Jamal Abro (May 2, 1924 – June 30, 2004) wrote only a handful of stories but he left enormous influence on the modern Sindhi short story
Muhammad Habib Sanai
Hundred years ago on 2nd May, 1924/27 Ramazan, 1342, a child was born in the family of Allama Ali Khan Abro, a distinguished educationist and exegetist of Quran in the village of Sangi, Taluka Mehar, who is now renowned as Jamal Abro, an eminent Sindhi Short Story writer. He wrote only 16 short stories, but become the torch bearer of Modern Sindhi Short story after partition. His story collection entitled Pishoo Pasha is always in demand, therefore, to date its seven editions have been published. Besides, almost all of his short stories have been translated in Punjabi, Urdu, and English. Punjabi Translation was rendered by Mohsin Abbassi and was published by Pakistan Punjabi Board, Lahore in August, 1999; Urdu Translation was published in 2006 by University of Karachi and its English translation of ‘Pirani’ and other stories was first published by Peacock Publishers, Karachi and then by Oxford University Press, Karachi in 2018. Some of his stories are also translated in German and other languages.
Though he developed his interest in literature in the school days, but his first short story entitled Hoo hur ho (He was Hur), was published in weekly magazine Toofan in 1949. Up until 1959, he wrote 13 stories, which were included in his first and only anthology Pishoo Pasha, whose first edition appeared in the same year. However, after publication of that anthology. He could write only four more short stories, the last one Maau ji Jholi, in 1987, about ethnic riots erupted in Karachi and Hyderabad and, this story, according to Asif Farrukhi, “brings home the message, ‘it is wrong to kill a living creature. Life is sacred’”.
Actually, he was afflicted with a rare disease of hands, so doctors had advised him not to write with hand. Despite that, he wrote the following five volumes of his autobiography cum memoirs, which were published by New Fields Publications, Hyderabad.
- Disee Doh Akhiyan seen (Saw the crime being committed) in February, 1998.
- Thoohar Me Garha Gul (Red Roses in Cactus) September, 1998.
- Oonhi Galh Israr je (Deep talk of mystery) April, 1999
- Eendo n he wanjaro (Sailor won’t come back) October, 2001
- Mar pia Meehn Wasan (Let the rain fall) December, 2004.
Besides penning numerous essays, he has also taken in hand following works, but could not complete them.
- Dictionary of Arabic Quranic words, now exactly used in Sindhi.
- Translation of Mother by Maxim Gorky in Sindhi.
- Timmon ja Karnama translation of Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
His son Badar Abro has compiled an anthology entitled Aaouon ba Jaagi Pawandus (I may get awake), which is very comprehensive book about his life and works. It contains his all short stories, 10 essays, 06 prefaces, 10 interviews and 15 articles about him read in a programs conducted in his honor, One monograph written by Idrees Jatoi, the comprehensive critical study of life and works of Jamal Abro written by Rauf Nizamani, 36 write-ups about him written by numerous writers and scholars of Sindh and some letters by him.
How other writers and scholars assess his literary output
According to majestic Sindhi writer and poet Shaikh Ayaz “I don’t know who made the distinction that poetry dances while prose walks. While reading ‘Pirani’, I felt that even prose can dance. In the beginning, Pirani enters with a musical note and little bells begin to tinkle in the air. Suddenly there is a piercing cry and one can see the story dancing on red-hot coals … like Soviet Russian writer Isaac Babel, who wrote only one book entitled Red Cavalry, and was got killed by Stalin and become immortal, Jamal has got immorality in Sindhi Literature.”
Gul Mohammad Umrani, who has edited Jamal Abro’s anthology of Short stories translated in English entitled Pirani and other stories, writes in his preface that “His short stories though meticulously planned on miniature canvas artistically crafted like diamond, ruby nuggets, have a unique brevity, which is the soul of his wit (in the words of Polonius in Hamlet of Shakespeare). Such brevity excels the art of Henry James, O. Henry and great Maupassant, to recall just a few classical masters of western fiction … Jamal’s each and every word is cautiously weighed in the sieve of deep introspective penetration, meandering through uncanny fathomable subconscious mind and is then written on a piece of paper with a pen dipped in the inkpot of eternal miseries of the masses of his wretched motherland. His characters are scum of the earth who are destined to endless despondency and infernal torture.”
Distinguished writer and critic Asif Farukhi is of the view that “Jamal Abro has written only a handful of stories but he has exerted enormous influence on the modern Sindhi short story.”
In the words of famous journalist Abbas Jalbani “Jamal Abro is among those rare authors, who, by writing a single book, earned a high reputation envied by writers of dozens.”
