KARACHI: A discussion of the book Fragrance of Thar Songs by Noor Alam Janjhi raised some interesting points at the Irtiqa Institute of Social Sciences on Saturday evening.
Mir Mansoor was the first speaker at the event. He said folk songs are the true representation of human behavior. He gave references from Wordsworth’s poem The Solitary Reaper and quoted lines from poems by PB Shelley and John Keats to support his argument.
Dr. Sher Mehrani told the audience that every year on his birthday the author releases two books. He claimed that Fragrance of Thar Songs is the main source on the subject whose value is not less than that of a doctoral dissertation.
He said that there were 20 songs in the book which Mr. Janjhi had done extensive research of high quality. The author has also divided Tharparkar into four regions so that the reader can better understand the topography of the region.
Highlighting the proactive role of women in popular literature
Dr Riaz Shaikh, who spoke via video link because he was out of town, said not only does the book carry the flavor of the songs, but the reader can also see the whole social life of the region at through them. He added that few people know the history of Tharparkar whose valiant people fought against the British during the colonial era.
Dr. Syed Jaffer Ahmed said popular literature is an important part of our past. These creations provide us with information about past societies that we don’t otherwise get from other sources – the nature of social interactions and relationships, how the common man went about his daily life, what was the measure of good and evil, how the aristocracy lived and how the common man expressed himself and, above all, the role of women in these societies. In this context, the name of Shah Latif must be mentioned in whose works one cannot separate music from poetry or poetry from music.
Dr Ahmed said the folk tales given in the book are simply told in which the reader gets to know about mountains, deserts, seasons, how drought affects life and the role ‘nature’ plays in our lives. . These tales tell us of relationships such as that of brother and sister or husband and wife. The musicality of the songs was also aptly highlighted in the post. This means that all dimensions of culture can be understood through them, signifying the passage from culture to civilization.
Dr. Ahmed insisted that the songs allow the reader to understand that the role of women at that time was proactive. They used to show men the way for rebellion. The other thing he pointed out was the fact that folk songs written in the past were a collective creative art.
The book’s author, Noor Alam Janjhi, said that folk songs are “the soul of the masses”. It is the voice of the ordinary man.
“I would also like to talk about the definition of literature. After reading Shah Latif, I could see that the definition of literature is that although it reflects life, it is the kind of thinking that does not allow time and space to limit it.” he said, adding that the songs discussed in the book have classicism in their own right.
Posted in Dawn, July 4, 2022
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