Imdad Hussaini (1940-2022): A Distinguished Voice in Sindhi Poetry
Imdad Hussaini: A Distinguished Voice in Sindhi Poetry
Muhammad Habib Sanai
Imdad Hussaini—a distinguished poet, short story writer,
researcher, translator, and editor—was born on March 10, 1940, in Tikhurh, a
village celebrated as a historic hub of Sindhi poetry and culture. His lineage
traces back to the venerable Sufi saints and poets Shah Abdul Karim and Shah
Abdul Latif Bhittai.
Reflecting on his heritage, Hussaini noted: “Our family
belongs to the Jararpotas, the same lineage as Shah Karim and Shah Latif. Ours
was a scholarly and literary household.” This intellectual environment was
shaped by generations of writers. His grandfather, Qazi Asadullah Shah ‘Fida’,
was a multilingual poet of Sindhi, Persian, and Arabic who edited and published
the periodical Bahar-ul-Ikhlaaq. His great-grandfather, Meeran Muhammad
Shah (I), was among the pioneers of Sindhi prose.
Hussaini’s early literary sensibilities were deeply
influenced by the women in his family. His grandmother, Bibi Sheher Bano, was
not only a traditional healer but also a repository of folklore and the poetry
of Shah Latif. “I could not go to sleep without hearing a tale from her,” he
recalled, noting that it was from her that he first heard the sacred baits
(verses) of Latif.
Poetry was a constant presence in his youth. His paternal
cousins—Hafiz Shah ‘Natif’, Asadullah Shah ‘Bekhud’, and Shabeer ‘Hatif’—as
well as his maternal cousin Saeed Tikhrai, were all established poets. ‘Bekhud’
notably documented this legacy by compiling the biographies of local poets in Tazkira
Shuera-e-Tikhur.
Hussaini’s own poetic inclination was sparked by the sounds
of his childhood home, where Sheedi women and members of the local singer
tribe, the Maghnhaars, would perform the kafis composed by his elders.
He often recalled a childhood longing: “I yearned for them to one day sing my
poetry too.” This passion eventually led to his literary debut when his first
poem was published in the children’s magazine Gulistan, edited by
Murtaza Bhatti.
Education and Career
He received his primary education at the village kuthab
(maktab). Later, he pursued higher education at the University of Sindh, where
he obtained an M.A. in Sindhi.
During his student years, Hussaini was already associated
with literary and research activities. He worked part-time at the Sindhi
Dictionary Office and the Sindhi Folk Literature Project. Later, he was
appointed Librarian at the Sindhi Adabi Board. In 1970, he was appointed
Research Fellow at the Institute of Sindhology, and in 1973 he joined the Sindh
Textbook Board as a Subject Specialist in Sindhi.
While serving at the Sindh Textbook Board, he also
contributed to literary journalism. From 1977 to 1979, he served as the editor
of the quarterly literary journal Mehrān. In 1992, he also served as
Secretary of the Sindhi Adabi Board.
Hussaini grew up in the culturally vibrant city of Hyderabad
and spent more than three decades in Jamshoro, an important academic center of
Sindh.
Works
His first Sindhi poetry collection, Imdad Aahey Rol
(Imdad is a Vagabond), was published in 1976 by the Sindhi Academy Hyderabad.
His long poem Shehar (City)—a shehr-ashob written in 1988—was
published in March 2000. In the same year, his third poetry collection Hawa
je Samhoon (Facing the Wind) was published by Roshni Publications,
Kandiaro.
Later, his fourth collection Karni Jehro Pal (A
Moment Like a Ray) was published by the Sindhi Adabi Board in 2012. His fifth
collection, Hooa (She), was published in 2016 by Naoon Niyapo
Publishers. The Sindhi Adabi Board also published his sixth poetry anthology Zard
Mithi (Yellow Dust) in 2022, and his seventh and most recent Sindhi poetry
collection, Suraj Lai Ko Pathar Naahey (No Stone for the Sun), appeared
in 2023.
