Evolution of Indian literature since India’s Independence-SINDHI (Part II)

The total disruption of the society had another significant fall out. In this entire process the position of woman in society changed. She was no longer confined to home and hearth. To eke out living they had to come out and supplement their family income for survival. This was reflected in the literary field also. Whereas in Sindh only one female writer Guli Sadarangani (1906-84) had contributed one novel ITIHAD (1941)   that dwelt on Gandhian philosophy of unity of religions – Hindu Muslim inter religion marriage. After partition a host of lady writers have occupied the literary scene and have made significant contribution. Only a few names that could be cited are Tara Mirchandani, (b.1930) Sundri Uttamchandani,  (1924-2013)Kala Prakash, ( 1934- 2018) Popati Hiranandani ( 1924-2005). First story mirroring existing reality of that time came from the pen of Tara Mirchandani entitled” Gopu”. In this we find the changed context. Here we find camp life instead of normal village/town life and a local train a symbol of urbanization with all its horrors. It mirrors grim struggle for survival when child after school hours takes to selling ‘peppermints’ in the local train and while moving from one compartment to another loses his life. Another significant story is ‘Bhoori’ by Sundri Uttamchandani. Bhoori  (A Doll) a beauty of yesteryears and heart throb of many a youngsters in her native town is found quite haggard spent while selling ‘Papads’ in Bombay neighborhoods. But a sense of dignity of labour has invested her with inner beauty and pride. Short stories of those times have camp life as a background. Mohan Kalpana’s (1930-94) stories and novels mirror the life of grim poverty and pain of unemployment his autobiography ‘ Bookha Ishaq ain Adab’ (Hunger,love and literature) is a significant contribution to literature portraying those times. So is first part of  autobiography of Lal Pushap ( 1935-2009)  there are many stories which have camp life as a locale. As Sindhis arrived in India they were herded into various barracks which had been left by departing British troops. They were called ‘Refugee camps’. Thus the identity of the locale and milieu was first to manifest in Sindhi literature.

The trend of Nostalgia for Sind- ‘A land left behind’ in genre of novel started by Gobind Malhi ( 1921-2001) in the with his Novel ‘Pakhiara Valran Khna Vichrya’ (1953) Birds separated from the flock). As his generation had seen their youth growing up in Sind it portrays vivid memories of Sind and Sindhi village life is its background. The protagonist of the novel refuses to leave his ‘homeland’ and prepared to face all consequences when all his friends, relatives and entire village is in hurry to leave to seek safety in India. His other Novel ‘ Jin Soori Bhaeen sej’  (1959) (Those who considered gallows as restful sleeping mattress) is based also on first Sindhi a short story ‘ Hur Makhi a Ja’ written by Lalchand Amardinomal in 1914. Last Novel by Krishin Khatwani ( 1927-2008) ‘Tarandar Baadala’ ( Floating Clouds) written in 1998 also ends with the intellectual protagonist walking into Kutch desert to reach Sind in quest of his ‘Roots’.Novels Of Mohan Kalpana has also nostalgic flavor three novels have ‘ Sindhi Nationalist Movement of JIYE SIND movement. His novel Mao ( Mother) has shades of Maxim Gorky’s novel ‘Mother’ and his novel Kaaon ain Samund ( Crow and the Sea) has also the similar background. Hari Motwani’s  (1929-2006) Novel ‘ Abo’ ( Father) also has significant nostalgic content about Sind. Moti Prakash’s ( 1931-2015) Travelogue of Sind ‘ Se Sabu Saandium Saah sseen’ that won Sahitya Akademi award in 1988 is also highly nostalgic. Kala Prakash’s novel ‘ Pakhan jee Preet’ also ends in Sind. Autobiography of Mohan Kalpana ‘ Bookh Isq ain Adab’ was published in Sind so is the case of Autobiography of Lachman Komal ‘ Vahee Khate ja Panna’ ( Pages of accounts book). Books of Mohan Kalpana, Sundri Uttamchandani and Kala Prakash have been reprinted in Sind have seen many reprints. Early stories of Loknath Jetley ……..‘ Wisarya na Wisran’….  written in late fifties  on unforgettable characters of Sindhi Village ( Those whom I want to forget cannot Forget) are quite nostalgic in its content.

The relationship between Sindhi writers of India and Sindhi writers of Sind has remained in uneven phases depending on the vicissitude between two governments of respective countries. Whenever there is thaw in relationship and confidence building measures are underway or peace overtures are in progress this relationship has thrived. In the initial period when the borders of both the countries were porous at that time we have example of Dr. Murlidhar Jetly (b. 1930) to go back home to Hyderabad and successfully bring back his home library containing many rare books. At that time even exchange of literature and personal letters was possible as postal system in both the countries functioned as before. With the passage of time the rigidity in relationships of both the countries set in. A J Uttam and Sundri Uttamchandani were first writers to visit Sind in personal capacity in 1964. Thereafter in the same year Sheikh Ayaz and Rashid Bhati visited India. Their accounts of visits were published and generated much goodwill among the writers of both the countries. This was followed by personal visits on various occasions by other writers notably Hiro Thakur and Hari Motwani who brought the tales of warmth and good will. Mrs. Mahatab Mehboob visited India and wrote her travelogue of India and her pleasant interaction with Sindhi writers of India and their activities. The first delegation of Indian Sindhi writers was in visited Sind in 1989 by Sind Graduates Association on the occasion of SACHAL CONFERENCE. This was attended among others by stalwarts like Gobind Malhi and Krishin Khatwani. Gobind Malhi has written a travelogue and Krishin Khatwani penned touching memories of this visit.. In the meanwhile in 1987 women organization ‘Marwee’ headed by Veena Shringi (b. 1948) invited writers from Sind on occasion of celebration of Shah Latif anniversary.  This was repeated in 2014 also when writers from Sind also participated. In 2004 Sindhi Delhi Academy jointly with Sahitya Akademi invited a small delegation of six writers from Sind for ‘Peace and Literature Conference’. There was exchange of information about the status of literature in various genres in both the countries. Papers read at that seminar have been published by Sahitya Akademy in a book form. In the beginning of this century under the Prime Minister Atal Beharai Bajpayee confidence building measures were initiated and one of the main thrust we people to people relationship. In the year 2005 during this Phase one delegation of about 20 Sindhi writers visited Sind where  Literary seminars, poetic sessions ( Mushairas) were held and writers were taken to various cities to rousing reception by intellectuals as well as common people. Mr. Suresh Keswani (Member of Rajya Sabha) led this delegation. As a reciprocal gesture a delegation of Sindhi writers visited India in year 2008 in month of March they visited many cities and welcome functions were organized at all places. A Literary Seminar was held at Jaipur in collaboration with AKHIL Bharat Sindhi Boli ain Sahit Sabha. Sahitya Akademi organized an exclusive symposium on Sindhi literature of Sind. In 2009 where papers on various genres of Sindhi literature produced in Sind were read by 15 scholars that included Satish Rohra, Hiro Shewkani, Kala Prakash, Vasdev Mohi and Namdev Tarachandani (b. 1946). All papers have been published in book form by Sahitya Akademi in 2011 and had been edited by Namdev Tarachandni. A joint selection of Short stories by writers of India and Sind has been published by Sindhi Academy Delhi in 2018. Stories of Indian writers have been selected by Prem Prakash (b. 1946) and Sind stories by Shoukat shoro. They both are joint editors of the book also. It is also significant that Sheikh Ayaz (1923-97) a towering poet of Sind of 20th century composed an elegy on the death of Narayan Shyam an important Sindhi poet of India and named it as ‘SUR NARAYAN SHYAM’(1989).