G.M. MEHKRI WRITES TO ME: (DR. DUR MUHAMMAD PATHAN)

 

I founded Gul Hayat Institute at my Village Khair Muhammad Arija, in 1990. My senior friends very kindly remained in my touch and started appreciating my new move. Dr. G.M. Mehkri was one of them. On 6th of June 1991, he sent me letter and that is reproduced here as it covers so many things: His vision & wisdom, love for new trends and moral support for me.

 

My Dear Dr. Dur Muhammad Pathan

Great congratulations. May your work become the seed of manysuch deliberately small, highly local, intensively interesting, deeply rootedcooperatively uphold (generation after generation )educational, cultural andhistorical institutions, all over Sindh.
You have so already very discrestly avoided the magile maniaof trying to build, like the honey – bee, from top to bottom. Institutions likehuge and hollow drums are excellent for making noise that they are there. Frombottom to top is what the ever enduring pyramids.
As you know all too well, the Research work being turned outby the Institute of Sindhology could be stepped up a thousand fold, is SindhScholars, writers, even the socalled ILLITERATE poets from all over Sindh couldbecome part and parcel of the group – thinking of the Institute.
I was amazed at the sight of venerable Savants in rags, thevery heart and soul of Sindhi literary and poetic culture, who attended thegreat seminar held, because of the labours of Dr.Abbasi, some years back, atKhairpur. Neither they knew theexistence of the Institute of Sindhology, nor knew of their existence. Theycame from the remote villages and goths of Sindh, with Sindhi culture andthought as their only asset; but ignored just because they had not adnornedthemselves with tinsil degrees. Often degrees in ignrance, and worse,confusing.
Think, just think about Homer & Shakespere being ignoredjust because they were not degree holders !!!
For the enduring work, the real leaders do their best tocreate leadership around them. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan surrounded himself withpeople greater than himself in their respective fields, Hali, a greaterpoet, a gtreater historian, a greater organiser etc etc. Soalso Mahatma Gandhi surronded himself wit a greater internationalist, Valabhai Patel, a greater organisers,greater economists so on. Much earlier, Akbar surrounded himslf with hisimmortal Nauratans. He did not at all hesitate to embrace the Revenue Ministerof Sher Shah himself, Raja Todarmal, as his own Finance Minister. All that hewanted was that his work should outlast him.
“There is not even eight man to Jinnah in his Muslim League”recoerded Reverly Nechols in his book “Verdict On India”. Because Jinnahtolerated only the Ninth Raters, his Muslim League was deeply buried along withhim.
Today’s enduring leadership consists in building up a strongstructure of trained leadership behind. A pyramid, and not a bee – hive. Frombottom to top. Otherwise Institutions built with all love and care, get buried alongwith their Founders.
You Dr. Dur Muhammad Pathan, have built up Gul Hayat . Sureyou want it to long long outlive you. This can only be done by developingleadership inspired by you in the services of larkanians and Sindh. Dur Muhammad you do notwant it to be a mushroom, like a many others, with not even a tomb –stone. Keepthe UNESCO and SIMTHSONIAN INSTITUTE regularly informed of your wondeful work.The Folk architecture of Sindh is fast getting wiped out. Sindh isbecoming VANASING SINDH. OnlyInstitutions like yours can help delay the destruction. Make extensive use ofphotography, even in a small way. In your Institution, kindly give extensivelectures on the Culture os Sindh, and also most specially in Sindhi language in various Sindhitowns and Goths. Copy the manner in which the Roman catholics in your towns andvillages build their cherches.
Dr.Dur Muhammad Pathan should be remembered a hundred years,hence, in the same way as Sir Syed Ahmad is remembered today. Entrust differentphases of your vast work to differententhusiastics . Give them the freest of hands to develop their own creativity.
Due to age and disease, I have become cripple. So, I can notvisit your Institute. If you happen to be in Karachi, kindly do try to see me.Cultivate Press Publicity as much as you can and publish News Letter also.

Yours Sincerely

G.M. Mehkri