Lack of literary culture leads to intolerance, violence: Raza Rabbani

Islamabad

Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani Sunday said it seemed that a deliberate attempt was being made to strangulate culture of literature and poetry in the society.

He said it will ultimately lead to a culture of intolerance and violence. He expressed these views at the first Urdu Literary Festival organized by Perveen Shakir Trust in connection with 39th anniversary of poetic collection ‘Khushboo’ of Perveen Shakir.

He said that history was replete with examples when poets like Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Habib Jalib stood against dictatorships and authoritarian rules and their poetry led to emergence of new movements.

Unfortunately culture of literature was eventually abandoned in the society, he added. Rabbani said literature did promote new thinking tolerance and compassion in a society. The Chairman Senate said rural areas are facing hardships due to lack of basic facilities and urban centers were apparently in a race for power.

Chairperson of Perveen Shakir Trust Parveen Qadir Agha highlighted the objectives of the Trust and said that Urdu poetry festival was unique and first of its kind by celebrating book launching of ‘Khushboo’ authored by Parveen Shakir in 1977 in Karachi.

She said the Trust is vigorously promoting protecting and preserving her poetry and Urdu literature. Later on Chairman Senate also distributed seven ‘Aks-e-Khushboo’ Awards to literary figures and lauded the excellent arrangements made in this regard. The event was attended by noted literary figures journalists writers poets and people from different walks of life.