Prof Saroop Chander Shad was not only a poet but also a researcher of good repute. Besides poetry, he did research about the historical places and Sindhi Literature.
By Noor Ahmed Janjhi
My beloved village Vakrio, with ten thousand souls is the largest one of Thar located 90km away from the district headquarter Mithi and 50km in the east of Islamkot. My father Ghullam Muhammad Janjhi used to subscribe the magazines and newspapers and they reached at the village via Islamkot post office. Quarterly Mehran, monthly Naien Zindagi, Lail o Nahar, Chattan, Tuloo e Islam, Hamdard digest, weekly Hamdard newspaper and other magazines had been available there at the village, none can even imagine of it in those days. During going through the magazines, I read a wonderful poetry in quarterly Mehran (3/1970). The poetry was a song in Dhatki along with Sindhi translation in poetry. The song was about the inspiration and encouragement of collective farming work – the wonderful and lovely song. Starting of the song is as follows:
اَئو، آئو، ڀائيڙا، آئو کيتريا کيڙان
کيتريئا کيڙي، آئو موتيڙا ميڙان
آئو ، آئو، ڀائيڙا ، آئو
The poet of the song was Saroop Chander Shad. He passed away from this world on 28 March 2021 leaving 11 published books and 3 unpublished manuscripts. He was born in Mithi on 2 January 1937. He did his B A (Honors) and M A (English Literature) from University of Sindh and was selected as a lecturer in English at the age of 25 in 1962 and served at the government colleges of Sanghar, Tando Jan Muhammad and Tando Muhammad Khan. On reaching the superannuation, he retired as a Professor in 1999.
Prof Saroop Chander Shad was not only a poet but also a researcher of good repute. Besides poetry, he did research about the historical places and Sindhi Literature. His published books are as follows:
- Mithi ji Tareekh (History of Mithi) 1956
- Bhodesar joon Kahaniyoon (Stories of Bhodesar) 1957
- Mazmoon Motiyan Jehra (Essays as Pearls) 1961
- Hanuman Chaleeso translation from English into Sindhi 2005
- Miti thee Mahakay (Soil fragrances) 2016
- Mithro Bolan Mor (Peacocks cry sweetly) 2016
- Gaindaseen Gali Gali (Shall sing in every street) 2017
- Chodas Chand Ubhriyo (Arise the full moon) 2017
- Doha Son Sareeka (Golden Couplets) 2017
- Sindhi Boli Ja Sirjanhar Shaair (Leading Poets of Sindhi Language) 2017
- Rinn Bhomi Mein Raand (Playing at Battlefield) 2017
He has written Doha, bait, songs, triplets etc. However, he is a leading poet of songs and Doha. His tone is very touchy and humble. His language is rich and full of poetic expressions. He has written songs on love, patriotism, inspiration, revolution and other themes. He has mentioned historical and geographical sites in his poetry. In one of the songs, he says:
ڪارونجهر جي ڪور مٿي، هو مٺڙو ٻولي مور
ڀلوڙي چِت جو چور
(The sweet peacock is crying on Karoonjhar. It is the thief of my thinking)
ڪارونجهر جي ڪور مٿان، ڀل مور سدائين ٻولي
چنگ بڻي ڀل چڻنگ دُکائي، اندر جي اک کولي
گهور وڃان ڙي گهور،
گهور وڃان ڙي گهور،
ڀلوڙي ٻولي مٺڙو مور
(May the peacock cry forever on the ridges of Karoonjhar. It may ignite fire by becoming a spark and may open the eye of inner self. I may sacrifice over it. I may sacrifice over it. May cry the sweet peacock)
In another song, he expresses about the courage towards truth and revolution. He says:
سوري سجايو ڀلي ڀلي، سچ اسين چونداسين،
سوري آهي سيج، اينداسين، اسين هنس جان هلي هلي،
سچ اسين چونداسين
(May you equip the crucification. We will say the truth. The crucification is the beloved’s bed for us. We will rush there like a swan. We will say the truth)
Beautiful and heart touching Doha written by Prof. Saroop Chander Shad are of great literary importance. Linguistic aesthetics in the couplets reflect the Doha of Miran and tone of Hazrat Amir Khusro. He has depicted same themes in the Doha poetry. He says:
ڌرتي جيجل ماءُ آ، ڌرتيءَ کي پرنام
ڌرتيءَ جا ڳڻ ڳايو، هر صبح هرشام
(The earth is beloved mother. Salute to it; Sing the good characteristics of the earth every morning and evening)
