KARACHI - Pakistan’s senior politician, intellectual, writer and former student of Sindh Madressatul Islam, Rasool Bux Palijo has said that Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo was a great theorist of Pakistan. Joyo who had never compromised on his principles, preached for fundamental rights of common man and worked for Sindhi literature and language till his death.

Palijo was addressing the Literary Reference organised by Sindh Madressatul Islam University in the honour of its alumnus and former teacher late Ibrahim Joyo, on Sunday night, on its premises.

Rasool Bux Palijo, 87, who had remained student of Ibrahim Joyo at Sindh Madressatul Islam in 1940s, said that although his health was not permitting him to travel, but he came here at his Alma-Mater Sindh Madressah from Hyderabad just to pay tribute to his great teacher and a great intellectual of Pakistan.

“I told my friends and family members that this is the invitation of Joyo sahib, so I must have to attend the programme which has organised by my Alma-Mater Sindh Madressatul Islam,” Palijo said.

“I had never felt in my life for a single moment that Joyo sahib should had not done this or that thing. On the contrary, he gave the society ideals, and values of simplicity, selflessness, humbleness, love for human being and consciousness for basic rights of common folk,” another stalwart of Sindhi literature and progressive thinker of the country Palijo said and maintained that no one can imagine that how much Joyo had the knowledge of world history. Whenever, he was talking, history of hundreds of thousands of years was unfolding before us, a human being was emerging as a most respectable creature from his talk and then we were feeling totally changed in our inner world.”

Recalling his school days at SMIU, Palijo said: “One day Joyo sahib had enquired from me about my knowledge of English language, and I had replied in negative, then he suggested me to read English novels. Afterwards, I acted upon his advice and read many English novels written by great novelists of the world. Such practice changed me totally.”

Rasool Bux Palijo further said that Joyo was not a teacher of that kind, who were teaching students just to get passed in their examinations, but he was a teacher of that nature, who were creating new persons, having social and national consciousness, love and respect for people and play their role for betterment of the nation and society.

Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh, Vice Chancellor of SMIU in his welcome address, said that Joyo had a deep association with his Alma-Mater Sindh Madressatul Islam, which was spread over fifteen years. He said that Joyo was enrolled at SMI in 1930, when another great scholar and former student of SMI, Dr Umer Bin Mohammad Daudpoto was its principal. He passed his matriculation in 1934. Again he joined SMI as a teacher in 1938 and remained associated with it till 1947. Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh said that Joyo sahib was a committed and dedicated educationist and intellectual of the country.

“Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo had come to SMI from a small village -Abad, of district Dadu and was belonging to a poor family, but after getting modern education from SMIU he emerged as a successful person, a great teacher and an intellectual of our times, Dr Shaikh said and stressed upon the students to follow these personalities.

Prominent columnist and writer Zahida Hina said that Joyo had remained as a shelter for us for almost one century. He was against extremism of all kinds and exploitation of people. “No another Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo will born,” she said.

Mazhar Jameel, a biographer of Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo said that every aspect of his life was just like to be followed as he had worked for those persons, who are neglected in the society. “After creation of Pakistan, he had a great opportunity to participate in politics, because at that time Sindh was being changing, but he preferred to work intellectually and awake the people through his words,” Mazhar Jameel said.

Former Vice Chancellor of University of Sindh Mazharul Haq Siddiqui in his speech said that Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo had always thinking about betterment and successful future of youth. Recalling an incident of University of Sindh, Siddiqui said when he had rusticated some students from the university, Joyo sahib had become very much disturbed over such act and then he had met him and said that the students should be given another punishment, but they should not be expelled from the university, because dreams of their poor parents will be shattered.

Prof Saleem Memon, Dr Fahmida Hussain, Dr Ayub Shaikh, Ms Aness Memon and Mohsin Joyo also paid great tribute to late Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo, who passed away on 9th November. They also highlighted his services rendered for Sindh’s education, literature, language and culture. SMIU also screened a documentary prepared by TV and Radio Studios of SMIU about life and services of Mohammad Ibrahim Joyo.

The literary reference was attended by eminent scholars, intellectuals and writers including Noorul Huda Shah, family of Rasool Bux Palijo, deans, chairpersons, faculty and staff members and students of SMIU, in a large number.