HYDERABAD: Speakers at a ceremony paid a glowing tribute to Shaikh Ayaz and termed him a legendary poet of Sindh who introduced innovative trends in Sindhi poetry on account of his vast study of occidental poetic tradition, his immense power of imagination and his unique unparalleled creative flair.
A special programme was organized by the Institute of Sindhiology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro to commemorate the 95th birth anniversary of the iconic poet at Syed Hissamuddin Rashdi Auditorium of the institute. The event was presided over by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Fateh Mohammad Burfat while Senator Sassui Palejo attended it as a chief guest. Senator Sassui Palejo said that Shaikh Ayaz was one of the extensively read individuals in Sindh. She added that not only Ayaz’s poetry but prose was also mellifluous.
“Each couplet, each stanza, each short and long poem in almost all genres by Ayaz reflects the depth, width, breadth and unfathomable scope of his observation, intuition, intellect, experience and imagination”, she said. Senator Sassui Palejo called herself lucky to have been born in an epoch that allowed her to see Ayaz in person. There is the need for serious research on those aspects of poetry of Ayaz that are still unearthed, and I reckon those are numerous, she iterated.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Fateh Mohammad Burfat said that Shaikh Ayaz throbbed in every heart in Sindh due to enchanting, appealing and ecstatic attributes of his romantic poetry. “I am indeed elated to head the university once headed by poet laureate of Sindh Shaikh Ayaz”, Dr. Burfat remarked. He said that poetic translation of Shah Latif’s ‘Risalo’ in Urdu was a milestone accomplishment of Shaikh Ayaz.
Eminent story writer Madad Ali Sindhi said that Shaikh Ayaz was deeply impressed by leftist intellectual Hashoo Kewalramani. He termed Ayaz as poet of revolution who fueled hearts of youth by the power and poignancy of his poetry. Another speaker Jami Chandio said that poetry of Shaikh Ayaz served as authentic annals spanning entire century.