While our favorite drama serials are littered with heart-warming Urdu dialogues that we can’t help but memorize; and while we believe Urdu to have a glorious past and a bright future, we might be wrong about the latter.
Urdu, as we know it, is a language that has survived alongside the Muslim resistance in colonial India. The “Urdu Movement” started back as early as the fall of the Mughul Empire, when the language was at the risk of falling into disuse because of foreign rule. Championed by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in its initial stages, it became one of the focal points of Muslim identity and the struggle to keep it alive was only second to the struggle for independence.
So, where did our language come from?
This is how much a layperson knows about the importance of thi language. If we trace our steps back, we come to know that the language has evolved from the Apabhraṃśa register of the preceding Shauraseni language, a Middle Indo-Aryan language that is also the ancestor of other modern Indo-Aryan languages. (Parekh, 2011). If we wish to go back even further, we find that it is also one of the modern languages which evolved from the Indo-European language group, which is turn is the predecessor of P.I.E (Proto-Indo European).
But while it is relatively easy to understand where our beloved language came from, the current situation of Urdu– be it in literature, education or everyday speech– makes us question what path is the language on presently? And how will it affect its future?
The Future of Urdu
Recently, we shared a post on Daastan’s Facebook page about bilingualism. It explained how being a bilingual could affect how we use our languages. On particular commenter, in a long and informative comment, presented counter-arguments about the utility of bilingualism. He went on to say how, as a trilingual himself, he had experienced difficulty learning Urdu, as compared to the other three languages he knew. This he attributed to the fact that Urdu was a language with “no utility” and would “die out miserably” along with Pushto. Have a look at the post here:
The #polyglot problems you won't understand.www.daastan.com
HEYO EVERYBODY! HERE’S A BIG LONG POINTLESS RANT WHICH ENDS WITH AN ANGRY SPITEFUL AND EMBITTERED TAKE ON URDU! YAY! NOBODY ASKED FOR IT, NOBODY WANTS TO READ IT, BUT EVERYONE SUFFERS BECAUSE OF IT! OH JOY!!!
1) As a trilingual heading to quadralingual, you are MORE likely to remember words in the language you speak most often because of its constant utility. Suppose a word doesn’t exist in Urdu (I mean, come on, with the last official grammar standardization done in 1898, that is the biggest understatement of the year), or it doesn’t exist in some regional language only 300,000 people speak. Supposing this, you have a choice: Submit the word for consideration in the dictionary of the language, assuming that it has a council which accepts words; just borrow words.
You know why English, Spanish, German, Persian, Arabic, French, Italian, Turkish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and virtually all other languages except Urdu are an easier series of languages to learn but Urdu and Pushtu are going to die out miserably? Its because of deliberate psychological stunting done by pathologically hypocritical societies which – unlike English, Spanish, German, Persian, Arabic, French, Italian, Turkish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and virtually every other language except Urdu and Pushtu – take ownership.
The Oxford English Dictionary became a standard BECAUSE EVERY SPEAKER OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONTRIBUTED TO IT. Punjabi grew as a language because of the Sikh community (it is not just their language of communication, but also their language of lithurgy). Urdu has a council which doesn’t do anything other than live on the dole, and the idiots constituting L1 speakers of Urdu are too caught up in their own shit to contribute to this language’s development.
And while we are on the topic, Urdu is a pygmy language that should fall under the Semitic language family, whereas English, Spanish, German, Turkish (post-1921 language reformation), and Italian are Latin rooted. Granted that Spanish and French are Romance languages, while English and German are Germanic, they still are written in the latin alphabet (whereas Urdu has become an example of Abjad scripts being Romanized and not being allowed to evolve properly).
You, are capable of finding the exact word you are looking for, if you use the same language family. And specifically in language family clusters which have been allowed to grow and groom.
2) Notes in multiple languages are actually a good thing. Why is this a problem? HOW is this a problem?
Oh wait… THIS was an overreaction, sorry about that.
3) Truth be told, this is a lie. And here’s why:
POINT NUMBER 1. And furthermore:
ISO 639 Check: International Language Standards. And while we are on the topic: Persian has existed as a living language in its spoken form for at least three thousand years. In its written form, it has had three scripts. Arabic had a script form BEFORE it became an Abjad which is of significant importance for multiple reasons. What does Urdu have in its favor? Read: A Critique of Languages
Coming back to the first point I made in this big long rant. I am fluent in English. It is my primary language. My secondary language is German. And my tertiary language (which I am learning) is Spanish. And I hope to become quatralingual by learning French. I do not count myself as a fluent speaker (even though I have read Naseem Hijazi, I have read Ya Khuda by Qudrutullah Shahab to completion.Every time. Because it has no utility, and unless we as the people of the country of Pakistan, decide that this language will simply become extinct and be beaten like a dead horse by every single snob and shithead of the country.
The sixth most published language in the world, by sheer volume of publications, is German. And these include scientific and academic works. In point of fact, Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, English, and Russian all have more publications in all sorts and structures.
The UN languages of the world are Arabic, Chinese, French, English, Spanish and Russian.there.
Publications, prior to 2000 in this language do not have ISBN numbers. Furthermore, publications made in the late 90s (even reprints from as late as 2019) still use the handwritten scripts submitted to include in the publication. I wouldn’t be surprised if the author’s script was literally just tossed in as is rather than being typewritten. And it could have been, because InPage did not come into being until 1998, and typewriters specially developed with Urdu had entered the market and still are in use. I know, because I own one.
