Ahmed Shah and Ayub Sheikh of the Arts Council Karachi have taken a commendable initiative to honour prominent intellectuals and writers from Sindh. On August 2, they organised a commemorative event at the Haseena Moin Hall to pay tribute to Ali Baba – a celebrated Sindhi novelist and writer – who passed away in August 2016 at the age of 76.
Although Arts Councils exist in many cities across Pakistan, few are as consistently active as the Arts Council in Karachi, especially when it comes to recognising literary contributions in national languages. The sheer volume of articles, books, essays, newspapers and TV channels produced in the Sindhi language reflects the Sindh government’s continued support, along with its educational institutions, for the promotion of Sindhi heritage, language and literature. In fact, no other province in Pakistan is championing its regional language in quite the same way.
During the event, several speakers – including Ali Baba’s daughter, his nephew Farooq Rind, Shaukat Ujjan, Dr Makhmoor Bukhari, Dr Amna Soomro, Dr Sher Mehrani, Agha Saeed and Imtiaz Danish – reflected on the life and legacy of the writer. Their remarks provided an excellent overview of Ali Baba’s literary contributions, and this allows me to share with readers the essence of those reflections.
Ali Baba was born in Kotri. His real name was Ali Muhammad Rind, though he seldom used ‘Rind’ publicly. Coming from an extremely modest background, he was unable to complete his formal education and remained largely self-taught. Multiple speakers, especially Dr Makhmoor Bukhari, highlighted the pivotal role of the Kotri Municipal Library in shaping Ali Baba’s intellectual growth. He spent countless hours there from a young age, absorbing knowledge and nurturing his love for reading.
Dr Rushdullah, widely known as Makhmoor Bukhari – himself a renowned Sindhi writer and researcher from Hala (not far from Kotri) – noted that Ali Baba had a sharp, inquisitive mind and made full use of it. By his early twenties, Ali Baba had committed himself entirely to reading and writing, a bold and difficult choice in a country like Pakistan, where such a path rarely ensures financial stability. His daughter recalled how fully aware he was of this challenge, yet he embraced it without hesitation.
Dr Amna Soomro, who completed her doctoral research on celebrated Sindhi poet Anees Ansari, informed the audience that Ali Baba began writing short stories in the 1960s. Her interview with Dr Ayub Sheikh, available on YouTube, is both informative and insightful. In her presentation, she emphasised that Ali Baba evolved into a prolific and versatile writer – producing fiction, radio plays, stage dramas, television scripts and, most importantly, novels. She praised the originality of his work, noting that he developed a distinctive voice and literary style within modern Sindhi literature.
Dr Makhmoor Bukhari reiterated this point, describing Ali Baba as one of the few truly ‘original’ voices in Sindhi fiction. Despite living in near-constant financial hardship, except for a brief period when his dramas gained popularity, Ali Baba remained deeply committed to his craft. Dr Bukhari noted that Baba’s novels and stories frequently spotlighted Sindh’s history and the lives of marginalised communities. Socioeconomic themes permeate much of his work, providing a powerful commentary on the lives of ordinary people in Sindh.
Farooq Rind shared a poignant anecdote: Ali Baba once comforted a cancer patient by telling her he too had battled cancer and survived, a claim he invented solely to give her hope. Though he never had cancer himself, the stories he told gave the woman strength to carry on for many more years. It was a testament to his compassion and the healing power of storytelling.
Dr Sher Mehrani, editor of the monthly journal ‘Sojhro’ and professor at the University of Sindh, briefly discussed Ali Baba’s celebrated short story ‘Dharti Dhikana’ (translated as Uprooted People), which deals with the traumatic consequences of the 1947 Partition. As Dr Bukhari also noted, the Partition and its impact on Sindh were recurring themes in Ali Baba’s work. The story appeared in the October 1972 issue of ‘Agte Qadam’ (Forward Steps), not to be confused with a similarly titled Sindhi music album by Aslam Tunio. The sixth issue of the ‘Agte Qadam’ book series, edited and published by Madad Ali Sindhi in the 1970s, features ‘Dharti Dhikana’ on pages 19 to 25.
Another significant story by Ali Baba is ‘Karoonjhar Jo Qaidi’ (The Prisoner of Karoonjhar), which centres on Sindhi freedom fighter Rooplo Kohli, who resisted British forces in the Karoonjhar mountains of Thar. Ali Baba was also a gifted playwright. His television drama ‘Dungi Manjh Darya’ (Boat Amid the River), which depicted the lives of Indus River fishermen, received international recognition. It was awarded third prize at the Munich Drama Festival in 1981, competing with entries from 92 countries.
One of Ali Baba’s major influences was Naseem Kharal – another towering figure in Sindhi literature – who, although just a year older than Ali Baba, tragically died at the age of 39 in 1978. Baba adapted many of Kharal’s stories for television. He led a bohemian lifestyle but remained uncompromising in his literary vision.
Perhaps the most engaging part of the Karachi event was a detailed discussion of Ali Baba’s novel ‘Mohenjo Daro’ (also spelled Moenjodaro). Both Imtiaz Danish and Shaukat Ujjan spoke about it at length. Imtiaz Danish – an accomplished Sindhi short story writer – read a comprehensive and insightful paper on Ali Baba’s novels. However, its length was perhaps better suited for an academic seminar than a public gathering.
In contrast, Shaukat Ujjan delivered an incisive and spontaneous talk, analysing ‘Mohenjo Daro’ as Ali Baba’s magnum opus. The novel, set around the ancient Indus Valley site, is written in evocative and poetic prose. Ujjan argued that it is arguably the finest modern Sindhi novel, enriched with vivid imagery and layered language. The audience largely agreed with his assessment. Ujjan also explored the mythic undertones of the novel, which resonate deeply with readers.
Another notable work by Ali Baba is ‘Sindbad Jo Safar’, first published by Roshni Publications in 1993. Imtiaz Danish discussed this novel as a prime example of Baba’s expansive imagination and his intimate connection to Sindh’s landscape and history. He noted that the novel’s literary diction is distinguished by rich metaphors and rhythmic flow, deeply rooted in Sindhi folklore and tradition.
Ali Baba did not write for commercial success; he wrote for literary truth. His work consistently focused on the lives of the marginalised, the economically deprived and the socially oppressed. His characters emerged as authentic voices of Sindh’s rural and forgotten communities. He was a fierce critic of feudal oppression, especially in the context of post-Partition Sindh, when many Hindus were compelled to leave the region. The trauma of that era is a recurring theme in much of his most powerful writing.
In every sense, Ali Baba was a writer of resistance, one who masterfully wove together the myths, memories and struggles of Sindh’s past and present.
The writer holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham, UK. He tweets/posts @NaazirMahmood and can be reached at:
mnazir1964@yahoo.co.uk
