د حنان قلم · Khushal khan Khattak Says: ) O Khushal! The selected servant of God is the...

TAKATOO Issue 5Volume 3 January - June 2011

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Bilingual / Bi-Annual Pashto English Research Journal

TAKATOO

Chief Editor:

Dr. Naseebullah Seemab

Editor: Javed Iqbal Iqbal

Department of Pashto University of Balochistan, Quetta.

E-mail: [email protected]


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Department of Pashto University of Balochistan, Quetta.

ISSN: 2075-5929

Chief Editor:

Dr. Naseebullah Seemab

Editor: Javed Iqbal Iqbal

Co- Editors; Faizullah Panaizi

Qari Abdul Rehman

Barkat Shah Kakar

Composer: Hafiz Rehmatullah Niazi

Editorial Board:

1. Abdul Karim Baryalai, Retired, Govt Civil Servant.

2. Prof. Dr. Parvez Mehjoor, Associate Prof. Department of

Pashto University of Peshawar.

3. Dr. Abdul Razaq Palwal, Kandahar, Afghanistan

4. Dawood Azami, Program Manager, BBC UK, London.

5. Dr. Nasrullah Wazir, (Ph.D) Assistant Prof. Department

of Pashto, University of Balochistan, Quetta.

6. Abdul Ghafoor Lewal, President Regional Study Centre

Afghanistan.

7. Dr. Feroz Qaisar, Director, English Language Centrr,

University of Balochistan, Quetta.

8. Dr. Khushal Rohi, Germany


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Dear authors, co-authors and readers it is to share with great

pleasure that the Department of Pashto, University of Balochistan,

Quetta is publishing the Bilingual/Bi-Annual Pashto/English

Research Journal "TAKATOO" since January, 2009. The

Department has regularly published four issues within due time,

and has fulfilled all the pre-requisites, on the basis of which the

Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) has recognized

the Research Journal "TAKATOO" vide letter No. DD/SS&H

/JOOR/ 2011/ 112 dated 24th

August, 2011.

No part of the material published in this journal be copied,

reproduced or printed with out the prior permission of the Editor.

Disclaimer:

Authors of the published material have their independent

perspective, agreement of the journal is not necessary to be the

same.


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Guidelines for Contributors

TAKATOO, Department of Pashto University of Balochistan,

Quetta welcomes papers in English and Pashto on Pashto language,

literature, history, art and culture. Manuscript should not exceed

7000 words (including end notes and references). Quotations from

foreign texts must be translated in the body of the paper, and

accompanied by the original in the endnotes. The author‟s name, e-

mail and mailing addresses and institutional affiliation should

appear on a separate title page. Each paper in Pashto / English is to

be preceded by an 80-100 worded abstract in English. Submission

for concideration for publication in Takatoo, 2 hard coppies and a

soft copy, may please be mailed to the Editor.

Paper in English must be in accordance with the MLA / APA style.


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List of contributors:

1. Prof. Dr. Yar M. Maghmoom Edward College Peshawar

2. Dr.Mian Sohil Insha Incharge of Leprosy Ward Govt. Lady

Reading Hospital, Peshawar

3. Dr. Nasrullah Wazir Assistant Prof, Department of Pashto,

UoB, Quetta

Qari Abdul Rehman Kakar Lecturer Department of Pashto

U.O.B Quetta

4. Dr. Hanif Khalil Assistant Prof , (NIPS), Quaid-e-Azam

University, Islamabad

.5. Dr. Abdullah Jan Abid Chairman, Department of Pakistani

Languages, Allama Iqbal Open University

Islamabad

Muhammad Sheeraz Ph.D Scholar Department of English

International Islamic University Islamabad

6. Dr. Naseebullah Seemab Assistant Professor, Department of

Pashto, UoB, Quetta.

7. Dr. Irfan Khattak Lecturer Govt. Post Graduate College Mardan

8. Dr.Ali Khail Daryab Lecturer Govt Degree College Batkhella

Malakand

9. Jan Alam Assistant Professor, Govt Degree College

Thana Malakand

10. Ismail Gohar Lecturer (Pashto) International Islamic

University Islamabad

11. Yousaf Jazab Lecturer Govt Degree College Ghazni

Khell Laki Marwat

12. Dr. Javed Iqbal Lecturer, Department of Pashto,

UoB, Quetta

13. Hafiz Rehmat Niazi M.Phil Scholar Department of Pashto,

UoB, Quetta

Faizullah Panezai Assistant Professor, Department of Pashto,

UoB, Quetta


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Contents

S..No. Researcher Title Page

1 Prof. Dr. Yar Muhammad

Maghmoom Khattak

Sufic poetry and the reformation of

Society

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2 Dr. Hanif Khalil

Kakaji Sanobar Hussain Mohmand An

Everlasting Personality

02

3 Dr. Abdullah Jan Abid

Muhammad Sheeraz

Hao kana: Minimal Recipientship in

Pashto Conversations

06


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Sufic poetry and the reformation of Society

Prof. Dr. Yar Muhammad Maghmoom Khattak

Abstract Peace and harmony tends to disappear from our

societies gradually. This paper throughs light on the essence of

Mysticism in dealing with the inherent and outward onrest in

human being and societies. The message of Mysticism that is

patience, tolerance, love of diversity, selflessness and unconditional

love have been elaborated through the lense of the Mystic in

classical poiets of Pashto classical literature.

Modern society is passing through severe crisis and the future

seems to be uncertain and confusing. This has always been a

challenge for sensitive minds to analyze the reasons and suggest

solutions to the crisis.

Various groups such as scientists, politicians and priestly

peoples have addressed these crises using different techniques. The

Sufis have also played a remarkable role in the reformation of

society. This fact struck me during my Ph.D study which I

conducted on the “Rowshanites and Pashto literature in the year

1991-1995. The Rowshanites (The illuminated ones) are the

descendants and followers of the famous Pashtoon mystic writer,

Bayazid Ansari, popularly known as Pir Rowshan” (The illuminated

spiritual Guide)

I found out during this study that the methodology of Sufic

literature is a powerful tool which can be used for interfaith

harmony, mutual and peaceful co-existence and for the promotion

of universal values such as love, peace, justice, tolerance,

moderation and interaction.

