Writers in Peshawar celebrate 100 years of Pashto fiction

Fiction can bring about a change in society’s thinking and Pashto young writers have to improve their art of storytelling to talk about sensitive social issues of today, said writers at the 100-year celebration of Pashto fiction.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture Directorate observed 100 years of Pashto fiction in Peshawar on Wednesday by inviting young and senior fiction writers, poets and literary critics.

Shahbaz Khan, assistant director at the culture directorate, said that such events were being held not only to highlight the richness of Pashto literature, but also to include literature in culture. Such events would encourage writers and literati of the province to gather and discuss literary issues and achievements, he said.

The first Pashto short story "Kunda Jenai" (The Young Widow), a classic written in 1917 by Syed Rahat Zakheli, can be termed as the beginning of Pashto fiction, said known Pashto writer and poet Dr Salma Shaheen, who was present on the occasion.

“Kunda Jenai” is considered the first Pashto fiction, Dr Shaheen said that she believed Urdu fiction had influenced Pashto fiction as it was Progressive Literary Movement that first steered short-story writings to have a ‘purpose’.

The Pashto fiction writers like Qalander Momand, Ajmal Khattak and Hasan Khan Soz were the writers who promoted their ideologies through their fiction.

“Fiction has changed Pakhtun thinking as it has focused on social issues,” said Dr Shaheen while talking about works of such writers. “Gunah De Cha Wa?” by Nawaz Tahir is a beautiful short story based on true story about honour killing even prevalent today in Pakhtun society. Kaazim Khan Shaida and Afzal Raza were also writers who tried to revolutionise the thinking of Pakhtun society through their writings.

“Unfortunately, young fiction writers of today lack proper forum and techniques to tell the story in an effective way,” opined Dr Shaheen.

Badarul Hakim, a literary critic from Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, who hails from Malakand, also felt that these days fiction writers were not talking about sensitive issues.

He said that fiction pointed out the moral issues of the society and Pashto fiction from its very first short story “Kunda Jenai” till “Dehshatgard” (The Terrorist), written by Noorul Amin Yousafzai, of today is about morality. He, however, pointed out that fiction writers had not highlighted the agonies and human stories of the people of Malakand who had seen the worst kind of conflict in recent years.

He said that if “Kunda Jenai” talked about the discriminatory and inhuman traditions that affected women of those times there was need to highlight problems and issues of the day. There is need to highlight how the land which was peaceful became a haven for terrorists. The human stories need to be told, said Mr Hakim.

Suleman Kamil, another writer and poet, talked about the 21st century and current topics highlighted from 9/11 to manmade and natural disasters and displacement of people. He said that fiction should talk about issues as people could relate to.

The speakers highlighted that by telling stories of the land the fiction writers could bring about change in the Pakhtun society and also revolutionise their thinking.

The Pashto fiction writers like Zaitoon Bano was also a guest at the 100 years celebration of Pashto fiction and a cake was cut to celebrate the occasion.

The celebration ended with cultural musical performances of the local artists and musicians.

Originally published in Dawn, October 5th, 2017