According to Sindhi writer and educationist Idrees Jatoi, who wrote about him a Monograph for his MA Sindhi, “Jamal Abro is the first story writer, who artistically used social realism in his stories, no doubt, he was influenced by Gorki, Tolstoy, Premchand, Tagore and Dostoevsky, but his style is his own, which is imbued with artistic narration of problems of his land and society in beautiful language …. According to one fellow writer, every Sindhi poet is influenced by Shaikh Ayaz and every short story writer by Jamal Abro. What I mean to say is that Jamal Abro is the name of big revolution in Sindhi Short Story occurred in the second half of 20th century.”
Another writer and critic Rauf Nizamani opines that “Jamal Abro is prominent name of Sindhi literature. He could be counted among those writers, whose writings and personality helps us to comprehend those changes occurred in Sindh during the fifty year period.”
In the thorough study of five volumes of autobiography cum memoirs of Jamal Abro, Rauf Nizamani has drawn a few conclusions, which would be worthwhile to share here, though briefly:
“For understanding the ideological change occurred in Shaikh Ayaz, it is essential to comprehend Jamal Abro … Combined study of both of these gigantic names of Sindhi poetry and short story, would help us to grasp the changes occurred in Sindhi literature and society.
“Though Jamal Abro deems himself as Sufi and holds a definite view of religion, but his views about diverse matters are very liberal, which seem positive and strange, because there is common perception that the religion is very self-imposing and restrictive. Reason of this treatment might be due to Sufi traditions of Sindh, but major role in his approach is played by his past upbringing, including his closeness with his father Ali Khan Abro, and attachments with Communist Party, Hari Committee and Progressive literary movement. This is the reason that despite some writers oppose him ideologically, but they don’t disown him.
“His approach towards youth generally and young writers particularly, is negative and hateful. He thinks that except Noorul Huda Shah and one or two other writers, new writers have not produced any worthwhile creations. Reasons for this attitude might be his seclusion and not coming into contact with writings of new writers. Or might be due to the generation gap, which develops superiority complex in each generation, and each one strives to prove itself as superior generation. One reason might be the harsh criticism on him and Ayaz being made by young writers and readers, as is reflected on different places in his autobiography. “
Criticism
Main theme of the criticism of his opponents and young writers is religiosity of Jamal Abro and Shaikh Ayaz. Sindhi Progressives, especially younger ones, deem becoming their religious as betrayal on their part. No doubt both became religious but not the bigots, as the majority of religious persons routinely becomes here in our area. Badar Abro, a distinguished researcher and author and elder son of Jamal Abro, has very interesting point of view. He writes about him that “2nd May, 1924 coincided with 27th Ramazan and on that day a Sindhi writer was born, who not only believed in the importance of Labor Day, but also excellence of 27 Ramazan. When he was young, his association with Hari movement was disliked by Molvi sahibs, and now when he is septuagenarian, then, youngsters are astonished that why he has become religious?”
“He was also religious at that time and now he is still friend of workers, but what can be done with the thinking that everyone wants him to be agreed with them in every respect wholly solely. Why should he do that? It is another thing that he has drank in one cup both the religious tenets and dialectical materialism, and perhaps it the reason that he has become Sufi in idiomatic sense.”
Family and career
Jamal Abro was son of renowned educationist and exegetist Allama Ali Khan Abro and also he is father of a distinguished scholar of Sindh, who is known as Badar Abro. His other sons and daughters are well educated and prominent professionals and bureaucrats. He after graduating in Law, started his law practice. But after few years he was selected as Judge. Prior to his retirement from service in 1988, he worked as Registrar, Sindh High Court, Secretary Sindh Assembly, Member Federal Services Tribunal and Chairman, Anticorruption. He was also member of Syndicate of Sindh University and Sindhi Adabi Board.
In his students days he worked in Khaksaar movement. During the famine of Bengal (1943-44) he worked there as Volunteer. He is among the founder members of Sindhi literary organization Sindhi Adabi Sangat, which has played a pivotal role in spread of Sindhi literature and language.
Awards
He was awarded Pride of Performance in 1994 and in 1998 he received Shah Abdul Latif National Literary award from Academy of Letters on his first volume of autobiography cum memoirs Disee Doh Akhiyan Seen.
He breathed his last on 30th June, 2004 in Karachi and was laid to rest in the graveyard of Gizri Defence, Karachi.
Read: Sindhi Short Story Genre
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Muhammad Habib Sanai is based in Hala town of Sindh. He is a freelance writer and contributes his research-based articles to various newspapers and other publications.