Sufis lay stress on purification of self and forbid selfishness,

greed, avarice and hatered. The popular Sufi poet Abd_ur_Rahman

Baba says in this connection


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(1)

(The bubble‟s eyes first became shameless.

Then burst like a blister in the ocean of malevolence.

Tighten your belt, endure starvation.

Don‟t expect fate to provide you food.

Whoever expects fate to grant him Love,

He would do better to consider it a plague)

The popular Sufi poet and the strong follower of Bayazid‟s

mystic philosophy Arzani Kheshki advises to abstain from

Suspicion. He Says,

"

(2)

(Your heart is the mirror of the truth.

Take it out of the filth.

The filth is your dark suspicion.

And the darkness of suspicion is very bad.

One who puts on the dress of suspicion,

He becomes mischievious forever.

Remove the darkness of suspicion, (doubt)

Kindle the lamp of faith (certainty)

They renuniciate all selfish pleasures as it is said : “It is Sufism

to put away what thou hast in thy head, to give what thou hast in thy

hand and not to recoil from whatsoever befalls thee.”(3)

The Sufis devote themselves and what they possess to Allah,

the Almighty. They never show interest in the temporal world.

Khushal khan Khattak who although was not a practical Sufi but

knew much about Sufism, Says:


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"

(4)

( O God ! Give Khushal the death of a person,

Who does not have clothes to be left to the washer of dead bodies)

Among the leaders of the Sufis were Hassan-al- Basri, Wasil

Bin Ata, Ibrahim Bin Adham, Maruf Karkhi, Omar ibn-ul-Farid ,

Mansoor-al-Hallaj, Jalal-ud-din Rumi and Rabiah-al-Basri. Rabiah

was devoted to the love of Allah to such an extent that she used to

say that there was no place left in her heart for love and hatred of

anybody else except the love of Allah.(5)

The Sufis expressed themselves in the language of love. For

them the divine reality is first of all the limitless object of desire.

The object of spiritual love is divine Beauty which is an aspect of

infinity and through this object desire become lucid and clear. It is

highly significant that there is hardly a single Muslim metaphysist

who did not compose poetry and whose most abstract prose is not in

some passages transformed in to rhythmic language full of poetic

images while; on the other hand the poetry of the most famous

hymners of love such as Omar Ibn-al-Farid, Jalal-ul-Din Rumi and

Rehman Baba is rich in intellectual perceptions.

The great Spanish Sufi and the expounder of wahdat-ul-wajood

(unity of being), Muhyi-ud-Din Ibn-e-Arabi considers love to be the

highest station of the soul and sub-ordinates to it every possible

human perfection. Abu Yazid –al-Bistami was so involved in the

love of Allah, that he founds his being with the being of Allah, the

Almighty.

The Sufis believing in the “Unity of Being” looked at Allah with

love and fervor and they did not look at Him with fear and awe.

Although the great thinker Pashto poet Ghani Khan was not a

practicing Sufi, yet he has composed many verses on Sufism. He says:

(6)


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(Lest my love goes out of the limits of respect,

O God! Guide me. To what extent should I make you my friend

and how much I should call you the God) The first romantic and the

great Sufi poet Mirza Khan Ansari Says:

(7)

(All my love is with my beloved (God).

And now my love with Him changed in to the love of Him with me).

Another Romantic and Sufi poet Wasil Rokhani explains this

subject as follows:

(8) "

(The heart of the Gnostic is unwavering.

As he knows that the first and last is God).

Khushal khan Khattak Says:

7)

O Khushal! The selected servant of God is the one,

Who is exalted by the God due to his knowledge about Him.

When my beloved (God) made me a friend of Himself,

He turned me from others away)

Abdul Qadir khan Khattak son of Khushal Khan Khattak was a

good mystic poet and eloquant writer. He says:

02)

(I enjoy looking at the face of the one (God) in

everything of the world. Therefore I rejoice while

others laments)


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The philosophy of Unity of being tells us that there exists

nothing in the universe except one being (God). This conception is

very old. The great Persian poet Jalal-ud-Din Rumi explains this

theory as: “Not being is the mirror of being, being can only be seen

in not-being” 00

This theory says that the relation between the world and God

was one of the identity, and the worship of everything whatsoever

is the worship of God, because the infinite being is an ocean of

existence from which the waves of the phenomena arise only to sink

back into it and their being and not being are identical. Except

having some minor differences, almost all the mystics of this

philosophy agree on its basic principles. Shankaracharya among the

Hindus, Plato among the Greeks, Plotinus among the Christians and

Shaikh Muhyi-ud-Din (Ibn-e-Arabi) among the Muslims are the

Great elaborators of “Unity of Being”. When writing his

commentary on the Holy Quran, Ibn-e-Arabi approached the subject

from the same angle, from which shankaracharya had interpreted

the Gita. This doctrine mainly corresponds to Vedantism.

Majority of Indians Sufis adopted this philosophy during the

middle ages. But it must be kept in mind that Sufis were attracted to

this philosophy mostly because it was in line with their own ideas

and attitudes.

Wahdat-ul-Wajood teaches humanistic values. This is because

its metaphysics imply that there is unity if oneness in all that exists.

The differences, disagreements and divisions among human beings,

ideas and all that exist are illusory. They come into being only when

we look at things, matters in a limited and biased perspective and

fail to see their true reality. If all differences are illusory, then it

clearly means that mutual difference of human beings, creeds and

culture are also superficial. They are absurd in the ultimate sense.