People still read in the country… to what end? It is a national language, NOT an official language. dramas and radio and all these medium only count if you are referring to people who do not have access to Netflix. And even these are exceedingly, almost neurotically, formal.
National Book Foundation, the government publisher which is open to all members of the public as a source for anyone to get their stuff put on paper, does not publish poetry anymore. Nor does it publish in English. You know why? it is a sunk cost, and with it, it is also a loss maker. They do not get a return for what they publish. I know this, because I went there myself to see if I could publish my own book. And for what it is worth, I’ll just get it self-published rather than go through the dilemma of publishers generally.
If anyone would like to go ahead and prove me otherwise, please, go for it. The fact is that Urdu does not have any intrinsic value to the people of Pakistan, and when you have elite assholes who do not WANT it to have any value, I do not see why I should give a shit about it. I have a documented history of German (which is unbelievably awesome in its own right), and the same for English (which is fascinating), Spanish, Persian (the language is so much more satisfying than Urdu, which might as well be the bastard child which Persian is better off forgetting), Arabic (the more I read about Arabic, and its origins and how it developed, the more I come to realize how important it is as a language), heck the same is the case for Swahili and Afrikaans, which have lesser speakers than Urdu yet have more development and standardization than it. And with all these, I think it just makes more sense to highlight Urdu as a failure of a language, that I can’t relate with. And if anyone wants to relate with it, more power to them.
Shehroze Ameen’s comment on our Facebook Post
While we understand the frustration of a linguist with the limitations of Urdu, we cannot form an opinion or understanding of the matter without first reviewing some key facts about Urdu. Only then, can we be sure of what we say.
About The Language
Urdu language is an amalgamation of a number of languages including Persian, Arabic, Turkish and Hindi. Itenjoyed its development in the 14th and 15th century under the Mughal rulers. It was, however, not the official court language of the mughals. Famous poetry and prose was written during this time. One might think why during this golden period of Urdu literature, had there been no formal documentation of the language. It is perhaps because this langugae had no history of its own. It borrowed whatever traditions, from its parent languages that are Persian, Turkish and Arabic mainly. Since there was no method of compiling a history in these parent languages, Urdu too, remained so.
Development of Urdu under the British Rule
Urdu flourished significantly during the British rule, perhaps as a force of rebellion. Anjuman Taraqq-e-Hind was found in Aligarh in 1903 by Nawab Mohsin-ul-mulk. It was the center for promoting and developing Urdu language in the sub-continent through publications. Even after partition, the Indian government and the Bureau for the promotion of Urdu have largely contributed to the codification and standardization of Urdu language. A 100 000 technical terms have been created in Urdu language and around 600 books published on academic subjects. After independence, Abdul Haq established Anjuman Taraqqi e urdu‘s office in Karachi.
During the Pakistan movement, Urdu became a symbol of Islam, uniting muslims across the sub-continent. When Urdu came into being, its central role was communication amongst people belonging to different cultures, regions and religions. With the Pakistan movement, Urdu became an identity. Once Pakistan came into being, Urdu was shaped into a political agenda; claiming precedence over the Bengali speaking Pakistanis. When Urdu was declared as the national language of Pakistan, a natural split emerged between the various ethnicities within Pakistan.
Urdu’s journey from pride to shame
As Bangladesh came into being and Urdu won its status as the national language, attitude towards Urdu also changed. Urdu speakers became English-enthusiasts and education in English began to be promoted. There was nothing else to be conquered, hence, Urdu fell from being the agent of change, to a glory of the past.
To think of Urdu as a dying language would be too radical a statement since even today, it is spoken as a first language by almost 70 million people and by a 100 million more as a second language. However, Urdu lacks modernization which has perhaps been one of the reasons for the lowered interest in the language. Unfortunately, western education system has further created a class consciousness in the people, associating fluency in English language as the benchmark for being well-educated and belonging to the upper-class. A loss of connection to Urdu with the rest of the world is also apparent in the fact that fewer books are being translated in this language and vice versa.
Is There A Conclusion To This Endless Debate?
It is thus, a sad truth that Urdu lacks significantly as compared to many foreign languages. There is no denying in the fact that interest in the language is falling greatly today. But despite this, Urdu is surviving and doing so with dignity. Millions of Urdu speakers, readers and writers not only enjoy the language but also take immense pride in it. To call Urdu a dying language as of yet, is rather harsh, but it is indeed, in a gradual decline. It is now in our hands to save the grace of this language by promoting and encouraging writers to keep breathing air into this beautiful language. We here at Daastan, work for this very purpose and so can you by becoming a part of our struggle simply by signing up with us at Daastan.
Tolerance is the best characteristic in any society. Every month, we at Daastan follow a theme for our content. For this past month of February, we followed a theme of – wait, you guessed it right! Tolerance on Valentine’s Day. In a campaign #KissKiStory, we surprised our followers with a unique and interesting tale. If you missed the video, have a look at it here:
#KissKiStory
Tolerance And Kiss-Ki-Story
A lot of you went curious over #KissKiStory teasers till we finally released the video on our YouTube Channel. The video featured Daastan’s founder Mr. Ommer Amer, who narrated a story on the 14th of February. The main idea behind this story was to talk about the importance of Tolerance and consent in social relationships and how valentine’s day has become a taboo in our country. We claim our religiosity but forget one of the basic principles on which our religion stands; Tolerance. If we fail to tolerate love, how can we possibly tolerate differences or conflicts? In addition, we believe that expressing love should never be silenced or looked down upon.
