PAKISTAN`s mainstream media, especially the Urdu language newspapers, did not know of Abdullah Jan Jamaldini`s passing away, or, at least, so they pretended.

Abdullah Jan Jamaldini died on Sept 19, 2016 in Quetta. He was 94. Jamaldini was one of the foremost intellectuals and writers of Balochi and was held in high esteem for his life-long services for the Balochi language, Balochi literature and Balochi culture. He had penned many articles and books and had had the honour of establishing a Balochi department at Quetta`s Balochistan University, where he taught for almost two decades. The weekly gathering of intellectuals at his place was often informally referred to as `The Sunday Party`. Jamaldini loved everyone. His love knew no bounds and he always welcomed writers and intellectuals from other parts of the country with open arms.

But most of Pakistan`s newspapers and TV channels decided, perhaps intentionally, that Jamaldini`s death was not news.

Why? Because those who decide on the newsworthiness of a news item feel that if a model gets killed, say Qandeel Baloch, or if she gets arrested, say Ayyan Ali, you can splash it over on the front page for weeks because it sells (forget about thehuman side or sympathy). But if a nonagenarian writer dies, and that too of a language other than Urdu or English, it is not news because in today`s `market economy` it will not sell. So you`d better forget it.

And yes, if a nonagenarian Hollywood actress dies or a western writer passes away, it is news! Definitely! But there were some newspapers and magazines that felt the pain and shared the news of passing away of Jamaldini Sahib with the readers. Qaumi Zaban is one such magazine. Published by Anjuman Taraqqii-Urdu Pakistan and edited by Dr Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, the Urdu monthly has carried a special section on Abdullah Jan Jamaldini in its October 2016 issue. Just published, the magazine has included, along with the usual articles, some especially written pieces on Jamaldini by Prof Sahar Ansari, Dr Shah Muhammad Marri, Dr Fatima Hasan, Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi, Usman Qazi, Sharafat Abbas and Mohsin Shakeel.

One feels that Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu and other organisations working for the promotion of the Urdu language and literature should play their role in bringing the intellectuals and writers from different parts of the country together. Luckily, Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu`s Dr Fatima Hasan, Zulgarnain Jameel Aali and Prof Sahar Ansari, have been working to bridge the gap between the writers of different Pakistani languages.Lately, Anjuman has brought out the second e dit ion ot Mauj Mauj Mehran, a projectlaunchedtocreateunderstandingand empathy among the writers of the country.

Mauj Mauj Mehran i s a collection o f versified Urdu translations of modern Sindhi poetry rendered into Urdu. It includes the intro to the first edition, published in 1973, by Jameeluddin Aali. Aali Sahib had written that `one of the projects pursued by the Anjuman is to get translated and published the selected literary pieces from other Pakistani languages`. He then mentioned certain works published by Anjuman, such as Abgaat-i-Sultan Baahoo, Pashto Shaeri, Punjabi Ke Paanch Qadeem Shaer, etc. The poets whose poetry was translated from Sindhi into Urdu for the book under review were: Ustaad Bukhari, Altaf Abbasi, Imdad Hussaini, Burda Sindhi, Basheer Moryani, Parwana Bhatti, Taj Baloch, Tanveer Abbasi, Zulfiqar Rashdi, Sheikh Ayaz, Sheikh Abdur Razaaq, Sheikh Abdul Haleem Josh, Sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim Khalil, Shamsheer-ul-Hyderi, Fattah Malik, Qamar Shahbaz, Abdul Jabbar Sham, Abdul Karim Gadai, Ali Muhammad Majrooh, Ghulam Muhammad Girami, Mohsin Kakrai, Makhdoom Muhammad Talib-ul-Maula, Naeem Dareshaani,Niaz Humayuni and Vafa Nathanshahi.

Aali had added in his intro that `Anjuman does not publish the contemporary creative literature, though it may beof very high standard. But in this book we have deviated from our tradition and have got translated into Urdu the poetic works by 25 contemporary Sindhi poets. The selection was carried out by Murad Ali Mirza, a well-known scholar from Sindh.

On our request he has penned a scholarly preface too, highlighting the history of Sindhi language and literature. The works were rendered into Urdu by Ilyas Ishqi, a scholar who knows Sindhi quitewell and has been living in Sindh for quite some time. This is a unique work and it is like the appearing of new moons and new stars on the literary horizon, but it does not end here. A lot of work has been done in Sindhi after these pieces were written and we are waiting for some scholar to work on it`.

The second edition includes a preface by Prof Sahar Ansari. He says that `Sindhi poetry published after the creation of Pakistan richly reflects the age and aura it was composed in. The work was out of print and was much in demand. The translations included reflect the aesthetics and creativity of the originals and many of the poets whose work was included went on to shine even brighter and some of them became legends. But unfortunately many of them are no more.

Imdad Hussain and Taj Baloch are the ones whose works make a part of this book. They have showed much greater potential. There are many new entrants who have enriched modern Sindhi literature. What we need is to translate their selected works and publish them`.

One feels that the selections from modern poetry composed in other Pakistani languages too need to be translated into Urdu. Qaumi Zaban has long been publishing such translations. How about putting them together in a book form? drraufparekh@yahoo.com