RECORDER REPORT

HYDERABAD: “Mirza Kalich Beg was a towering figure and an institution. His creative genius pervaded the first half of the twentieth century Sindhi literary landscape. I am all but astounded to note with an air of incredulity his prolific written output as he wrote as many as 462 books in his lifetime. Kalich covered in a span of years what would have taken centuries to an ordinary soul to accomplish. Kalich’s personality and performance are tantamount to an encyclopedia. His creative kaleidoscope is spread over a wide range of subjects that include prose, poetry, translations from English to Sindhi and vice-versa, biographies, autobiography, folklore, history, novels, essays and other genres.

These remarks were made by VC SU Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat while presiding over a lecture programme organized by Shams-ul-Ulema Mirza Kalich Beg, University of Sindh, Jamshoro on the theme “Shams-ul-Ulema Mirza Beg, the Pioneer of English Poetry in Sindh”. Eminent scholar Gul Muhammad Umrani was the speaker on the occasion.

Dr Burft said that before Kalich commenced writing, the literary scene in terms of creative output was dominantly barren and infertile. It was Kalich who brought to Sindh priceless pearls and a rich treasure trove of almost all forms and genres of literature by bringing to Sindh translations of the most inspiring literary masterpiece of the western world.

“Kalich has also palpable contribution towards creation and promotion of child literature. His fables, stories, folklore and entertaining parables serve as a soft and alluring instruction for children,” he said.

The occasion speaker and illustrious man of letters Gul Muhammad Umrani in his lecture said that Kalich was a polyglot whose impact on Sindhi literature remained overwhelming for the entire twentieth century and after.

He said Kalich produced 462 books which was a sort of world record and that the agencies who maintain world records should take notice of this fact. Umrani lamented lack of interest in Kalich’s incredible contribution by Sindhi society and stressed those present to take keen interest in his writings and thereby disseminate his wisdom to million others through soft and hard word.

“Kalich clearly supersedes Urdu literati too in translating world literature in Sindhi, as he took lead in doing so in chronological terms”, Umrani stressed.

Umrani added that Kalich was the Shakespeare and Chaucer of Sindh as he was the chief exponent of academic and socio-cultural renaissance in Sindh.