I selected more than twenty Sufi poets for my study. They

preached a direct and personal relationship between man and God

over religious, ritualistic and abstract forms. Their preaching

provided the metaphysical basis of accepting dissent and treating

others with tolerance. They all had liking for music and did not

agree with the religious scholars who believed that Islam has no

patience for it. They thought the people who did not relish a

beautiful voice or music and melody are either liars or hypocrite


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and considered the people having no aesthetic sense and taste even

worse than animals and cattle.

Bayazid Ansari (the founder of Rowshani Movement) had

shown great sensitiveness and sentiments towards music, and made

contribution to the improvement of music. He had contributed in

producing new tunes in music. He also improved the rhythm of the

tunes. Following Bayazid, his descendants, and followers also made

great contributions in the field of music. Most of them were experts in

music, and were fond of listening to it.

According to “Halnamah” when the poet khwaja Muhammad,

the elder brother of Ali Muhammad Mukhlis, and a disciple of

Bayazid reached Khyber from Peshawar, and met the leaders of

Shinwari tribe, he had musicians with him; they used to hold

musical meetings for Khwaja Muhammad.

Ahdad, (the grandson of Bayazid) used to hold musical

meetings during the travels and sojourns, nights and days,

wakefulness and even when he was sleeping. When Ahdad would

go to his bedroom, he would make a place for “Qawalan”

(choristers) besides his bedroom had used to listen to music. One of

the choristers named Hassan asked Ahdad: "It is not justice that you

are sleeping, and we are holding music all the night.” Ahdad said: I

hear music while I am sleeping. The chorister inquired about his

claim and it proved true".(12)

The Sufi promoted the flexible system of thought. They gave a

message of harmony among the diverse religious communities.

They tried to counter the oppression of what we now term as

Fundamentalism.

Arzani Kheshki says:

01)


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(there is only one God existing in the front, back, right, left, up

and down directions.

The music of harp and violin praise only one god.

There can be heard only one sound (song) in the music of lute

and harp.

There illuminates only one lamp.

Which is hidden from the squint- eyed man

The light of the same lamp reaches the superior as well as the

inferior people).

Rehman Baba says in this connection:

02)

(This is the appearance of my beloved (God).

Which is seen like a radiance in church and temple).

The popular Rowshanite poet Karim Dad describes this point as follows:

"

03

(The Muslims and Hindus are the incarnate of the one God.

Both the rites (wearing the cross thread by Hindus and telling

the beads by Muslims) are performed to praise God.

This one and the only origin has reached the number of

thousands.

All the skills which seem today are the results of the skill of one

goldsmith (God).

The garland of the flowers of various kinds are stringed on one

thread).


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They promoted the true spirit of humanistic values regardless to

the religion, class, color and race. The ultimate goal of religion

before them is selfless love for human beings. They sought the

reconciliation of God in service to mankind, cleansing from sin,

renunciation of the world and subduing of the ego.

The famous Sufi poet Amir Hamza Shinwari says in his poem

“insaniyat” (humanity):

04

(If you refused to lift the heavy load of life,

You will be in trouble,

In this world you are not comfortable.

Because you wish to get the collective world for yourself.

Your nature compels you to do the impossible things,

Therefore being a human being, your ambitions make you a

beast

When God is the host of this world and not you what you do

you lose,

You are a guest in this world, why you are sad to see the guests

in same house.

Your actions will be considered according to the laws of Islam.

If you eat the meal together with other human beings

O man eater (human being) you forgot the principles of your

religion (Islam)

It advises you to be a good human being.


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They gave preference to the rules that govern man`s

relationship with men rather than the rules in relation to God. This

good nature is termed as humanity which includes helping the

needy and serving others before self. Rehman Baba says:

05

(Come on! Don`t be cruel to anyone.

This brief life is wasted without loyality.

If you give just one grain into the hand of a hungry one.

This very thing will become your provision for the future.

If you give a single drop of water to the thirsty.

It will become a river between you and the hell.

This is the market for anyone to profit and trade.

In the next world there is neither profit nor trade.

If you can grasp it, today is the time for friends.

Friends should be devoted to one another

If there is life in this world, it is this

That is spent with others in laughter

What is really hard is to mend the hearts

The profit and loss of the world is a simple thing


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Regard others as you do yourselves.

For every one is like you).

Khwaja Muhammad Bangash says in this connection:

06

(Don`t break the hearts, they are like Rubies of Badakhshan.

It is very difficult to unite the broken hearts again).

They rebuked violent and revengeful people and adopted a path

of mercy. They followed the principles of doing good for bad.

The following couplets of Rehman Baba and Khushal Khan

Baba are worth mentioning here. Rehman Baba says:

07

(if another does you harm, do him good.

For every tree that bears fruit is stonned)

Khushal Baba says:

02

(the tree that bears fruit is always stonned.

Look! What does the tree give in reward).

They composed poetry against social evils and against the “nufs”

(carnal lower nature) because uncontrolled “nufs” drags man away

from the higher rank of humanity. To control the impatient “nufs” they

laid stress on patience, contentment and abstinence from luxury and

enjoyment. Although their poetry has not received a remarkable

scholarly attention by the non Pushtoon scholars yet some Orientalists

the prominent among them being Sir Olaf Caroe, Dupree, Raverty,

Morgensterne and Jens Enevoldsen have to some extent discussed their

poetry.


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References

(1) Deewan-e-Abd_ur_Rahman Baba, Mian Syed Rasool Rasa(ed)

(Peshawar: University Book Agency, 1947) (Here after cited

Deewan-e-Rehman Baba)

(2) Deewan-e- Mullah Arzani (MNS) No 937 Library of Pashto Academy,

Peshawar University. (Here after cited Deewan-e- Mullah Arzani)

(3) Reynold.A.Nicholson,”The mystics of Islam” (Lahore: Sind Sager

Academy,nd .PP.26-27)

(4) Armughan-e-Khushal, Mian Syed Rasool Rasa (ed) (Peshawar:

University Book Agency. Here after cited Armughan-e-Khushal.