Our society moreover, has perhaps been conditioned to feel above those who are different from us. We do not respect the values that others hold dear. This attitude develops an extremist behaviour and is the root cause of most problems in our society. Through a controversial hashtag of #KissKiStory, we wanted to deconstruct the existing notion of shame attached to any expression of love or intimacy. Our loud and clear message to eliminate extremism and be more accepting towards others, stood out all through the campaign.
Fortunately, we received a warm response from our followers who enjoyed watching our out-of-the-box video. We aim to keep bringing diverse and unique content for you all each month. Share your own creative ideas with us at merasawal@daastan.com and sign up with us at Daastan to engage in similar discussions on our forums.
It is sad how hundreds of stories are not published because of a lack of confidence or funds. The labour that goes into creating and nurturing a story is unmatched. Although there are numerous challenges a writer faces while publishing their book, it is yet priceless, to finally hold your own book and see people reading it all across the globe. South-Asian writers in particular, have to deal with both, the limited options available while publishing their work, and a lack of funds available. The inadequate laws regarding plagiarism and intellectual theft are further barrier. Many countries have weak law enforcement which is why plagiarism is common. Despite these drawbacks, to publish your own book is not an alien idea anymore. If you are a budding writer shying away from taking the first big step, here is a guide to help you start off.
How To Publish Your Book
Step 1 : Work on your Content
If you have a story ready, skip this step. If you’re starting from scratch, begin by drafting your story. Make a rough outline of the events that will take place at the beginning, middle and at the end of your story. Sketch out your characters and develop them beyond the premise of your story. Knowing your character well is one way of making sure that you’re presenting them in an authentic manner. When you start writing, maintain an undertone that will set a theme for your story. Stick to your theme, tone and style to engage the reader and allow them to familiarize themselves with your story. Keep writing and do not lose your will. Set a daily/weekly target and abide by it. And, you’re ready to go!
Self-publishing your book
Step 2 : Format the raw content
If you have hand-written your story, begin typing it. This will help you re-read and edit any mistakes. If you have your text typed already, choose a good font. It is best to go with basic fonts like Times New Roman, that are familiar to your readers. You can take help from an online manuscript format like William Shun’s. Check it out here. To get you started, set your font size to 12 points, leave margins on both sides and use a black color for text. Remember, do not make it fancy, let the reader focus solely on your story.
Step 3 : Proof-read and Edit
It goes without saying, proof-reading is an essential step on your way. Look for spelling/grammar mistakes. An easier and faster way to do this is using an app to check it for you. If nothing fancy, just put your text in Microsoft Word and fix the tiny errors. It is also important at this stage, to alter or edit any phrases you feel are repeated, unnecessary or cliché . Reading out loud also helps make sense of your expression. Try reading your manuscript to a friend or use an app that will narrate your text. Listening will help you pick mistakes easily. One common error that writers often make is using one word over and over again. Pick that word and try replacing it with another. Can you guess the next step? Publish!
Step 4 : Publish!
Step 4 is as challenging as it can get. We here at Daastan help you make it easier. From editing and formatting to designing your cover page and then launching and marketing the book, we have got you all covered. To have a detailed idea of our process, give a look at our blog ‘5 Ways Daastan can help you launch your dream book ‘ We aim to discover and channel all the hidden, untold stories of brilliant writers like you and promote local writers. So, take Step 5 and sign up with Daastan and Publish your book now!
For any budding writer, publishing their own book is ‘The Dream ‘. Most writers dream of publishing because they are also enthusiastic readers and know the value of a good book. The more books we read, the more we want to have. To own it is yet another privilege. Good readers eventually become good writers and the bigger this circle grows, the better informed a society becomes.
With the fast-paced life that we have all become a part of, it is very important that we emphasize on staying connected and rooted. Reading good literature is the easiest route to widening your horizons. It is the writer who enables a reader to leap into another universe simply by delving into the palm of their hands. Are you that writer who wants to share your universe with the world? Here are 5 ways we can help you publish your own book.
Steps To Launch Your Own Book
Step 1 : Composing the Book
Daastan aims at connecting readers and writers by publishing, digitizing,marketing and distributing books to promote a literary culture in our society. We start by helping you compose your book. Composition is the key to a success. Composition includes editing and formating the text, building the structure of the book and adjusting the tone and style of your writing according to the theme of your story.
Step 2 : Designing the Cover
Once the content is streamlined, we design the cover. For that, we work with the best designers to develop an attractive and catchy outlook of your book. Although it is politically incorrect to judge a book by its cover, it is unfortunately exactly what happens most of the times. Simultaneously, our editor works on the text by proof-reading and editing to ensure a faultless masterpiece.
Step 3 : Marketing your Book for Sales
When we are done with the Behind-the-scenes tasks, we approach yet another vital task: Marketing of the published books. Through our social media platforms, we market books to reach the maximum public. At this stage, we help you arrange a book launch and attract as many buyers as possible.
