Glowing Tribute Paid To Mirza Qaleech Baig For His Literary Services

The speakers Saturday paid glowing tributes to the renowned writer, late Shams ul Ulma Mirza Qaleech Baig for his services in the cause of Sindhi language and literature

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2021 ) :The speakers Saturday paid glowing tributes to the renowned writer, late Shams ul Ulma Mirza Qaleech Baig for his services in the cause of Sindhi language and literature.

They said that Mirza Qaleech Baig was one of the greatest writers in the world but he was not given due recognition at official level even in the Sindh province.

They said this while addressing a webinar organized by the Mirza Kaleech Baig Chair, University of Sindh Jamshoro to mark the 92nd death anniversary of the great scholar.

In his presidential address, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro deplored that no road or institution had been named after Mirza Qaleech Baig in any city or town of the province and added that Sindh University took the initiative back in 2009 and established the Mirza Qaleech Chair which he said had been made more efficient to do with the publication of his books.

Defining the term Shams ul Ulma as the sun of education and light, he said that Baig was a great scholar but he was not given his due place in the textbooks. "In English literature, the famous writer is William Shakespeare who wrote just 77 books on dramas and poetry but Mirza Qaleech Baig wrote more than 457 books in 43 disciplines including chemistry, physics, biology, zoology, plant sciences, Sindhi literature and anthropology which are to his credit", the Vice Chancellor said.

He said that one could guess about his personality after seeing the quantity of his written books in over eight languages which included Sindhi, Persian, Arabic, English and other languages.

Noted scholar Naseer Mirza said that Mirza Qaleech Baig was the Adam of modern Sindhi literature and he had served the cause of Sindhi language all his life.

He said that the late writer had written 457 books in eight different languages on various 43 subjects, unearthing that Mirza Qaleech would know 25 languages of the world.

Eulogizing Shamsul Ulema Mirza Qaleech Baig's unmatched contribution to Sindhi language and literature as well as towards reforming society, he said it was unfortunate that the people of Iran, England, India and gulf countries did not know about Qaleech even in the era when the world had turned into global village.

The Director Mirza Qaleech Chair University of Sindh Nawab Kaka said that Persian had been the official language of Sindh in the Talpur era but the language saw a gradual decline during the British rule.

However, he said, literary figures, mystics, historians and other scholars of the Persian language could still be found in Sindh.

He said that Qaleech's contribution and services enlightened generations brought about positive change in society and promoted human values adding that native Sindhi intellectuals' works in Persian were also available in abundance.

He fully visualized future requirements of a reformed society and focused on promoting Sindhi language and literature to achieve the goal.

Speaker Dr. Hakim Buriro underlined the need for publishing more of his works, reprinting the already published books and making arrangements for the translation of all his works in English, Persian, Arabic and other international languages besides that of Sindhi.

He told that Sindh had historically been a center of literary activities and frequented by scholars from Iran, Iraq, Turkey and other countries. Firdousi had also made mention of Sindh in his Shahnama.

Speaker Gul Muhammad Umrani said that Mirza Qaleech Baig was bestowed upon the title of Shamsul Ulema and Qaiser-i-Hind, because he was one of the greatest writers, poets and historians of the subcontinent. He added that there were 457 books to his credit while he translated certain rare English and Persian books into the Sindhi language.

"Twenty-two of the books authored by him were on Persian prose and poetry alone", he said.

Speakers Dr Manzoor Wesario said that because of his broad vision, exceptional intellectual approach and enormous contribution to Sindhi language and literature, Qaleech Baig was known in this province as the Shakespeare of Sindh.

He said that Qaleech Baig translated Chachnama and enabled future generations to read history of their homeland, adding that besides being an intellectual, he was a great social reformer.

Well-known poet Adal Soomro said that more such events on the great scholar's person and works might be organized from time to time to enable the new generation to fully benefit from the literature.

Earlier, a delegation of intellectuals, poets and people from every walk of life thronged to the tomb of Mirza Qaleech Baig and led floral wreath on his grave. They also offered fatiha and prayed to God to bestow the departed soul upon the highest place in paradise.