daily Siyasat, Hyderabad Deccan. Mr Iqbal Mirza, Mr Iqbal Haider, Ms Shaista Rizvi, Ms Nasim Syed were from UK and Canada. Quite a sizeable number of delegates from Pakistan also attended.
Prominent among those were Hameed Akhtar, Intezar Husain, Kishwar Naheed, Dr Anis Alam, Dr Zia-ul Hasan, Shahzad Ahmed etc. There were sessions on the creative prose and critical literature of the last ten years, poetry and criticism. Three sessions were devoted to Josh Malihabadi and one to Makhdum Mohiuddin. All sessions (Poetry, Novel, Short Story and Criticism) were successful.
Lively discussion took place and the way some writers defended the works in the background of their ideological positions was interesting indeed. Our writers should appreciate that they have to contend with different viewpoints with equal enthusiasm. Unless we promote the culture of dissent the modifications in our stands are not going to be possible.
I believe that the writers tilting towards the autonomy of literature must have felt that Pakistan was a country where Urdu literature, alongwith all other literatures, regards itself as a vehicle of social change. The global issues are taken as 'local' issues and even the 'local' issues are seen in the background of international issues.
The 'Ideology' is still a valid point of reference for a sizeable number of writers. The post-modernist views on Foundationism (Essences), Realism and Humanism appear to be a distant cry. May be our society attains the level of development which the west enjoys in the next 50 years from now. For the time being we will have to accept that we are a developing country and issues such as 'Ideology' and 'Class Divide' are going to remain 'hot' issues here.
Sessions on Josh Malihabadi were quite productive in the sense that Dr Narang, Taqi Abidi, Iqbal Haider, Hameed Akhtar, Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, Dr Taqi Abidi, Dr Khaliq Anjum, Dr Shamim Hanafi and Dr Ali Ahmed Fatimi pointed towards many areas of studies which were still waiting for further work.
Sessions on 'Fiction' discussed the salient features of new trends. The narrative of Prem Chand style was back and some important Indian and Pakistani novels were proving that the Ivory Tower approach to Fiction was sidelined during the last decade and issues concerning the rural, and urban societies were being dealt in a way which couldn't be termed experimental and exotic. Almost all important writers spoke on the issue.
Works of Qurratul Ain Hyder, Abdus Samad, Ali Imam Naqvi, Salam bin Razzaq, Haseen-ul-Haq, Muhammad Shahid Hameed, Manzar Ahsan and Fehmida Riaz came in for examination.
Sessions on criticism were held at the Arts Council as well as at Karachi University. The session at Karachi University was quite 'hot'. Dr Narang and Dr Muhammad Ali Siddiqui's views on Post-modernism and feminism were poles apart from each other.
Dr Gopi Chand Narang's speech at Josh and Criticism session invited some questions. Dr Muhammad Ali Siddiqui pointed out some unexplored areas for Josh studies. Dr Anwar Ahmed's article on Josh also referred to Lutfullah Khan's audio archives. It was pointed out that some critics go out of the way to praise some writers in public gathering but have different views in their formal writings and drawing room conversations.
Dr Ali Ahmed Fatimi also made a forceful defence of Josh in his paper. If Josh Malihabadi, Jone Elia and Makhdum Mohiuddin can get 'Kudos' in sessions devoted to them from some writers they should be getting similar 'Kudos' in the critical writings of these writers. But it is not the case.
Dr Narang's post modernism is a modifiable attitude- not the system itself- but how could Intezar Husain be so generous with Jone Elia and Fehmida Riaz. Both are radical progressives and believe in their 'Ideology'. Why, then, Ideology shouldn't nullify the worth of these writers creations and if their creations have been accepted to observe literary pre-requisites there are others whose literary pre-requisites cannot be questioned.
I believe that our serious writers should take their names dropping quite seriously and abstain from it. Perhaps it is only an effort to please some writers for the sake of pleasing alone. The Alami Urdu Conference has been successful as it has made all pertinent questions come to the centre-stage. The only suggestion I will like to make is that such events should not be stretched to six or seven days.
After all it becomes too hectic for organisers and participants, in spite of the admirable hospitality. Due care should also be exercised that the Presidiums were constituted of reputations of exceptional caliber. It was noticed that even persons who were not known to the fellow members of a particular presidium were catapulted on to the stage. I know that personal relations matter a lot in our tropic but this tendency should be curbed.