Self-publishing is not impossible!
Step 4 : Distribution of your Book
After marketing and building up customers for you, we distribute your books for sale in shops, and through the online book distribution services of Literati Choice. We make sure that you are kept aware of all your sales. We deliver the sold books to your customers and hand over the sales amount directly to you.
Step 5 : Let’s Get Started
The above-mentioned stages are very important while self-publishing your book. Publishing in Pakistan is challenging because there are limited channels and options available. Daastan helps in making this task fairly easy and successful. You alone cannot carry out all the essential stages of writing and publishing. For that, we here at Daastan make sure that the best editors, designers and marketing team is made available to you all under one roof.
It is then in the hands of the readers to help promote local writers and to develop the habit of reading as part of self-improvement. A well-read society has very little fear of failing and falling. Through reading, we not only explore unique ideas but also learn from the experiences of others which helps us improve our problem-solving skills. Even if you’re not interested in writing, reading nevertheless develops your communication skills. Good readers therefore, also become good listeners and good speakers!
If you are the writer we’re talking about, seeking to publish your Dream book, here is your best chance at Publishing your work. Sign up with Daastan and take the first step towards achieving your goal!
It is true that political, social or religious differences must be accommodated. Borders are drawn to avoid conflict and allow people to live in a peace. Geographical divisions may seem like a progressive idea today. However, decision makers do not and can not speak for all people. Amidst these divisions, ties of love, friendship and generational attachments have to be torn. These barbed wires that mark borders, scratch and wound those who have to cross them over.
We can’t possibly mend the 73 year old political enmity, but we can surely rise above these institutional differences and talk about our narrative. The narrative of the marginalized ones. Perhaps the most marginalized in the division of sub-continent were all those whocould not cease to love and feel for their lost comrades.
An Attempt at making Peace Across Borders
To establish and spread the narrative of the literati in both countries, Daastan from Pakistan and White Falcon Publishing from India, initiated a Letter writing movement. We invited writers to send in their letters to express their concerns for regional peace. Writers could write in prose or poetry. Daastan received letters in Urdu, English and Hindi, following the main theme: regional peace.
Our Contribution
We, atDaastan, received letters from all across Pakistan. We were amazed by the energetic response by the talent in our country. All these letters were extremely emotional and beautiful. Our team was deeply touched by the effort put in by the talented writers from all around Pakistan. The aim behind this movement was to simply acknowledge the fact that no matter how these divisions have shaped our history and geography, love and friendship can break all walls. These letters and their writers are legitimaterepresentatives of peace from both countries. The powerful voices that echo from our television screens, can not mute the narrative of peaceful co-existence.
Chitthi Sarhad Paar Sey
The best letters from the numerous entries were compiled in a book titled ‘Chitthi Sarhad Par Sey“ . It is available on MeraQissa. You can read the book here.
We aim to keep connecting readers and writers in an attempt to grow and engage in literary activities. If you share our love and passion of literature, sign up with us at Daastan and let us grow together!
Taking forward our theme of ‘The Art and the Artist – Writing a Book“, We are back with the Live session of Mused! The positive response that we received on the first episode was a great motivation for us to bring to you, more fun, informative and useful content that will help you with Book writing. This episode was divided in three sections. Our host, Summaiya Naveed, shared some practical tips on enhancing your writing skills. If you missed the live session, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading this blog to get a summary of the entire session or just click here to watch it now!
Mused is Daaastan’s first Live Show, featuring Ms. Summaiya Naveed, Editor Daastan
What we discussed
In this Live session, there were three main concerns that Summaiya put forward. All of these issues highlight the difficulties faced by young authors in writing or publishing their books. The first segment dealt with:
1. Common Mistakes In Book Writing
In the first section of this episode, Summaiya talked about the common errors that most writers make while writing a book. First and foremost is the issue concerning tenses. While writing anything, we are usually taken aback by a stream of emotions. This diverts our attention from using proper tenses. Very often, you keep shifting from one tense to another which then affects the story. To avoid this, you must make a conscious attempt to keep proof-reading the story over and over again to alter any such errors.
The second mistake pointed out was regarding plot holes. Summaiya explained the concept of plot holes in detail. She defined them as any gaps that a story-line leaves which consequently fails to make sense of the story to the reader. This plot hole could be a hanging conclusion, a half-baked character or even introducing a new character mid-story and failing to weave them in with the rest of the story. Summaiya also highlighted that plot holes count as a weak story-line which again, leaves a bad impression on the reader. To keep your story strong, make your protagonist and each supporting character reach a conclusion. Any story-line left incomplete will weaken the weight of the plot of your story. To fix this mistake, she suggested we emphasize on important events in the story. Summaiya gave the example of the novel, ‘Hunger Games‘ in which, the ending of each chapter marks an important event. In this way the reader can predict an upcoming event and brace themselves for it.
Lastly, summaiya talked about flat characters and a robotic tone. Both of these mistakes are almost the same, as they involve a lack of insight into the world of your story. A robotic tone, summaiya explained, is flat, factual writing. By stating events of a story or attributes of the character it is hard to keep the reader glued. The reader wants to know where exactly is the story coming from. Providing descriptions that a reader might relate to will help them connect with both, your story and the characters.