(5) (Dr Syed Muzaffar-ud-Din Nadvi, “Muslim thoughts and its source”

(Lahore: Shaikh Muhammad Ashraf, 1953) P.93.

(6) Kulliyat-e-Ghani Khan

(7) Deewan-e-Mirza khan Ansari, Hamaish khalil (ed) (Peshawar: Dar-at-

Tasneef, 1959) Here after cited Deewan-e-Mirza Khan Ansari.

6 Da Wasil Rokhani Deewan (cyclostyle print) (Kabul: Pukhto

Tolana, 1365 H)

7 (Armughan-e-Khushal, op. cit

02 Deewan-e-Abdul Qadir Khattak, (Peshawar Dar-at-Tasneef, 1972

00 A Raza Arestah, “Rumi, the Persian, the Sufi” (London: Rutledge

and Kegan Paul 1972) P 149.

(12)Ali Muhammad Mukhlis, Halnamah (Kabul: Pukhto Tolana,

1364 pp 505-506).

(13) Deewan-e- Mullah Arzani, Op.cit

02 Deewan-e-Rehman Baba Op. cit).

(15) Deewan-e-Karim Dad, (Khyal Bukhari (ed) Peshawar: Pashto

academy 1964

04 The text book for intermediate classes, NWFP Text book Board

Peshawar, 1980).

05 Deewan-e-Rehman Baba Op. cit

06 Deewan-e-Khwaja Muhammad Bangash, (Peshawar: Pashto

Academy, 1965)

07 Deewan-e-Rehman Baba Op. cit

02 Armughan-e-Khushal Op. cit).


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Kakaji Sanobar Hussain Mohmand An

Everlasting Personality

Dr. Hanif Khalil

Abstract: Kakaji Sanobar Hussain Mohmand was a renowned intellectual

and politician of the sub-continent among the pashtoon celebrities. He was a

poet, critic, researcher, Journalist and translator of Pashto literature at a time.

Apart from this he was a practical politician and a freedom fighter.

Kakaji Sanobar played a vital role in the reawakening of the pashtoons as well as

the other minorities against the British imperialism and the cruel and unjust

policies of the Britishers in the sub continent. He used his journalistic abilities

and his journal the monthly Aslam as well as his writings in prose and verses

for achieving the targets to his real mission. For the fulfillment of this purpose he

remained in jails for several years. He gave a lot of sacrifices, faces many

hurdles and difficulties, but no one could remove him from his firm

determination.

In this paper the author has elaborated the major achievements and surveyed the

practical steps and sacrifices of this legendary personality of the 20th century.

This paper is actually a tribute to Kakaji Sanobar Hussain the stalwart

personality of pashtoon nation.

I declare, that among the genius personalities of Pashtun

nation, after khushal Khan Khattak, Kakaji Sanobar Hussain is a

personality which could be accepted as a multi-dimensional

celebrity.

For the acceptance of that declaration, I would say that

Kakaji was not only a great man but also a great Politician, Writer,

Journalist and a Social Worker simultaneously. He was an

institution in himself and had a prominence like that of a movement.

Being precise, he was a collection of movements. Before providing

authenticity and a stronger base for my declarations, let us take a

brief flashback of the life and works of Kakaji Sanobar Hussain.

LIFE SKETCH:

“Sanobar Hussain was born in a small village of Mohmand tribe

Kaga Vala, near Peshawar in January, 1897 A.D. His father was

named as Gul Faraz Khan. He earned his elementary education

from a primary school of his village. After matriculation, he was

appointed as a teacher in the primary school of his own village. In


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1920, he left the job and started participating in the practical

politics. In 1926, he founded a social organization namely

Anjuman-i-Zamindaran. In 1927, he formed an Organization/

Association namely Jamiat-i-Nojawanan-i-Sarhad which later

emerged as an active and great political party named as Nojawan

Bharat Sabha. By that he started the practical struggle against the

British Imperialism and for that he was arrested by the British

Government in 1930 and was sent to a jail in Dera Ismaeel Khan. In

1931, he was liberated by the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. After liberation he

issued an Urdu-Pashto magazine named as "Sailab" in the same

year in which he started propaganda of uniting the Pashtuns against

the Britishers. So when he came to know that the British

Government is again planning to arrest him, he escaped in the

Tribal areas of Pashtuns and initiated another magazine against the

British namely "Shaula" and joined another Pashtun solidier of

freedom movement "Haji Sahab Taurangzai" in the theoretical and

practical struggle against the Britishers. This stuggle continued till

the partition of India. After partition, Kakaji came to Peshawar and

issued a literary journal "Aslam" in 1951 and founded a literary

association namely "Ulasi Adabi Jirga" (People's Literary

Association), in association with 'Ameer Hamza Shinwari' and 'Dost

Muhammad Kamil. In 1951, he participated in politics and

contested the election of National Assembly, but failed. In 1952,

he was arrested by the Pakistani Government and was kept in

different jails of the country. After passing some years in

imprisonment, he was liberated and was again imprisoned during

the Martial Law of 1958 on the charges of being a political activist.

After being imprisoned in the Rawalpindi Jail and in Lahore Fort he

was liberated in 1959. After passing the miserable days in Jails, he

fell seriously ill and that illness became the cause of his death on

3rd January, 1963. KakaJi passed 66 years of his life without

marrying and was burried in his ancestral graveyard”1.

AS A HUMAN BEING:

Ideologically KakaJi was a Humanist and beyond the limitations of

race, colour, and religion, he held to the Goodness, Peace, Love and

Fraternity of Human beings. But this was not limited to just an ideology,

rather he was the practical example of all these humane qualities. This is

indeed testified by all those people who had been close to KakaJi.


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Kakaji Sanobar's village mate and a participant of his movement

Abdul Wahid Khan has written a biography of Kakaji Sanobar in which he

had explained the story of scared love of Kakaji and in that way had

described him as a follower of Josephian traditions and values. He added that:

"He was much more beautiful internally than he was apparently. As he was a

beautiful man, he was much more beautiful internally as a human being"2.