His first Urdu poetry anthology, Dhoop Kiran, was
published by Scherzade Publications in 2014, and his second Urdu poetry
collection, Gulab Rang Ratoon, appeared in 2025.
The quarterly journal Mehran, published by the Sindhi
Adabi Board, Jamshoro, brought out a special issue in his memory in 2023.
Hussaini was a bold experimentalist in poetic form, often
pushing the boundaries of traditional structures. Notably, he composed dohas
without the conventional qafia (rhyme), and he reimagined the three-line
poem—popularly known as the haiku—by naming his version Terhoo (Orion’s
Belt).
His versatility was further reflected in his ghazals, where
he shifted effortlessly between minimalist short-form compositions and those
featuring exceptionally long radifs (refrains). By skillfully weaving
modern themes into traditional folk formats, he bridged the gap between Sindhi
classical heritage and contemporary literary expression.
Apart from poetry, Hussaini made significant contributions
in editing, translation, and compilation. Together with Sehar Imdad, he
compiled the book Muel Maanho, Jeeri Peera. He translated the famous
Sindhi folk epic Dodo Chanesar into Urdu, which was published by Lok
Virsa, Islamabad. He also translated Mirza Qaleech Baig’s novel Zeenat
into Urdu, published by the Pakistan Academy of Letters, Islamabad.
Hussaini also edited important literary works. He edited Barana
Bool (six volumes), a collection of children’s verses by Ahmad Khan Asif.
For the Urdu Academy, he translated four books of children’s Urdu poems into
Sindhi. His compiled Catalogue of Religious Literature of Sindh was
published by the Institute of Sindhology in 1971.
He also translated the Punjabi poetry of Baba Farid and
Madho Lal Hussain into Sindhi. In addition, he translated the Urdu poetry of
Faiz Ahmed Faiz into Sindhi, which was published by the Culture Department in
2013 as Tunhje Saagar Nainan Mein.
Hussaini remained actively involved in literary
organizations and movements. He served as Secretary of Bazm-e-Talib-ul-Mola
(Hyderabad branch) and Sindhi Adabi Sangat (Hyderabad branch). He also
participated actively in movements for the restoration of Sindhi language
rights, the movement for printing voter lists in Sindhi, and the anti–One Unit
movement.
Writing under the pen name “Sanwal,” Hussaini also wrote
short stories, which were later published in a collection titled Wanjaro
in 2024. He wrote plays, song-stories, and songs for Radio Pakistan, and many
scripts for the popular radio program Jhara Gul Gulab Ja were written by
him. He also wrote songs and dramas for television.
Hussaini contributed lyrics for Sindhi films as well. Among
the films for which he wrote songs are Dharti Lal Kunwar, Sajan Sain,
Hazar Sain, and Janiyara.
In 2000, he retired from the Sindh Textbook Board, though he
continued to work there for some time on contract as a Subject Specialist. From
2004 to 2006, he served as Chief Editor of three Sindhi Adabi Board journals:
the quarterly Mehrān, the monthly Surtioon, and the children’s
magazine Gul Phul. Later, he also served as Chief Publication Officer.
In literary journalism, he also worked as editor of Ibrat
Magazine, associate editor of Koonj, and compiled the section for
new poets in Suhni. Hussaini was also a member of the Board of Governors
of the Sindhi Adabi Board and the Sindhi Language Authority. He was part of the
editorial team of major scholarly projects such as the Encyclopedia
Sindhiana (Sindhi Language Authority) and the Encyclopedia Shah Abdul
Latif Bhittai produced by the Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Chair at the
University of Karachi.
For his outstanding literary services, Imdad Hussaini
received several awards, including the Tulu Prize, Talib-ul-Mola Award, Narayan
Shyam Award, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (2003), and the Josh Malihabadi Award (2007).
In the final years of his life, he lived in Karachi with his
family. He passed away on 27 August 2022 in Karachi and was laid to rest in the
cemetery of Wasi Malook Shah, near his ancestral village.
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