Bilawal draws comparison between Benazir and women in Bhitai's tales

PPP chairperson pays rich tribute to great sufi poet

HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari believes that his mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's political struggle and sacrifices would have her mentioned in epics written by the sufi poets if they were present in her time.

"I don't know whether you will agree with my personal opinion or not, but if Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai lived in this era and watched the struggle of Benazir against all forms of human exploitation on this land and her martyrdom, with his own eyes, he would have declared Shaheed Rani his eighth soormi [female protagonists in Bhitai's folklore tales] and created a new sur [poem] - sur Benazir," said Bilawal.

He expressed these sentiments for his mother while speaking on Monday at an award distribution ceremony held on the concluding day of the three-day urs celebrations of Bhitai in Bhit Shah in Matiari district.

Bhitai's Shah Jo Risalo consists of 32 folklore epics among which seven describe female characters whose lives symbolise struggle, sacrifice, suffering, love and longing. Marvi, Moomal, Sohni, Lilaan, Noori, Sassui and Sorath are the seven characters whose stories have been narrated in the poetic form by the 18th century poet.



"When I see Sassui's struggle, it reminds me of my mother's struggle against a dictator after the martyrdom of my grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto," Bilawal said. The PPP chairperson also juxtaposed Marvi's story with his mother's, especially when she was in exile and when she subsequently returned to the country two months before her assassination in 2007.

The PPP chairperson noted that Bhitai's poetry depicted the lives of oppressed segments of society like farmers, labourers and poor people.

Paying tribute to the great Sindhi poet, Bilawal said Bhitai was not an ordinary poet but a philosopher whose thought and poetry brimmed with messages of peace, love, harmony and tolerance.

"Today when the whole world is burning in the fire of intolerance, extremism and terrorism and few narrow-minded people, by negating the spirit of religion, are using it for their vested interests, there is a need to spread sufism [as a remedy]," the PPP chairperson said.



Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also spoke at the event. Bilawal later distributed awards among the artists, singers and literary persons at the ceremony.

Earlier, he visited the shrine of Bhitai and offered fateha for the great sufi poet.