SINDH CULTURE DEPARTMENT NEGLECTED SASUI PUNHOON GRAVE

By Dr Ali AKbar Dhakan, Karachi, Sindh

The Persian poet Hafiz says, “the pen lacks the tongue or the power to reproduce the story of love.In fact even the craving for union is beyond expression”. For Sasui, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai says, ” At appearance got griefs, at maturity lost happiness, these both events of sourceless girl met with misfortunes”. Sasui was a daughter of Brihman of Rohri side who was thrown in the Indus on some prediction of having unfortunate fate girl but God, the creator saved her life and was picked up from the ocean by the washerman (Dhobi) of Bhambhore near Gharo distt. Thatta. God gifted her a beautiful and cheerful structure of body and was as white as snow and sun . She got maturity in the washerman`s (Dhobi’s) house who reared her as his own daughter. At last a man namely Punhoon of Baloch tribe from Balochistan married her but his father namely Ari, the King of Ketch Balochistan did not agree with this marriage of his son with some girl of low caste and instructed his other sons to go to Bhambhore and get Punhoon back home at any cost and trick.

They visited Punhoon as his guests and took him on their camels in the night by intoxicating him and his wife Sasui.In the morning Sasui could not see his Punhoon and his brothers.She understood their trickly intentions to intoxicate them for fleeing away Punhoon. She, then could not bear her husband`s seperation and atlast left Bhambhor to reach her destination of meeting her beloved Punhoon despite instructions and admonitions of all her sympathisers.She alone took very dangerous mountanious and dark dingy paths to ketch Makran through crossing very thorny, stony and sandy routes through Gadap and Hab areas of Sindh and Baloauchsitan.Agha M.Yakoob in his Shah jo Risalo says,” Sasui detected the mishap at dawn.Like a chaste and faithful wife she followed Punhoo`s party on foot.She was not accompanied by her adopted parents or friends.She covered long and tedious distance in a dangerous tract; and after crossing the Pub mountain she, reached the Harho range.She could not proceed further due to Phor river being in spate.Hence she had to retrace her steps to the previous halt.There she, was accosted by a beastly goatherd, who intended to molest her.Finding no possible human soccour Sasui prayed to Allah for protection.The hard ground under her feet caved in and she was swallowed in the cavity.Seeing the miracle, the goatherd repented sincerely, and to make amends for his intended misconduct, he made a grave in the site and became its custodian.

Pub is a word that connot Love and devotion.It is a range of sedimentary mountains, possibly it got this name after Sasui`s tragedy.At the other end Punhoo had no peace of mind at Kech. He languished and soon became an invalid.Under the circumstances his father was constrained to allow him to go back to Bhambhore.During his return journey Punhoo happened to pass by the site where Sasui had met her meraculous death.In the course of exchange of news, the goatherd informed the incident.Punhoo was beside himself at the news.He prayed to Allah to unite him with Sasui.Again the ground cleft and he disappeared in the bowels of the earth.Thus ended the tragic drama of Sasui and Punhoon.

Sasui`s resting place is said to be about 45 miles away in the Pub range to the west of Karachi.A local man of importance, Haji Muhammad, constructed in1980, a plain mausoleum over the joint grave of Sasui and Punhoon.It is often visited by tourists.

In order to pay my homage to real and true lovers, on 25th Januarary 2009, I alongwith my brother Liaqat Ali Dhakan, Haji Hassan Ali, Naseer Dogar and some Baloch friends of Gadap, visited Sasui`s mazar but I felt ashamed that no road, no electricity no other amenities were provided by both Sindh and Balochistan governments.Now, I want to invite our energetic lady Sindh culture Minister sister Sasui Paleejo, the namesake of our legend Sasui, the symbol of natural and true Love, faithfulness, royality and loyality to announce Annual Real and Natural Love conference at Sasui Punhoon Mazar and declare this hero lady of Sindh as a symbol of Sacredness and Success and make available necessary funds to erect new mausoleum of Sasui Punhoon with necessary Civic amenities so that a new city of Sasui can be established with the announcement of establishment of new Industries like marble, cottage, handicrafts and agrobased development schemes.

In the end I want to express feelings of Shah Abdul latif Bhittai for true lovers,(1) “Sooner or later I have got to go to the beloved.My lord! Do not waste performances of the workers.kindly be so gracious to me that I may meet the Baloch during my life time.(2)Sasui has willingly accepted and undertaken the journey in wildnerness for the sake of her beloved.(or) Welcome is Sasui to undertak this jouney in wilderness for her beloved.Water seeks those who maintain thirst within themselves.(3)Love originates in the heart of the beloved.If the lamp were not to burn, how can a moth consume himself?