Pashtun scholars and politicians were clearly and truly his admirers but

here we will talk about Kakaji's personality according to the great scholar of

Pakistan Mr. Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi.

Mr. Qasmi had written about the personality of Kakaji on the basis of his

short term contact with Kakaji during imprisonment in Rawalpindi Jail. He

writes that:

"Man is surely the mysterious creature. He hides his life even in the contact of

years. At times, it also happens that a man remain unaware of himself. There

are very few of those whose appearance proves to be the mirror of their inner

self and these are those who had no secret and who get noting to hide. Their

external life and internal thinking is an open book that could be read by every

literate person. Kakaji Sanobar Hussain was one of those people who are rare

in every era. But whose presence teaches love with life, man, goodness,

justice, truthfulness, courage and bravery. These are the people by whose

single look, single talk, a single meeting and smile their whole character is

placed before you. I have got the honour and happiness of being in touch with

Kakaji for a little while but I am known to him as closely as the people who

capture your heart in the very first meeting and then grab your heart by

opening the windows of their personalities are the conquerors of time. In

accordance with them, there remains no difference between a second and a

century. I have accompanied Kakaji just for some moments but they were as

long lasting as centuries. I am not known of the details of his mood and

strong and clear character but I am being introduced by the basis on which the

building of his sweet and pure character was built. This basis was love,

ownness, sincerity, humbleness and blessings which have been snatched

away from the present human race in general."3

POLITICS:

As we have earlier said that Kakaji had got a multi dimensional

personality but the focal point of the different dimensions of his

personality was Politics. He said to Farigh Bukhari in a debate that:

"I am basically a political man. Politics had given me the awareness of

other things. Rather, it should be said that political necessities had given

me a chance to turn towards journalism and literature”.4


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Kakaji was not an ordinary level politician. He played politics

internationally. Our Pashtun writers do not know about his politics as

much as the scholars and political activists of India know. So to know

about the political character and the struggle of Kakaji, Gorcharan

Singh's book "Wohh bhi din thay" is recommended for consultation.

Among Pashtuns, there were two Great Politicians; First Abdul

Ghaffar Khan and Second Kakaji Sanobar Hussain.

But Baacha Khan's politics was not widely acceptable and Kakaji

believed in politics at a broader level. Kakaji opposed to the Abdul

Ghaffar Khan's philosophy of Anti-torture. Abdul Wahid Khan

Advocate had written in the biography of Kakaji that:

“Ín Islamia College, Peshawar (1929) when Abdul Ghaffar Khan

adviced Pashtuns to adopt the philosophy of "Anti-torture" then in the

same demonstration Kakaji opposed Abdul Glhaffar Khan's suggestion

and said that Pashtuns does not possess the mood of anti torture and to

fight against the cruelty, disregard and suppression and to revolt for

attaining the rights of the oppressed people should be the mission of

Pashtuns. It means that Kakaji was a supporter of armed struggle and he

remained busy in such struggle against the British Empire. Kakaji

Sanobar gained so much confidence in the politics that the British

government was threatened of him and they started observing the

activities of Kakaji. In 1926, when the Simon commission came under

the supervision of Simon, they first met Kakaji and took the views of

Kakaji on the political and social problems of pashtuns of that time. But

the businessmen /capitalists, Maliks of that time promoted the Simon

commission against Kakaji and tried themselves to get closer to them." 5

But it was known that the British government considered Kakaji as a very

important political figure. When the Britishers came to be fed up with the

political activities of Kakaji and Abdul Ghaffar Khan, then in 1930 they opened

fire on a demonstration by Pashtun Mujahideen (freedom fighters) of the

freedom movement in Qissa khawani bazaar, Peshawar. As a result many of the

people got arrested and several were shot to death or martyred. On that occasion,

Kakaji Sanobar was also arrested. This was the first arrest of his life. After that

Kakaji Sanobar brought more intensity in his struggle and held a powerful

movement under the Nojawan Bharat Sabha.

Bhagat Ram has written that:

"We took guidance from Kakaji Sanobar at every step. Under the

Nojhawan Bharate Sabha Kakaji's contacts spread from Bengal to Kabul


24

and Moscow. So, he was fully aware of the global situation. The way

Kakaji protected sub-continent from the occupation of Japan and

Germany, for that Kakaji is praise worthy".6

Bhagat Ram, who is an Indian, his words clearly depicts the political

position of Kakaji. But our political historians and scholars had so easily

forgotten him. Indian politicians and scholars, even today held the name

of Kakaji with great reverence, as they know that in protecting their

great leader Subhash Chendra bose in taking them to Afghanistan,

Kakaji and his friends Ibad Khan, Haji Muhammad Amin, Muhammad

Yar Uthmankhel had played a greater role. At that time, Bhagat Ram

was also there with Subhash. Bhagat Ram was the person whose brother

was hanged to death on the account of shooting British Governor. The

people of Indo-Pak are leading their lives in freedom and in that the

sacrifices given by Kakaji Sanobar Hussain and his friends, Haji Sahab

Turangzai, Khan Muhammad Amin, Abdul Ghaffar Khan played a

major role. After the partition of India, the angle of Kakaji's politics

changed. British government ended, so he came back to Peshawar from

the Tribal area and associated more to journalism and literature as

compared to politics. But Pakistani government could not appreciate the

political character of Kakaji, instead they kept him in jails.

JOURNALISM:

As discussed earlier, Kakaji was originally a political person but his

political needs provided opportunity to focus on journalism and

literature. His mission was to create awareness amongst the people

against the tyrannical rule and illegitimate occupation by the British

Empire and for this purpose he used journalism as well.

