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November 20th 1911 is a red-letter day in
the history of Sindhis because on this memorable day, a child by the immortal
name of ‘Ram’ was born into the Zamindar family of Diwan Partabrai
Panjwani in Larkana. By giving birth to Professor Ram Panjwani, the land
of Sindh blessed itself with an exalted personage who sacrificed his youth
to the cause of the literature, culture and society of Sindhi people.
He pursued hard, night and day behind his motive of preserving the heritage
and spiritual life of Sindhis in a time of darkness and despair. His presence
was as majestic as the Himalayas and as sustaining as the Sindhu.
Sindh has given birth to many
singers and saints who, by principle and practice, guided the community
into a fruitful and pious living. Many poets and singers have shared their
joys and sorrows with the masses; many orators have kept the audience
spellbound; however Prof Ram Panjwani has been something more – blessed
with remarkable talents in the field of poetry, singing and writing, he
was an epitome in himself. He was an orator beyond comparison, well versed
in Persian, Hindi, English, Urdu and Punjabi, besides his native Sindhi.
Prof Panjwani was a scholar among scholars. Rarely has nature bestowed
so many of her gifts on one person. No wonder people often say that providence
had been indulgent to him. He laboured with the dedication of a reformer
and worked with the devotion of an educationist. Prof. Panjwani was not
an individual but an institution in himself.
Apart from being a great writer, Prof Panjwani’s uniqueness lies
in the fact that he was a great singer and a man of a generous heart.
With his serene voice, he has charmed many a generations and with his
noble heart he has helped a great many displaced and poor persons. He
won appreciation and applause of the entire community for his innate qualities
of the head and heart. He enjoys a unique
place in the hearts of all Sindhis across the globe, and this is due to
the tireless efforts he undertook while making it possible for all members
of the community to rediscover their cultural identity. Ram Panjwani’s
name has become a household name in all Sindhi families. He is respected
and loved for the sincere purpose he pursued in life while his amiable
nature reflects the essential goodness of the heart.
Many Sindhis describe him as the ‘Rose in the garden of India.’
His versatile writings has left an indelible mark on Sindhi literature.
He wrote a number of poems, plays, short stories, novels, and essays-
in fact there is no stream of literature, which has not gained from his
illustrious performance as an author. It was in recognition of this, fact
that, he was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award
in 1964 for his work in Anokha Azmooda.
Recognising Prof Panjwani’s individual greatness in the field of
Sindhi literature and language and his countless services to his brethren
and country, the Government of India bestowed upon him the coveted honour
of ‘PADMASHREE’ in the year 1981, the only Sindhi poet and author
to have won this distinction.
Ever since he arrived in India after the partition, he tried to weld
the Sindhi community into an integrated whole and to graft it on the parent
body of India. This was the dream that upheld him through his early struggles.
As a result of his untiring efforts the Sindhi language was listed into
the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution. He was instrumental in
paving the way for the preservation and progress of Sindhi literature
and culture. He ceaselessly and tirelessly propagated all that is best
in Sindhi Sufi thought and the Indian philosophy of unity in diversity
and of universal brotherhood.
Prof Panjwani had the unique gift of attracting
the young and old alike; and he was at ease everywhere; always his own
inimitable self, whether with the mighty or the susceptible. He could
charm an audience and hold it spellbound for hours with his enchanting
melodies and witty anecdotes spiced with couplets from Sindhi, Urdu and
Persian poetry. In his writings, he always lashed out at the evils that
infect society.� He was a true devotee of culture and during his lifetime
set up a centre for the maintenance, preservation, and promotion of folk
culture and art of all the regions in India. He established the cultural
centre ‘Sita Sindhu Bhavan.’ This was the dream that upheld
him through his early days of struggle. This cultural centre now stands
as a monument to the old adage – the dreams of today and the realities
of tomorrow.
It has been said that some are born great; others achieve greatness
while greatness is thrust on even others. But this dictum is not applicable
to Prof Panjwani. In the words of H.K Sajnani, “He was not born great;
he was born to simple unsophisticated parents. He has done nothing to
achieve greatness. All that he has done is to be himself, to live in conformity
with the inner urge within him. And greatness has not been thrust on him.
It has come to him, stealthily, unobtrusively like twilight illuminating
and strengthening the dawn of another day. Prof Panjwani is great because
he was himself; simple, austere, dedicated to the services of his community
and of people in general, a bringer of hope to the hopeless, courage to
those who cower in the darkness of their misery and succour to those whom
society has ignored. The entire community owes a great deal to this man.
He was many things to many people, writer, poet,
teacher, dramatist, musician and linguist but to himself he was only one
thing. A man, albeit a man who has loved in life and lived in love. Early
in his life, he learnt the art of living and loving. He understood that
a full life no matter how short its duration is after all the essence
of completeness. Thankfully, Professor Ram Panjwani imparted this art
to three of his following generations. That is how tradition lives. Passing
it on.
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