by: Ahmed-Makhdoom, London, U.K.
A wonderful young man from my motherland, an illustrious and brilliant son of Jeejal Sindhrree, Joji Shaikh Saaeen, may Lord reward him for his Sindhyat and Sindhiness, sent me a video of an old nostalgic Sindhi folk song:پيزين پوندي سان چوندي سان Peirein Pawandee Saan..
Beautiful rendition of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s Peirein Pawandee Saan, Chawandee Saan – an immortal and immaculate Sindhi folk song – ably and comfortably sung by Renu Gidoomal and beautifully and decently presented in a dance form by a young Sindhi girl. Thses were the Sindhis, who are not living in their motherland, – they live in India. Still, they have not forgotten their beautiful heritage and what their culture is, traditions, norms, practices, principles and decent ways of life are.
Like a true Sindhi, Saainni Renu gave a beautiful rendition of ‘peirein pawandee saan,’ that brought age-old memories trickling by, when I used to go to the shrine of Bhittai Saaeen and listen to the faqeers of the Bhittai darbaar. At one such pilgrimage to the shrine, I was in company of Madam Annemarie Schimmel, according to her, a true “joggiaannee” and “faqeeriyaannee” of SaaIeen Bhitai ghottu. She used to call me ‘Cactus of Thar’ (Thooharr)
On that occasion, too, she asked me, “Thooharr, can you ask faqeer saaeen to sing, ‘peirein pawandee saan, chawandee saan‘?” She was mesmerised by this song and with quivering voice and tears wailing from her eyes she started to sing in whispers along with the noble faqeers. She was a foremost, formidable and famous admirer of Bhittai Saaeen, and used to refer to him as her ‘murshid.’
Years after listening to faqeers sing that song, hearing and watching Renu sing in her melodious and rhythmic voice and with such enthusiasm, candor and pride, in the Video, brought back those memories. The song had an added touch – a young Sindhi niyaannee dancing a Jhumir (typical Sindhi dance) that really made my day. Both Saaiinni Renu and that young niyaannee were precisely following our Sindhi culture and norms and adhering to our principles and traditions.We salute you, Oh, purebred, true, dedicated children of Jeejal Sindhrree. But, can same thing be said for the Sindhis in Sindh?
No, I am sorry, we cannot say the same for Sindhis in Sindh, where the children of Jeejal Sindhrree, especially the Burger generations living in High Societies of Karachi and Hydearbad, feel pride in speaking in alien languages – hate speaking in sweet Sindhi language – hate Sindhi songs and music, they know Alien poets more than they know Bhittai and Sachal – this is a great tragedy unfolding in the birthplace of Sindhyat and Sindhiness, the Cradle of Civilisation, Sindh.
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