In 1931, for the first time he initiated weekly news paper named

"Sailab". Only four issues of "Sailab" were published when Kakaji has

to spend time in Bajani and Lakkro. So after closure of "Sailab" he

started a magazine "Shaula" from Tribal areas and by that he initiated a

literary battle against the British. During that period, he was with Haji

Sahab Turangzai. After the death of Haji Sahab Turangzai he cam to

Muhammad Umar Uthmankhel's home in Sawal Qilla. In the mean time,

Kakaji's close companion and a freedom fighter Sahabzada Muhammad

Aslam was martyred by the British government. After the partition of

India, Kakaji initiated a monthly literary magazine on his name "Aslam"

from Peshawar which remarkably served the Pashto language and

literature. In 1952, after the publication of 16 issues this magazine was


25

also closed. Kakaji's journalistic activities are held with great reverence

because he initiated the Pashto news papers and magazines in severe and

difficult circumstances. Under those circumstances, people were

imprisoned even on publishing a word against British. But Kakaji had

done it mostly in the tribal areas where British could not arrest any

one"7.

Kakaji's journalism is also important as he used to do work in all

journalistic departments himself. He was an editor, columnist, editorial

writer, and calligrapher.. He had not got such resources to accomplish

the journalistic tasks. He has done all this during the early days of

Pashto journalism.

LITERATURE:

Kakaji hold a position of being an institution and a movement in him. As

in promoting the 20th

century literature he had played a vital and a

prominent role. When Kakaji came to Peshawar after partition, then,

besides the initiation of literary magazine "Aslam", major work done by

him through which Pashto literature gained popularity was the formation

of Ulasi Adabi Jirga (People's Literary Association).

For organizing this association, he gathered the representative authors of

that time among which the basic members were Ameer Hamza Shinwari

and Dost Muhammad Kamil. Other such authors were Ajmal Khattak,

Hamesh khalil, Qlandar Mohmand, Latif Wehmi, Mir Mehdi Shah Mehdi,

Wali Muhammad Tufan, Saif-ur-Rehman Saleem and Sardar Khan Fanaa.

These all are considered to be the founders of modern Pashto literature.

Especially Ameer Hamza Shinwari in creative literature and Dost

Muhammad Kamil in critical literature have not only written great books

but also trained well the writers of that time as well. Among these Kakaji

Sanobar was the leading one. Today, all the debates going on modern

thoughts, all the awareness in the Pashtun society and the work done in

Pashto criticism, are all the products of "People's literary Association" and

an out come of Kakaji's training. In literature Kakaji holds the view that is

to use literature for the betterment of man kind, to use it as a tool against

the cruelty and tyranny and along side that the writer's task was to put up

voice against the capitalists and the revival of the rights of suppressed

people. Awareness must be created among people against the different

cadres of society and against the Economic imbalance. These concepts of

Kakaji were greatly inspired by the Russian Communism and Kakaji had

given an in-depth study to the writings of scholars like Marx and Angels.


26

So when the Progressive Writer's Association was formed in 1935-36 in

India, inspired by the Russian Communism then these thoughts in

literature were supported by Kakaji Sanobar and founded the branch of

'Progressive Writer's Association' in NWFP.

Among other Progressive writers of NWFP, Farigh Bukhari, Raza

Hamadani, Ajmal Khattak, Qalandar Mohmand, Afzal Bangash, Ayub

Sabir, Wali Muhammad Tufan, Hamesh Khalil and Saleem Raz are worth

mentioning. Saleem Raz is still the General Secretary of Progressive

Writer's Association in NWFP (Khyber Pakhtunkhawa) and one of Kakaji

Sanobar's intellectual inheritants.

On Kakaji Sanobar's intellectual and literary basis, the scholars are

moving ahead and are strengthening the basis of modern Pashto literature.

WORKS DONE ON KAKAJI'S LIFE AND SERVICES:

Until now a brief book is written by Hamesh Khalil on the services, and

literature of Kakaji Sanobar.Anwar Khan Deewana (late) had collected

the opinions and writings of different people and complied them in a

book in Urdu namely:

"Kakaji Sanobar Hussain Mohmand Marhoom Danishwaron ki nazar

mein". Another short Biography is written by Abdul Wahid Khan

Advocate and some description is found in the books of Indian authors.

The Author of this paper (Hanif Khalil) has also written a book on kakaji

Sanober Hussain which has been published by Academy of Letter

Islamabad. In addition to that, one of the friends of Kakaji Raza

Hamdani had made a film on Kakaji's life namely Ghazi Kaka. But this

work means nothing to the might of such a multi dimensional

personality. Our authors, who had accompanied Kakaji and are still alive should

write on Kakaji's personality and should enhance the courageous role of

Kakaji. So that we can get the true picture of the struggle, sacrifices and

abilities of such a great personality and also to present the tribute to the

character and person of Kakaji.

As in the words of Muhammad Shafi Sabir:

"How great man was Kakaji Sanobar Hussain Mohmand, and how

multi-dimensional- a writer, a poet, article writer, translator, religious

scholar, revolutionist, a soldier, a patriot who could sacrifice every thing

for his country and nation. Actually he was an association/ institution in

himself." 8


27

REFERENCES / BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Khalil Hamesh, "Kakaji Sanobar Hussain Mohmand; Pashto

Adabi Markaz, Bannu, June 1991, p:9-13.

2. Abdul Wahid Advocate, "Sawaneh Umri Kakaji Sanobar Hussain

(Urdu) (Un published).

3. Qasimi, Ahmad Nadeem, "Sanobar Kaka; in Kakaji Sanobar

Hussain Mohmand Marhoom", Anwar Khan Deewana, 1993,

p:25

4 Ibid, P;14.

5. Abdul Wahid Khan Advocate, "Sawaneh Umri Kakaji Sanobar

Hussain (urdu) (Un published).

6. Ibid.

7 Deewana Anwar Khan, "Kakaji Sanobar Hussain Mohmand

danashwaron ki nazar main, p:51.

8. Sabir Muhammand Shafi, "Shakhsiyat-e-Sarhad, University Book

Agency; Peshawar, p:944.