2. How to fight Writer’s Block?
Writer’s block is a temporary condition when an author loses the ability to produce creative content. Summaiya explained in detail, that writer’s block is not permanent and does not mean that you can never write again. A lot of writers do not talk about their writer’s block due to the stigma attached. This does not help them, rather adds to their stress and anxiety. Another reason for writer’s block is neurological disturbances. By sharing a recent research on writer’s block, Summaiya pointed out that stress, anxiety or other neurological problems trigger the writer’s block. To fight this situation, it is important to maintain your mental and physical health. Talking to friends, family or fellow writers at literary groups on social media will help you overcome this phase and resume writing.
It is also helpful, Summaiya suggests, to not be hard on yourself and take a break. During this time, explore another creative activity that you might find interesting. Writing freely, without any limitations or requirements may also help in this case. Sometimes, we are unable to write because we have to constantly follow guidelines. Writing for yourself, with no set rules or fear of criticism can help you fight a block. For some people, making changes to their surroundings can also be refreshing. Change your daily routine, fix your cupboard or just treat yourself with your favourite food!
A lot of people have this pre-conceived notion that writers are sad, depressed souls who have climbed an Everest of tragedies. Young authors thereby are particularly inclined to feel sad and unhappy in an attempt to become better writers. It is however, only a misconception that all good writers are unhappy people. Mental health is a very important factor in improving your writing skills and tackling a writer’s block.
3. Why do Books get rejected by Publishers?
Another problem faced by a lot of new writers is rejection by publishers. It is important to know why publishers reject your work and what are they looking for? Summaiya puts it in a very simple way for us to understand.
1. Predictability of your Story
Firstly, she talked about predictability of your plot/story. A very basic story is one where the upcoming events are quite obvious, everything goes smoothly and all characters reach a happy conclusion. Such stories become quite tedious and monotonous. A story has to have something that keeps your reader gripped, curious and connected.
2. Misuse of Punctuations
Secondly, bad punctuations is a big issue for editors. The first thing a publisher will notice about your book is technical errors. If you have a badly punctuated structure, you instantly leave a bad impression. To fix this problem, summaiya suggested we revise our punctuations and read as much as possible to learn.
3. Inconsistency and Lack of Innovation
Third and equally important, Summaiya discussed the problem of inconsistency and lack of innovation. She explained how as an editor herself, she comes across a lot of manuscripts that look very promising in the beginning but get de-tracked mid-way. Either the writer loses inspiration to write and just rush to the end of story, or they start dragging events by adding too much unneccesary details and the reader’s interest is lost. Furthermore, a lot of writers refrain from exploring new techniques or ideas and simply follow a pre-existing linear timeline. To explain this point Summaiya used the phrase “Old is not gold in writing”. By this, she meant that readers do not want to read about the same topics or stories over and over again. She also urged writers to write on relatable topics that are relevant today.
4. Plagiarism
Last, but definitely not the least, came the issue of Plagiarism. In countries like Pakistan, there are very weak rules and regulations regarding intellectual property. In such countries, intellectual theft and plagiarism are big drawbacks for writers. Plagiarism is basically stealing someone’s content and using it as your own. It is a crime to steal someone else’s work and also ethically incorrect to do so. While most of us do not directly steal ideas, we take inspiration from a work and fail to give credit to that particular person. It is thus important to provide a reference of whatever you’re taking inspiration from. Facts, data or information that you use in your own research should also be cited or quoted.
This wraps up our second Live session of Mused. We hope to keep bringing new, informative episodes to help you with writing. If you share our passion of writing and want to contribute in this mission to develop the literary Industry of Pakistan, sign up with us at Daastan. Stay tuned and catch the next Live session this week!
It all started when Professor Pervez Hoodbhye wrote an article on Dawn titled ‘Corona – our debt to Darwin’ where he was raising this point that how biological science is the hope to control this Corona pandemic.
Thanks to biological science — the foundation of which was laid by Charles Darwin — the coronavirus will eventually turn out to be a deadly but controllable affair. Its final worldwide death toll may run into many tens, or perhaps hundreds, of thousands. Still, compared to the toll exacted by pre-scientific era plagues, this will be small. Your life may well be saved by some yet to be invented drug or vaccine. All beneficiaries of modern medicine should surely forgive Darwin for his supposed transgressions.
What’s promising about Hoodbhye is that he uses science, logic and objectivity to look at the things rather than claiming that religion will somehow solve things. He tries to educate an illiterate nation who trolls him a lot on his social media page. However, he continues to do the good work.
The Logical Criticism on Hoodbhye
Today, was somewhat different. We came across someone who went after Hoodbhye with scientific facts and tried to prove him wrong. His name was Daniel Haqiqatjou who provided detailed arguments on how and why he believes Darwin’s theory to be obsolete. He referred to various researches, scientists and researchers who share his beliefs. This debate was in light of the current Corona Virus situation. According to Daniel Haqiaqtjou, as a Muslim, he firmly believed that any such evolutionary change can only be God’s work and must only end with His will. Here is the original post he shared:
Pervez Hoodbhoy Fails in Science and in IslamHoodbhoy, the Pakistani secular modernist, has taken this opportunity of …
Under his post, Arif Jan wrote a long reply which refuted Haqiqatjou’s argument on the redundancy of Darwin’s theory. Arif provided a counter argument, equally well-backed, loaded with references of books, researches and studies to prove otherwise. In his opinion, Haqiqatjou only picked references that went along his own claim. Have a look at Arif Jan’s counter argument in a post shared by Syed Muneeb Ali:
There was this article written by the Daniel Haq.. In which he tried to counter Dr. Parvez Hoodbhoy's recently written…
We would leave that to the audience who can read and decide who is right. What we loved was that how an argument was formed, refuted and countered with facts. This is the kind of evolution we wish to see on social media.
