The “5th Memorial Conference of Khalifa Nabi Bakhsh Qasim”, a renowned multilingual poet, was held at the Peer Hisamuddin Rashdi Auditorium of the Institute of Sindhology, University of Sindh. The conference was presided over by University of Sindh Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Marri (TI). Chairman of the Sindhi Language Authority Dr Sher Mehrani was the chief guest, while Dr Muhammad Ali Manjhi, Mukhtiar Abro, University of Sindh Badin Campus Coordinator Dr Tufail Ahmed Chandio, Director of the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Chair and Convention Centre Dr Rehana Mallah, and Khalifa Abdul Khaliq were the guests of honour.

The conference was organised by the Khalifa Nabi Bakhsh Qasim Memorial Committee in collaboration with the Department of Sindhi, University of Sindh, and the Sindhi Language Authority Hyderabad.

Addressing the conference, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Marri said that Khalifa Nabi Bakhsh’s poetry was a continuation of the Latifi tradition. He was an important poet of the 16th century who carved out a distinct and unique place for himself by composing poetry in different languages simultaneously.

He said that Khalifa’s poetry was rich in aesthetic colours. Whatever he saw and felt in his time, he expressed in his poetry as it was. He was a bold poet, and all the surs of his Risalo represented the voice of the hearts of the people and clearly reflected the conditions of that era.

The Vice Chancellor said that Khalifa’s Risalo should be republished, adding that if the support of the University of Sindh was required for the purpose, the university was ready to extend full cooperation. In his address, he advised students of the University of Sindh’s Department of Sindhi, as well as those of the departments of English, History, Art and Design and other disciplines, to conduct research on Khalifa Nabi Bakhsh’s poetry and create paintings based on his poetic concepts to carry forward his poetic thought.

Congratulating the Khalifa Nabi Bakhsh Qasim Memorial Committee, the university’s Department of Sindhi and the Sindhi Language Authority on organising the conference, he said that such conferences not only paid tribute to eminent personalities but also played an important role in introducing their scholarly and literary contributions to the new generation. He advised the organisers of the committee to turn it into an institution and continue research and publication on Khalifa’s personality and poetry through its platform. He expressed hope that the government and various institutions would extend their full cooperation in this regard.

Earlier, renowned writer, senior professor at Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, and Convener of the Khalifa Nabi Bakhsh Memorial Committee, Dr Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar, in his welcome address, thanked all the participants and highlighted the objectives of the conference. He said that the voice of the land was reflected in Khalifa’s poetry and that further work was needed on his available poetic works.

On the occasion, Committee Secretary and renowned journalist Dodo Chandio also thanked the participants, shed light on Khalifa’s poetry and shared his memories associated with the university.

Addressing the conference, Dr Sher Mehrani said that Khalifa Nabi Bakhsh Qasim’s poetry was a great asset, containing prominent aesthetic and resistance elements. He said that Khalifa was a unique poet of his time but did not receive the recognition he deserved. He stressed the need for research into various aspects of his poetry.

Thanking the Vice Chancellor for his cooperation, he said that Dr Marri was a highly capable and visionary personality and that significant changes could be seen at the university after his arrival. He said that they were working in mutual collaboration to organise an international conference on Shah Latif and that it would be held very soon.

Addressing the conference, Dr Muhammad Ali Manjhi said that Khalifa Qasim’s style of presentation was unique. His poetry was deeply influenced by Shah Latif, while his metaphors were a treasure trove of words.

Dr Rehana Mallah said that imagery was clearly visible in Khalifa’s poetry. His poetry contained the intensity of love and the longing to meet the beloved. His major identity was patriotism and resistance.

Dr Tufail Ahmed Chandio said that Khalifa Nabi Bakhsh Qasim was a poet who was a custodian of civilisation. His poetry reflected the rebellious Sufi tradition of Mansoor bin Hallaj, while his Saraiki poetry bore the influence of Baba Fareed.

Mukhtiar Abro said that since ancient times, Sindh had maintained a strong tradition of tolerance and harmony, while also playing a strong role of resistance for its survival. He said that Khalifa had brilliantly documented the Battle of Khariri.

Presenting his paper, renowned writer Taj Joyo said that Khalifa was born 24 years after Bhittai. Each of his surs reflected aesthetic qualities and beauty of thought. He wrote pure Sindhi Kedaro.

Renowned writer Dr Ishaq Samejo said that Khalifa was a great poet of his time and had deliberately been ignored. He wanted to lead his society towards the path of enlightenment. His work was outstanding and should be researched at universities.

Dr Qadir Bakhsh Magsi, who completed his PhD on Khalifa Nabi Bakhsh, said that Khalifa’s poetry was a continuation of Shah Saeen’s message. He said that the initial work on his poetry had been carried out by Dr Nabi Bakhsh Khan Baloch. He stressed the need for further research on his surs.

Renowned writer Dr Haseen Musarat Shah said that classical poets had presented Sufism in their respective styles. Khalifa held a distinct place in classical poetry and was a great poet of his time.

Dr Makhmoor Bukhari said that Khalifa was a multilingual poet who composed outstanding poetry in Sindhi, Hindi, Saraiki, Dhatki and other languages. His poetry, rooted in his homeland, carried aesthetic and resistance elements.

Renowned writer Khalil Kumbhar said that Khalifa Nabi Bakhsh was a poet of romance and that even his resistance contained elements of romance.

Renowned writer Sardar Khatoon said that Khalifa’s poetry carried the fragrance of the soil of Sindh. He transformed personal feelings into collective feelings. In his poetry, love was not deprivation but a transformation of values.

On the occasion, the Vice Chancellor presented commemorative shields to the paper presenters and certificates to the programme organisers.

At the beginning of the conference, Saeed Samejo presented a vaee of Shah Saeen. The programme concluded with a musical evening in which renowned raagi Rahat Faqeer enthralled the audience with his voice.

Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Sindh Dadu Campus, Dr Anila Naz Soomro; Director, Institute of Sindhology, Dr Fayaz Latif; Director, Dr M.A. Kazi Institute of Chemistry, Dr Arfana Mallah; Chairman, Department of Sindhi, Dr Noor Muhammad Shah; directors of various institutes; heads of departments; teachers; and writers, including Amar Sindhu, Dr Shazia Pitafi, Dr Saeed Ahmed Mangi, Dr Naveeda Katpar, Dr Humera Hakro, Sabeen Naeem, Shoukat Ujjan, Idrees Jatoi, Nazir Qureshi and Ghulam Rasool Chandio, attended the conference.