Conference on Sindh’s history, culture held

SUKKUR: A three-day international conference on “Sindh: History & Culture” concluded on Wednesday.
The conference was jointly organized by the Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, and the National Institute of Historical & Cultural Research, Centre of Excellence, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, at the SALU in Khairpur.
On the final day of the conference, various scholars from across the country and abroad presented their research papers on culture, history, literature, languages, Sufism, freedom movement, economy, gender and politics.
Prof. Dr Parveen Shah, Vice Chancellor of Shah Abdul Latif University, presided over the concluding session of the conference while Prof. Dr Ghulam Asghar Channa, Vice Chancellor, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University, Larkana, was the chief guest.
Speaking at the concluding session, Dr Parveen Shah said that Sindh is a very rich land culturally and historically; when we talk about its history it goes back thousands of years, from the Stone Age to the historical period.
The great British archaeologist, Allchin, was able to find bulk of stone tools from the Rohri Hills. Apart from the Stone Age, there was the great Indus Civilization, a starting point of the history of Sindh.
Prof. Dr Ghulam Asghar Channa, while addressing as the chief guest, said scholars were the surgeons of history.Dr Channa said history and social sciences were an integral part of development.
He cited the example of Moen-Jo-Daro as a planned city in terms of providing basic amenities. Though, at that time, there was no Planning Commission, yet the inhabitants of this civilization were civilized.
To create awareness among the masses for love and ownership of heritage, there is a need for trained, polished, groomed, historians and cultural analysts who would in future explore and maintain cultural legacy and promote tourism; to enhance and improve the economy to strengthen the tourism industry with eco-tourism and cultural tourism.
On the occasion, Prof. Dr Parveen Shah decorated the guests with the Sindhi traditional Ajraks. Shields were also distributed among the scholars. Later on the delegates paid a visit to Kot Diji Fort, the Shrine of Sachal Sarmast and Moen-Jo-Daro.