Remember that whenever you post anything online, it reflects you and the way you think. Validity of news and researching the facts before arriving at conclusion is the need of the hour. Corona Virus is rattling the global economy and we have no idea how much more damage it will do. One thing which we, as individuals can do is backup everything we say or post online with facts.
Another key thing which we loved was that the discussion was civil and to the point. The speakers spoke based on their scientific intellect and understanding. This debate is a fine example of how to argue online and turning these virtual battlefields into healthy and informative platforms!
We often say that the hour of death cannot be foreseen. When we say this, we imagine this hour would be in a distant future. We never thought that we would be remembering Asrar Sahab as a memory, when we were publishing his book.
Hafsa Idrees, Co-founder Daastan
An artist breathes their art. They become it. When their art is appreciated, they feel appreciated. But when their art is ignored, overlooked and forgotten, it feels as if they have faded away too. Such is the story of our beloved, Asrar Jamayee.
Who was Asrar Jamayee?
Asrar Jamayee was an Urdu poet, born in 1937 in Patna to Syed Wali-ul-Haq; a landlord who was an active member of the Khilafat Movement. A once renowned and sought-out poet, Asrar Sahab’s life took a drastic turn when he was shockingly declared dead by the Government of India. What followed was years and years of struggle for recognition and basic human rights. But while he suffered, his awe-inspiring determination in the face of adversity and his excellent poetic works made him friends with people who loved him and continue to do so.
Daastan has had the honour of being one of those who could play a little role in Asrar Sahab’s life. We helped bring his work “Tanz Paarey” to life. And two days ago, we received the heart-breaking news of him finally passing onto the other world. The 83-year-old poet took his final breath on April 4th, 2020 in a small home in Delhi. His death is, indeed, a huge loss not only to mankind but to Urdu language too. We, at Daastan express our immense grief on this sad occasion and pay tribute to the legend who deserved more by bringing to you his story. A story we shall never forget.
Asrar Jamayee’s Life
Asrar ul Haq who adopted the pen name Jamayee, began reciting his poetry at a young age upon his teacher, Dr Hussain‘s advice. Jamayee lost both his parents while he was still struggling to establish himself. He was thus forced to quit college and return to Patna where he opened a coaching institute for engineering and medical sciences. But this unfortunate course of action resulted in a bloom in his poetry.
Jamayee wrote four volumes of poetry books and kept reciting at Mushairas and soon his work earned him a name. Asrar was awarded a Prize by the 1st President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. His satirical expression along with the crisp sherwanis he often wore, became his style statement across the country. He not only scored among the commoners but also inspired various Chief Ministers and big names like Rajiv Gandhi and President Abdul Kalam, who later invited him as a guest on one occasion.
Rekhta recently payed tribute to Asrar Jamayee through this video:
Rekhta’s Tribute to Asrar Jamayee
Downfall for the Urdu Poet
In a sad turn of events, Jamayee soon found himself in adverse conditions. He lost his only property, a room inJamia Nagar, Delhito local thugs. In 2013, due to a government fault, Jamayee lost his pension upon being stated dead in official records. He spent his final years trying to prove his existence to the government officials. Arre, an Indian Website covered his story while Jamayee made rounds to be recognized as a living person.
#BestOfArre: अस्सी बरस के असरार जामाई को दिल्ली के सामाजिक कल्याण विभाग ने मृत घोषित कर दिया। ये व्यंग्यकार और कवि अब एक दफ़्तर से दूसरे तक खुद को ज़िंदा साबित करने की जंग लड़ रहे हैं। Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/AsrarJamayee
Among those who stepped up to help the poet, Jamia Alumni of Chicago Chapter were also on fore-front. They raised a sum of Rs 70,000 as aid for Jamayee to deal with the financial crisis at hand. Welfare Minister Rajendra Gautam also visited Jamayee and promised an inquiry into his case to restore his pension.
I have handed over your valuable contribution amount to Asrar Jamai Sahab.Jamia Nagar poet’s work to Urdu is immense,…
Delivering funds to Asrar Jamayee Delivering funds to Asrar JamayeeSource : Tourism Professionals
A Struggle to Survive
During this time, in a car accident he fractured his hand but could not go for surgery due to lack of funds. Having no family of his own and brother Iqbal Yousaf who never supported him, Jamayee spent his last breaths in tragic conditions.
