‘Language binds literature together, borders create distinction’

Keynote speakers highlight that Urdu literature has been growing together across the globe.

KARACHI: There is no need to ‘label’ Urdu literature as Pakistani or Hindustani as language transcends all barriers - this was the theme that started off the 5th International Urdu Conference on Thursday attended by academics from across the world.

The inaugural day of the conference, organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan, drew a large number of literary figures along with appreciators of Urdu language.

For Muhammad Ahmed Shah, it was a moment of accomplishment as it marked the fifth conference during his five-year tenure as the Arts Council President.

The success of these conferences, according to Shah, is a “reflection of a yearning to prove that we [Arts Council] are still alive and still possess the zeal for this language.”

The keynote speakers, leading Urdu literary critic from India Shamim Hanfi and famed Pakistani Urdu fiction writer Intizar Hussain, were meant to present their analyses on Urdu literature from their countries’ perspective. Perhaps the organisers thought that both luminaries would supplement each other to present the whole picture, but Shamim and Hussain took no pains in clarifying that Urdu literature has been moving in unison from the classical period to the contemporary one.

“I was surprised that were asked to present our analyses from a geographical perspective as literary tradition remains the same across borders,” said Hussain as he corroborated Hanfi’s views.

Hanfi, however, acknowledged that the historical, societal and geographical distinctions brought diversity and colour to Urdu literature. “Imagine how boring it will be if all writers and poets would start thinking and writing along the same lines.”

The technology takeover

Hanfi also criticised the technological revolution that has “resulted in a conflict bordering on obsession between books and the internet.”

“It takes a lot of courage to consider the internet as an extension of books,” he quipped. “The Western cultural imperialism - a new way of colonialism - has not only put Urdu but all literature in risk through information technology.”

In response to comments from the audience that concept of books is slowly dying, Hanfi said that the association of a reader embedded with a book would ultimately defeat technology. Aslam Farrukhi, Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Himayat Ali Shair, Fatima Surayya Bajia, Saeed Naqvi (USA) and Durmush Bilger (Turkey) were among those who attended the conference.

The four-day conference will continue till December 9 with back-to-back sessions on life and works of Urdu laureates along with book launches.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2012.