Are human values real or abstract?

Rawalpindi : Writers at a book launch ceremony argued over the future of humanity in the wave of rapid technological changes.

Author Hameed Shahid said that overtly changing world has covertly changed the mechanism of human mind, and the process is still carried on. While, Poet Dr. Waheed Ahmed stressed for the need of realism in literature to keep humans intact with humanity.

They were speaking to a launching ceremony of Urdu short stories “Soch Darwazy: Afsanay aur Kahanian” written by Saeed Akhtar Malik here at a hotel.

“Fiction is about documenting reality. For a fiction writer, task is to disregard whatever is against the reality. This is how human values can be saved,” Hameed Shahid said while presiding over the event.

Chief Guest Dr. Waheed Ahmed found roots of depicting village life in short stories by Saeed Akhtar Malik into the works of legendry writer Munshi Prem Chand.

“Depicting village life does not only express love with homeland but, also connects reader with a reality which is already on the verge of loss,” he said. He also said that “Soch Darwazy” is an impressive example of short-form Urdu short stories with deeper meanings.

The event was organized by literary organization Wah Cultural Forum and was moderated by poet Shoaib Hamesh.

Saeed Akhtar Malik while speaking about his own work said, “It all comes from nowhere. I write, what I observe, experience and feel in life.”

He also read a few excerpts out of his book. And, said with admission that, “…even that goat herder is me. The real me. I did it - goat herding - when I was young.”

Poet Rana Saeed Doshi in his paper noted that truth in a work of literature can be even bigger than the truth of real life.

“Writer observes life, expunges untruth out of it and put only truth on paper,” the paper said.

In his paper, critic Dr. Asad Mustafa stated that Saeed Akhtar Malik’s short stories are full of life, and their characters are taken out of real life which surrounds the writer himself.

Whereas, Zain ul Islam in his paper noted that stories in “Soch Darwazy” urge for to embrace forgotten human values, before humans go ahead with robotic future.