Last days of Urdu Poet Asrar Jamayee
Asrar Jamayee Poet
No matter how much value his words contained, there was very little that he could now trade them for. In 2018, The Wire held an interview with the old poet who talked about his life and struggles:
The hardships he faced for himself, he bore without complain. He wished nothing for himself but a respectable place and for his writings to be recognized. His only desire in these last days, was to publish his work. Abhijit Khandkar, a regular visitor and close friend of Jamayee Sahb’s caretakers, writes:
“A man who never even once wallowed in self pity when there was every reason to. Even when we had to raise funds for his ailment and daily needs, we had to guise it in a way as he still wouldn’t take money or cash directly from any of his visitors, such was his self respect. All he asked for, was an honest listener, to whom he could read his poetry. “
Abhijit Khandkar, a close friend of Asrar Jamayee
Who cares for an ageing, long ignored poet who dies all alone when the whole nation is under a lockdown. How ironically…
Abhijit Khandkar’s Recent Post for Asrar Jamayee Sahb
Books and Awards
Asrar Jamayee wrote several books as a satire on politics inculcating hindu traditions and legends. Ram Darshan is one of these political commentaries that talk about society and return of Ram. His collection of books include Shayare Azam, Attare Azam, Baghe Daraz, Zarbe Kalaam, Khale Jibraeel, Murghane Hijaz, Dili Darshan, Bharat Darshan and Ram Darshan. Although deserving, Jamayee never received awards like the Padma Shiri or Urdu Academy Award, perhaps due to the lack of political support that he inherited. In Jamayee’s own words, the worth of an artist is :
We are honored to have helped a true legend in these last, most sorrowful days of his life. Daastan with the help of Jamayee sahb’s fans in both Pakistan and India, published his book titled ‘Tanz Paaray‘. Daastan’s Urdu Editor Ms. Qudsia Jamali, digitized Asrar Sahb’s book. The book’s cover design, publishing and distribution was done by Daastan. The beautifully written poems that were long awaiting a roof over their head just like their creator, were finally given the shelter of a book. The journey of these torn, dusty sheets lying dormant beside the man who had once recited them to crowds of hundreds, reached their destiny by being published.
[Update] Smiles cure sadness. We were over-the-moon to see this historic event. Mr. Asrar Jamyee, an eminent Urdu poet…
The smile on his face upon holding his last book was priceless and we shall cherish that for a lifetime. Daastan is proud to have been a part of this journey.
You don’t know the extent of joy you gave him by publishing his work. He would show it to every visitor so proudly. The copies he would keep by his side. He wanted to publish more and visit Pakistan again. That now remains…
Abhijit Khandkar to Daastan
We published Asrar sahab's book a few months back at Daastan. Asrar Jamayee sahab is an Urdu poet in India who had no resources recently to bring his book to reality. So with the support of so many people in India and Pakistan, we were able to pull this off. Today, my dearest friend Abhijit video called me and I talked to Asrar sahab. I was smiling soooo wide from all his love. So grateful for this, Abhijit. Also, so proud of my entire team at Daastan. ❤
Posted by Sidra Amin on Saturday, December 7, 2019
Apart from helping Jamayee publish his book ‘Tanz Paaray‘, Daastan worked closely with Karan, the founder of Arre. In a radio interview hosted by the Co-founder of Daastan, Ms. Hafsa Idrees, she talked to Karan about his work and the condition of Asrar Jamayee Sahb.
Listen to show @ https://www.facebook.com/mydaastan/videos/697647037275141/__Tune into "Ask Hafsa" tomorrow at 9pm…
Ms. Idrees penned her condolences for the late Asrar Sahab,
He had the most amazing, courageous strength and tenacity that every single person who ever came in contact with him could feel. We all know he went through so much in the past years, from being falsely declared dead to the struggles that followed. Things that would have broken a lot of people but never Asrar Sahab. He carried on gracefully because he knew he had to be strong for the people who were going to follow him and his legacy. Rest in peace, Asrar Sahab.
Hafsa Idrees, co-founder Daastan
Daastan had been working with Karan and Asrar Jamayee in these past years which developed a very special bond between both parties. It is due to our emotional attachment to the departed soul that we are left in deep sorrow upon his death. Syed Ommer Amer, the founder of Daastan expressed his feelings in a recent Facebook post that read:
” We will miss you. Forever. I promise that every year, we will keep your legacy alive and tell the world about you, your work and the life you lived ”
Syed Ommer Amer, founder Daastan
#FoundersDiary: May his sol rest in peace. I remember him, his voice and his wishes. It was one of my dearest wish to…
Our Cofounder Sidra Amin, through whom we connected with Asrar Jamayee and Karan, shares an equally strong bond. She conveys her despair in the following words:
“It is heartbreaking to know about Asrar sahab’s demise because we couldn’t give him anything in all this time. He needed financial help for his health and living conditions, but we couldn’t manage to do any of it. Heck, we couldn’t even get on another call with him. I am happy he had his poetry books, his smile, and love of people when he went away. I am glad that he wasn’t as lonely in this time as he must have felt when he was wrongfully declared dead earlier. Rest in peace, Asrar sahab“
Sidra Amin, co-founder Daastan
Ms. Qudsia Huzaifa, the lady who digitized Asrar Sahab’s book, Tanz Paaray expressed her views by stating
It was an honor for me to work on his work and it was my dearest wish to meet him… I am not a great author or a poet who can pay a tribute to him however based on what I read, I want to say that ‘Every word written by the father of humor is complete in itself and carries secrets within which serve as an institution for other poets’.
We value these hand-written notes sent to us by Jamayee during our correspondence over his recent book, Tanz Paaray on which we were working.
