The University of Sindh held a memorial ceremony in honour of Professor Khair-un-Nissa Jafri, a renowned short story writer, critic, travelogue writer and former chairperson of the Department of Psychology. The ceremony was presided over by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Sindh, Professor Dr. Fateh Muhammad Marri (TI), while renowned writer Jami Chandio attended as the chief guest.

Organised by the Sindhi Adabi Sangat, University of Sindh Branch, in collaboration with the Bureau of STAGS, the ceremony was held at Shaikh Ayaz Auditorium in the Arts Faculty Building. The guests of honour included Dr. Saima Jafri, a faculty member of the university’s Department of English and daughter of Professor Khair-un-Nissa Jafri; Dr. Nawab Kaka, Director of the Mirza Qaleech Baig Chair; and renowned writer Gulbadan Javed Mirza.

Addressing the participants, Vice Chancellor Dr. Fateh Muhammad Marri said that Professor Khair-un-Nissa Jafri had a distinctive personality, which was also reflected in her writings. He said that her outstanding services to the Department of Psychology as a teacher served as an example for other faculty members.

He said that he had met Apa Khair-un-Nissa on several occasions at different events and had the opportunity to listen to her in person. She wrote with composure and spoke with the same dignity. Women were the central focus of her writings and speeches. She not only wanted women to be strong and empowered but also made practical efforts to achieve that goal.

Recalling a literary event held at a hotel in Hyderabad, the Vice Chancellor said that Apa Khair-un-Nissa Jafri had presided over the event and begun her speech with the words, “Women are strong; those who consider them weak are weak themselves.” He added that he still remembered those words and the scene vividly.

The Vice Chancellor said that such personalities served as role models for literature and society. He stressed the need to draw inspiration from their character and carry forward their work.

Addressing the students, Dr. Marri urged them to attend their classes regularly and work hard to achieve their goals. He said that this had also been the mission and dream of Apa Khair-un-Nissa as a teacher.

He said that no concession could be made regarding attendance. Students with outstanding fee dues might be allowed to sit their examinations, but those with insufficient attendance would not be permitted to appear in examinations. He added that the university’s entire system had gone online. Teachers uploaded their students’ attendance daily, and the university had also started sending messages to the parents of students with low attendance through the e-portal.

The Vice Chancellor also appreciated the efforts of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat and the Bureau of STAGS in organising the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Jami Chandio said that Apa Khair-un-Nissa, Apa Khairoo and Guddi were names associated with different aspects of her identity. He described her as a lively person who wrote exactly as she felt.

He said that Apa Khairoo was simple by nature and extremely sensitive. She consciously avoided causing pain to any human being, let alone an animal. Whenever she cooked, she also prepared food for animals that waited on the threshold of her door.

Jami Chandio said that Apa Khair-un-Nissa had written outstanding short stories characterised by remarkable language, the distinctive Lari dialect and vivid imagery. Her prose also featured humour alongside satire.

Citing her famous short story Takhleeq Jo Maut (The Death of Creation), he said that it was a personal story featuring not only an interesting character based on her maternal uncle but also her mother and herself. He said that reading the story brought a smile to readers’ lips while also bringing tears to their eyes.

On the occasion, Dr. Saima Jafri recalled fond memories of her mother and described her as an ideal mother.

Addressing the ceremony, Dr. Nawab Kaka and Gulbadan Javed Mirza described Professor Khair-un-Nissa Jafri as an outstanding short story writer and a remarkable personality. They described her writings as a valuable treasure of Sindhi literature.

Earlier, Hassan Mujtaba, Secretary of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat, University of Sindh Branch, welcomed the participants and highlighted the objectives of the programme in his opening remarks. The ceremony was compered by Manthar Mangrio.

The event was attended by Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Professor Dr. Nanik Ram, Director of STAGS Ajved Ahmed Bhatti, Dr. Santosh Kamarani, Dr. Humera Hakro, Dr. Naveeda Katper, Liaquat Rizvi, Faheem Noonari, Dr. Irfan Ahmed Shaikh, Rabeela Abro and a large number of students.