ڌرتي ڌوڙ ته ڪونه آ، ڌرتي لال ڪنوار،
پلجي هيج ٿو هنج ۾ ، هانءَ اندر هٻڪار
(The earth is not only sand. It is a red bridegroom. Love is nurtured in its lap and there is fragrance in its heart)
ڌرتي جهومي جي اگر، جهڙ ڦڙ وسن مينهن،
وڃي ڪدورت ميٽجي، نکري پوي نينهن
(If the earth may dance, it will rain torrentially. All the hate may be erased and love may be refined)
سنڌوءَ جو جل پيتو سامي، پيتو سچل شاه
مون به سنڌو جل پيتو آ، ڏسو نٿا ويساه
(Sami, Sachal and Shah drank the water of Sindhu. I have drunk it too. Look at my confidence)
Besides a Sindhi poet par excellence, Prof Shad has composed beautiful songs and Doha in Dhatki and pioneered the cause of his mother tongue towards a written language. He has reflected on love, patriotism and has tried to inspire the working people as the backbone of economic activity. In the Dhatki song mentioned above, he has given a variety of themes about the hard work, soil, cultivation, rain etc. He says:
اُئو، آئو، ڀائيڙا، آئو کيتريا کيڙان،
کيتريئا کيڙي، آئو موتيڙا ميڙان
آئو ، آئو، ڀائيڙا ، آئو
(Come, come brothers. Let us plough the fields. Come to collect the pearls by ploughing fields, Come, come, brothers, come!)
ڌرتي اسان ري جيجلڙي اهي، ڌرتي نان پرنام
ڌرتي را اسين پوت سپوتر، ڌرم اسان رو ڪام
برڪت وارا هٿ اسان را، جيون رو سڻگار،
نيڻ اسان را نيهه ڀريوڙا، جاتان ماکي لار،
ڏيل اسان رو ڏونگر جهڙو، من اسان رو مائو
آئو آئو ڀائيڙا، آئو
(The earth is our mother. Salute to it!
We are the sons of soil and charity is our job.
Blessed our hands are equipment of life.
Our eyes are full of love and our tales are made of honey.
Our bodies are as of the mountain and mind is like milk-sweet.
Come, come, brothers, come!)
اُتر را تو وٺا ميهولا، اُونڏو لاڳو ريج،
ڇاتي ڇاتي ڇُلڪا کاوي، هينئڙي جاڳيو هيج،
ڏاڻا ارپي ڌرتي ماءَ نان ، ڏيسان رت رو ڀاڻ،
پراسيئان رو پاڻي ڏيسان، ڪرسي ماءَ ڪلياڻ،
خيراتان سڀ ۾ جاوي، محنت ڪري ڪمائو
آئو آئو ڀائيڙا، آئو
(Northern rains rained and it irrigated deeply.
Every chest is blooming and love is sprouted in heart.
By dedicating the grain to mother earth we will give fertilized of blood to it.
We will water the soil with our sweat and the mother will do kalyan.
Shun all the charities and let us earn by hardworking.
Come, come, brothers, come!)
His poetic thought is very beautiful presented in shape of harmonious song melodies and Doha couplets. It contains key terms of Thar, great ideas for love, patriotism and encouragement. Renowned writer, editor and critic Ghullam Muhammad Girami called his poetry as genuine, fluent and steadfast. Many other writers have also mentioned him in their article.
Besides such a beautiful poetry, he has done a good deal of research. He has written profiles of well-known poets quoting examples from their poetry. His research on the Talpur Forts in Thar published in quarterly Mehran (2/1959) can be presented as a good analytical research pertaining to history and archaeology. He has not only used secondary data but also he visited the sites personally and presented his analytical findings. He has analyzed the data given by Mr. Raichand, Mir Hassan Ali, S N Raikes, Gazetteers and oral traditions. He has raised very pertinent questions about the missing of some material from the fort of Naukot and also compared the main gate of the fort with the Shahi gate of Jamia Masjid Dehli.
He has left three manuscripts unpublished for the government bodies established for the purpose and to document the life history and works of a legendary poet and writer. His beloved and only son Dr. Dileep Kumar is a humble person and a very hard working and committed profession. His maternal grandson Dheeraj Soni is a good young Urdu poet and blog writer.
People like Prof Saroop Chander Shad are gems of literary and cultural heritage of Sindhi society.
______________________
About the Author
Noor Ahmed Janjhi is a senior educationist based in Desert District Tharparkar Sindh. He is author of several books in Sindhi and English on folk literature including two poetry books.
