سنڌي ورچوئل لائبرري

The book in your hand is the translation of my Sindhi book- “Sindhi Boli”, which was written way back in 1964. Since then, quite a few editions of the book have been pulished. Before I dilate on the substance of the book, I would like to, in passing, make a mention of two significant facts. One, the book created quite a stir in the literary and soicio-political spheres in Sindh. Two, the book was so appeciated in the linguistic and academic fields that it was, and is, prescribed, as  a textbook in Masters degree course for Sindhi language in all the Universties in Sindh. I would also like to mention that the book has been translated from Sindhi to English by my son, Dr. Amjad Siraj Memon, who is, by profession, a Professor of Surgery in Dow University of Health Sciences, but his interest in Sindhi literature is quite commendable. My sister, Dr. Fahmida Hussain, the Chairperson, Sindhi Language Authority, asked Amjad to translate “Sindhi Boli” into English. She thinks it is a fairly good translation and needs to be published in English for a wider audience and readership.

Having gone through the translation, I found it tolerably good, although it has the drawbacks of the translation being too literal and lacking the flourish of diction. Nevertheless, I appreciate his labour of love and a fairly good effort.

The substance of the book, as is obvious from the title “Sindhi Boli”, is all about Sindhi language, its history, and the importance of the language in the socio-political milieu of Sindh. In the late 50’s, and the beginning of the early 60’s, there happened to be a resurgence of anti-Sindhi sentiments created by the vested interests to oppose and suppress the nationalist anti-One Unit policy of the writers and intellectuals of Sindh. It may be recalled that when the Indian sub-continent was to be partitioned into Bharat and Pakistan, there was a strong movement in Sindh for its independence as a sovereign state, for it was argued by the nationalists that the British had conquered Sindh in 1843, which had been a sovereign state for at least two millennia until then. As an independent state, Sindh had diplomatic relations with Iran, Mesopotamia and Indian sovereign states. There is extant evidence that Sindh had trade and commercial relations with the land of Pharaohs, Mesopotamia and Iran. It used to export textiles and precious stones like Lapis Lazuli etc to the Middle East. Evidence of Sindhi cloth in the shrouds of the mummified Pharaohs and Sindhi grains like millet has been found in Mesopotamia, Bactria, Easter Islands and other places in the Middle East.

The excavations at Mohen-jo-Daro also proved that the language of Sindh was written in a script (presently known as the Indus Script) which is not only comparable with the script of Mesopotamia but the latter contains some elements of the Indus Script which have been segregated by the scholars. That Sindh had a language and its own script was one of the supporting phenomena for Sindhi nationalism.

The most essential element of nationalism is the prestige and love of a nation’s struggle for independence and sovereignity. Consequently, after the creation of Paksitan when the very existence of Sindh was threatened by merging it into One Unit, the Sindhi nation, and most importantly its youth, took-up the cause of Sindh and Sindhi language as a part of struggle against One Unit.

Another reason for writing the book was the sentiment that there was very little textual linguistic knowledge among the scholars and academics in Sindh and I wished to initiate such knowledge among not only the academics but also among the Sindhi-reading public. This sentiment was a reaction against a conscious disparaging campaign against Sindhi language by innuendoes and slurs about Sindhi language not being a language at all but only an idiom of some people living in Sindh. It was also alleged that it was just a small, insignificant Prakrit derived from “verachida” (corrupt) idiom of Sanskrit. This was the idea propagated by some Hindu scholars like Kako Bherumal and others. On the other hand some Muslim scholars led by Dr. Nabi Bux Khan Baloch, Professor Ali Nawaz Jatoi, Rasheed Lashari and others claimed that Sindhi was derived from the Semitic group of languages and was related to the Arabic language. Both groups claimed that it was only in around 11^th century that the Sindhi language was born or created.

It was in these circumstance that I tookup the cudgels in favour of Sindhi language. I was of the opinion that Sindhi is an original language which has continued from the period of Indus Civilization and that Sindhi had been spoken and written during the same period. I also hinted that the un-deciphered script of the Mohen-jo-Daro Civilization contains archaic from of Sindhi language. With this purpose in my mind, I wrote articles in ‘Mehran’ and other prestigious magazines. My articles initiated an interesting controversy. The Hindu scholars wrote against me as according to them I had belittled Sanskrit and the Indian origin of Sindhi language. Similar attacks were made by pro-Semitic (Arabic) scholars who thought that I was an atheist out to destroy the Islamic system by denying Sindhi to have been derived from Arabic. There were a number of articles published in Sindhi magazines and daily newspapers for and against my theory. However, the progressive writers and intellectuals and a majority of Sindhi reading public appreciated my labour and love for Sindhi language. The hectic controversy during the late 50’s and entire decade of the 60’s was over by the time Pakistan People’s Party came to power.

As stated obove, my book became an essential reading among all classes of people, especially students and academics. It imparted new ideas about the importance of Sindhi language and its eminence among the languages of the world. Apart from the historical background of the language, I also had the temerity to suggest preliminary decipherment of the Indus Script on the seals found at Mohen-jo-Daro, Harrapa and other archaeological sites in the Indus valley. I do not claim the privilege of having deciphered the Indus Script. My only contribution is the interest created among the students and academics of Sindh, Hind (India) and other places about Indus Civilization and Sindhi Language.

I will always remain indebted to my younger brother (late) Inam who had designed the title cover of my Sindhi book, which has been retained on the title of its translation also.

I, once again, thank my son, Dr. Amjad Siraj for a reasonable English translation. I also thank Dr. Fahmida Hussain, Chairperson, Sindhi Language Authority and the Publication Committee of the Authority who have undertaken to publish this book.