28

Hao kana: Minimal Recipientship in Pashto

Conversations

Dr. Abdullah Jan Abid1

Muhammad Sheeraz2

Abstract: Conversation is a very vital activity of human life. It has

various components, minimal response is one of them. The present study

aims at exploring the process of minimal recipient ship in Pashto

conversation. The data for the purpose was collected during conversation

events in Nowshehra. It was analyzed in the light of the principles of the

conversation analysis. It was found that Pashto has a wide variety of

minimal responses and that on the basis of purpose and appeal there are

three main categories of minimal responses i.e. strong minimal responses,

weak minimal responses and polite minimal responses.

Keywords: Minimal responses, conversation, Pashto

1 Introduction:

Conversation is the most frequently practiced of all human activities.

Humans talk, chat, speak or interact universally, in spatial and temporal

terms. They communicate through conversation for various reasons: to

share information, to cajole, to conspire, to entertain, to earn livelihood, etc

and in various settings: formal and informal, indoors and outdoors, publicly

and privately, etc. Conversation is like respiration, unavoidable and non-

stop, and just like that it involves two participants where listener is like

oxygen. So this process is very necessary to be studied deeply. Its

significance was realized by the linguists, now named as conversation

analysts, who endeavored to trace patterns in conversation and described its

mechanics. Now most of them agree that conversation is orderly and

follows certain principles (See Paul Grice‟s 1975, for example).

1 Chairman, Department of Pakistani Languages, Allama Iqbal Open University,

Islamabad 2 : Ph.D. scholar, Department of English, International Islamic University,

Islamabad


29

“Conversation analysis is an approach to the study of social interaction

that focuses on practices of speaking that recur across a range of contexts

and settings” (Sidnell 2009). The available literature on the subject shows

that the early studies in the area focused only the conversation in English.

However, recently, studies into the conversation in other languages and

communities have also begun to take place (Sidnell 2009). The various

studies conducted in the area show that a conversation is embedded in the

society and it happens the way individuals want it to happen.

“Conversation Analysis may then be conceived as a specific analytic

trajectory which may be used to reach a specific kind of systematic insight

in the ways in which members of society 'do interaction'” (Have 1990).

As conversation is a broader area with a variety of features like turn-

taking, cooperativeness, politeness, pragmatic and contextual meanings,

non-verbal communication, interruptions, code-switching etc, therefore

certain minor elements of it have been found to be ignored by the

researchers, particularly by those exploring Pakistani languages like

Pashto. Minimal responses (Coates 1986; Fellegy 1995) – also termed as

continuers (Schegloff 1982), reactive tokens (Clancy et al. 1996),

response tokens (Silverman 1998), acknowledgement tokens (Jefferson

1984, 2002), listener response/listener tokens (Fujimoto 2007), response

tokens, response cues (He 2009), alignment tokens (Sohail 2010), etc –

are such ignored elements. To our knowledge, no study has been carried

into the area in Pashto language, so far. Minimal responses are basically

the indicators of a listener‟s participation in the conversation. They are

verbal and non-verbal indicators of a person‟s co-participation in a

conversation (Reid, 2005:8). However, the present study gives a

discussion into only the verbal minimal responses in Pashto

conversations.

A large number of English verbal items have been identified as minimal

responses e.g. Zimmerman and West (1975:108) identify um hmm,

uh huh, and yeah as minimal responses. Similarly Kendon et al.

(1975: 204) asserts that yes, quite, surely, I see and that‟s true are also

the minimal responses in English. Sohail (2010) identifies hmm,

sahi/thik, ham0/ji, bilkul and acha as the minimal responses (which she

terms as alignment tokens) in Urdu.


30

Though the process of minimal recipient ship is complex but has been

found to follow certain rules e.g., unlike discourse markers, they are not

to introduce a new turn or to grab the floor; secondly, they do not answer

the current speaker‟s questions; thirdly, they are very brief; fourthly,

they are made as responses to the current speaker (He 2009).

Structurally, the minimal responses may consist of: empty words such as

hmm, umm hmm; single words such as yes, yeah, ok; phrasal utterances

such as oh really, oh my God; and short clause sentences that‟s right;

that‟s true, etc.

Why to use these minimal responses? According to Andersen, their use

“increases immediacy, signals that the listener comprehends the

speaker‟s message, and reinforces the speaker‟s role in a

conversation” (1999:201). Minimal responses have different forms and

therefore they have different functions. Broadly, minimal responses in

English such as yeah, uh-huh, and hmm, show the good listener ship

which is supportive to the current speaker. However, if these responses

are made rapidly, they may convey to the current speaker to stop (Knapp

and Hall, 1997:427). They are also used to provide support and

feedback, and more importantly to show an uninterrupted attention

(Schegloff 1982; Fujimoto 2007).

Minimal responses are also present in Pashto to perform various

functions given above. The most commonly used of them are: hao kana

(yes), hmm (hmm), hao (yes), ji (yes), ao (yeah), hao ji (yes), ao ji (yes),

kha (yes), khaa (yes), kha ji (yes sir), teek (right), sahi (right), dera kha

da (very right), pa dwara stargo/pa sar stargo (yes from the core of my

heart), zarore (indeed), bilkul (certainly), khamakha (of course), aromaro

(for sure), and wale na (why not).

2 Methodology:

The data was collected through audio recording from real life

conversations among the native speakers of Pashto in Nowshehra. In

almost all the five hours long audio recording, the conversation takes

place in pairs. All the conversations are ordinary and between people

having a variety of relationships like co-workers, friends, spouses and

blood relations etc. The data was analyzed in the light of the principles

of conversation analysis particularly those related with minimal


31

responses. All the major minimal responses frequently used in recorded

Pashto conversations have been discussed one by one. The minimal

responses as well as the sample utterances in which they were used have

been presented in Roman (in parenthesis) as well as Pashto (Arabic)

scripts, and with English translation. No phonetic transcription was

given as the pronunciation is not a focus here. In the given sample texts,

„S‟ refers to speaker while „L‟ to listener. The main focus of the

discussion is the strength of individual minimal response and the

purpose behind the selection of a particular on.

