Educationist Dr Nabi Bux Baloch passes away

KARACHI - One of the greatest educationist and literary figure of Pakistan Dr Nabi Bux Khan Baloch breathed his last on Wednesday morning at his son-in-laws home in Hyderabad. He was 94. He has left behind five sons and three daughters. He was a soft-spoken gentleman and never wore his knowledge on the sleeves. He was so involved in education and research that one of his friends many years ago had said: He is a man who eats, sleeps and breathes nothing but knowledge. He never looked for fame but it came to him when his earned his name in Pakistan and beyond her boarder due to his research work. Though a number of other scholars had also done a lot for Sindhi language, his contribution stood out as the best. His works in Sindhi and other languages were the brightest jewel in his scholarly crown. Those who yearn for knowledge could only feel sorrow for the passing away of a literary icon, but for them he is not dead. Dr Nabi Bux Baloch was a man for all season and people. He would never turn down an invitation to speak and deliver lecturers if the subject was connected with education. During the last many years he had to stay at home because of his health and excuse himself from speaking about issues related to his subject - education. However, he kept the flame of research burning and wrote on various subjects despite his falling health. Born on Dec 19, 1917, in Jaffar Khan Leghari village, Taluka Sinjhoro, district Sanghar, Dr Nabi Bux was a scholar of Sindhi, Persian, Arabic and Urdu languages. He was author of a number of books on Sindh history, and about 42 volumes on Sindhi folklore. He also compiled and published Sindhi dictionary in five volumes. Moreover, he compiled Sindhi-to-Urdu, Urdu-to-Sindhi dictionaries co-authored with Dr Ghulam Mustafa Khan. He has compiled works of classical Sindhi poets including Shah Inayat, Qadi Qadan, Khalifo Nabibakhsh, Hamal Faqir. and compiled works of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in ten volumes. The late scholar started his education from Naushehro Feroz High School. He earned BA degree from Junagarh College from Bombay University and did MA Arabic and LLB from Aligarh Muslim University. In 1946, he went to Columbia University where he did Masters in Education and got his Doctoral Degree in the same field. His thesis was on Teacher Education in Pakistan. After completing his education he returned to Pakistan. For some time he worked in information and broadcasting division as officer on special duty and then joined the ministry of foreign affairs for quite some time. Then Allama I I Kazi, the founder of Sindh University, invited him to join the newly-established university as professor of education for establishing the first department of education in Pakistan. Later, he rose to the positions of the first dean of education department and vice chancellor of University of Sindh. In 1976, he was called upon to join the ministry of education in Islamabad where he established first Islamic University and initiated the scheme of Great Books of Islamic Civilisation under Pakistan National Hijra Council. He also worked as first Chairman of Sindhi Language Authority and Chairman of Allama I I Kazi Chair. His correspondence in Sindhi Language has been published by Sindh Moti Manik Tanzeem Hyderabad and Institute of Sindheology, University of Sindh. Latest work covering his correspondence with world scholars from 1946 to 2006 has been published under the title 'World of Work: A Scholars Dilemma an introduction covering biographical landmarks of his life, published by Institute of Sindheology, University of Sindh, in March 2007. People from all walks of life have mourned the death of a legend.