3 Minimal Recipient ship in Pashto:

The data shows that the listeners in a Pashto conversation are selective in

their use of the minimal responses and they do not express the recipient ship

randomly. Their selection of a particular minimal response out of many is

dependent upon the context (Sohail 2010) and the statuses of the participants

of the conversation event. The listeners use strong, weak or neutral minimal

responses to express agreement, to show affiliation, or to acknowledge

understanding on the basis of the content of the speech and the social status

they enjoy during the conversation event. In the discussion below, on the

basis of the data, we have divided these minimal responses into three

categories i.e. strong, polite and neutral/weak minimal responses. The

examples given in order to describe them have been taken from the audio

recording specially done for the purpose.

3.1 Strong minimal responses:

There are certain minimal responses which, as the context of the data

shows, are strong as they not only acknowledge the understanding of the

speech event but also show encouragement and affiliation./

/ / (Hao kana,

zarore/bilkul /aromaro/wale na?/dera kha da/pa dwaro stargo/pa sar

stargo) may be taken as the strongest of all Pashto minimal responses.

The following examples from the data show their use:

S:

(Wrora yao kar ba rala wa na kare)


32

Oh brother! Would you like to do one of my works?

L:

(Wale na)

Why not

S:

(Saba la da kacharo na yao stam ba rala ra na wari)

Would you like to bring a stamp paper from the court by tomorrow?

L:

(wale na , pa sar stargo )

Yes, by the core of my heart

It is interesting to note here that these strong minimal responses are

usually used by the listener in response to a question, request or order.

The speech event and the context are responsible in making such a

response. The minimal response „hao kana‟ is perhaps the most

frequently used minimal response, which is also employed in genres

other than conversation like songs, poetry, etc. This response is strong

and contains a light touch lubricated with love and affection.

3.2 Weak minimal responses

Some minimal responses are weak in their appeal and purpose. They

only show participation and acknowledge understanding of whatever is

being said. (hmm/ ao/ hao / jee/ khaa/

kha/ teek/ sahi) of Pashto may be included in weak minimal responses.

The following examples show their use.

S:


33

(Halka aslam mar sho) !

Oh! Aslam has died.

L:

(Hmm)

Hmm

S:

(Da zara pa dora)

Of heart attack

L:

(Yar der khe insane wo khudai de ubakhei)

Dude he was very nice person. May God bless him.

S:

(Nan sta chutti da?)

Is it your holiday?

L:

(Ao)

Yeah

3.3 Polite minimal responses:

All the strong minimal responses are polite. However, the addition of

certain lexical item to the weak minimal responses also makes them

polite. In Pashto the listeners usually opt for „ji‟ or „saib‟ and add them

to the weak minimal responses making them polite. The example below

may describe the use of these politeness minimal responses:

S:

(Za os halta lar sha)

Now you may go there.

L:

(Kha jee)

Yes sir.

So the additional lexical item i.e. (ji) turned the very commonly

used weak Pashto minimal response (kha) into a polite response. This

sort of modification is usually made by the listener with younger age or

lower social status than the speaker.


34

Conclusion:

To conclude, we suggest that the Pashto minimal responses are used

very systematically by the participants of the conversation. The choices

are made on the basis of the prior statement and the listener‟s age group,

purpose and status. As culturally Pashtoons respect their elders,

therefore a younger listener usually opts for polite minimal responses.

Similarly, if the purpose of the listener is just to acknowledge the

recipient ship, s/he would employ a weak minimal response but if the

purpose is to show affiliation, agreement or encouragement, then the

listener may opt for a strong minimal response that also expresses

politeness.


35

References

Andersen, Peter A. (1999). Nonverbal Communication: Forms and

Functions. CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.

Clancy, P. M., Thomson, S. A., Suzuki, R. & Tao, H. (1996). The

conversational use of reactive tokens in English, Japanese, and

Mandarin. Journal of Pragmatics, 26, 355-387

Coates, J. (1986). Women, men and language: A sociolinguistic

account of sex differences in language. London: Longman

Fellegy, A. (1995). Patterns and functions of minimal response.

American Speech. 70, 186-199

Fujimoto, D. T. (2007). Listeners responses in interaction: A case

for abandoning the term, backchannel. Journal of Osaka Jogakuin

2year College 37, 35-54, Osaka, Jogakuin College

Have, Paul ten (1990) 'Methodological issues in conversation analysis', Bulletin

de Méthodologie Sociologique, Nr. 27 (June): 23-51

He, Y. (2009). An Analysis of Gender Differences in Minimal

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and Boy Meets World

Jefferson, G. (1984). Notes on a systematic deployment of the

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Kendon, Adam, Harris, Richard, M. & Key, Mary Ritchie. (1975).

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Knapp, Mark L. & Hall Judith A. (1997). Nonverbal

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Harcourt Brace College

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http://www.latrobe.edu.au/linguistics/LaTrobePapersinLinguistics/

Vol%2005/08Reid.pdf. Accessed 12 June 2011

Schegloff, E. A. (1982). Discourse as an interactional achievement:

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(Georgetown University Roundtable on Languages and

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93

Sidnell, J. (2009). Conversation Analysis: Comparative

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Silverman, D. (1998). Harvey sacks: Social science and

conversation analysis. Oxford: Policy Press

Sohail, A. (2010). Alignment tokens in ordinary Urdu conversation.

Kashmir Journal of Language Research, 13 (1), 77-93

Zimmerman, D.C. & West, C. (1975). Sex Roles, Interruptions and

Silences in Conversation.

http://www.stanford.edu/~eckert/PDF/zimmermanwest1975.pdf.

Accessed 10 June 2011

http://www.latrobe.edu.au/linguistics/LaTrobePapersinLinguistics/Vol%2005/08Reid.pdf.%20Accessed%2012%20June%202011

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