Hand written notes from Asrar Jamayee’s book Hand written notes from Asrar Jamayee’s book
In this meek attempt to keep his legend alive, we at Daastan pay tribute to Asrar Jamayee sahb and take comfort from the fact that his soul must have finally found the peace and comfort which this temporary world could not offer. We hope that Urdu language and Urdu lovers keep his poetry alive, if not while he lives then at least while he rests, we must remember him!
We have included information about Jamayee to the best of knowledge. If you have any more information about the late poet, do share it with us at merasawal@daastan.com.
Daastan had something interesting in store for the New Year
New year new me? A phrase we re-use each year to keep reminding ourselves of the importance of change in our lives. New year is surely the best time to inspire yourself, rearrange your goals and maximize your potential. It is this energy of a newly born year that helps uskeep growing and aiming higher. We at Daastan, could not miss the chance to turn this new year into a great opportunity for all! In collaboration with Youth Impact, we arranged a Goal setting Workshop to help young leaders acknowledge their role and strive to bring social change in our society.
On 4thJanuary, Daastan and Youth Impact arranged the workshop at the National Incubation Center, Islamabad. The event was aimed to inspire and promote young leaders. Inspirational talks were held where Daastan’s founder Mr Ommer Amerwas one of the speakers. He discussed the effective ways of setting goals in life. Mr. Ommer Amer took this opportunity to share his own journey of a very similar path, when five years ago when he found Daastan with the vision of putting a book in every hand. The significance of mapping down your goals and managing yourself in a way to achieve those goals was highly emphasized.
Discussion lead by Mr Ommer Amer at the Goal setting Workshop
Shaping young minds
The workshop was attended mostly by university students who were aspiring leaders and had brilliant energy. These young energetic students were determined to become agents of social change in Pakistan by using their respective skills and talents. We interacted with these amazing people and helped answer their queries regarding goal setting. The workshop concluded with a fun activity. Goal setting worksheets were distributed and participants were guided in thinking and understanding by learning ways of setting goals and working towards becoming the leaders they aspire to be.
We believe that having a clear idea of what one wants is the first step to achieve your goal. Once you recognize your goals, you should manage your time, resources and skills to work towards the agenda you have set for yourself. Young people who are extremely talented and have enormous potential often lack management skills which hinders their growth. It is for this concern that we step out to help the future leaders in setting up those goals and giving them a direction thereon.
Our vision for the future
We hope to keep inspiring and creating avenues for such activities by involving the asset of our nation; our youth. In no time will all important platforms in our country be filled with the next generation and we hope and aspire to help you discover your true potential. If you relate to these young leaders and wish to become a part of any future activities, sign up with us at Daastan and grab your opportunity!
This year, Daastan completed 5 years of bringing good literature to Pakistani readers! Starting in 2016, with only a vision and an intense passion, Team Daastan worked tirelessly, day and night to revamp the literary community and bring the love of reading and writing back.
Now we’ve finally reached the 5 year mark and it called for celebration! We at Daastan threw a Literary party to celebrate a milestone in our journey towards creating a better informed, enlightened and learned society. On the very first day of the new year, when hopes and dreams fly as high as the sky, the founder of DaastanMr OmmerAmer along with his team celebrated the efforts that shaped what Daastan is today. At this memorable occasion, people were invited to showcase their talent through performances and interactive talks were held to further our vision. Let us have throwback at an unforgettable memory!
Mr. Ommer Amer at Daastan’s 5th Birthday partyGuests for our Literary party
Party Itinerary!
Held at the National Incubation CenterIslamabad, Daastan’s fifth birthday was an enjoyable interaction between the representatives of Daastan, authors, students and journalists. The event began with reminding our spectators, the vision behind Daastan, our journey from where it all started, the hardships we faced and the position we now hold at a local as well as global level. A fun online quiz based on contestant’s knowledge of Daastan was also played. Mr. Ashraf, one of our panelists, won the quiz!
In an attempt to promote local languages and talent, we encouraged our participants to perform in their local languages. Some immensely beautiful songs were hummed and the variety showcased was commendable. Our newly launched OST Rabba was also played to acknowledge the efforts of our diverse team.
A discussion was held on the ‘Past, Present and Future of Publishing in Pakistan’, our esteemed panelists Mr. Ashraf Baltistani, Mr. Abdul Samad Ms. Aleena Khan and Ms. Khunsa Naseer, contributed considerably. It was discussed how the influence of this revival of Publishing in Pakistan had an impact in the respective fields of all the panelists. Daastan’s role in this revival of the publishing industry and the future prospects created henceforth, were highly congratulated and acknowledged.
Happy 5th Birthday, Daastan!
Daastan’s Birthday Cake
What’s a birthday party without cutting a delicious cake, right? Ending on a sweet note, our Founder Mr Ommer Amer cut a cake and everyone got a chance to personally interact with our team, the authors and the spectators. We hope to keep growing and sharing this bond created on and through the love of Literature. If you share our passion and want to contribute with us on this vision in any capacity, sign up with us at Daastan and become a part of our journey!
Mused is an attempt towards a better informed society. Good content and literature is essential in making any society prosper, grow and develop. Whilst struggling with economic, political or social problems in Pakistan, we often tend to over-look the root of the cause; little intellectual growth. No matter how much we strive for our economy or peace in political matters, if we do not work on our intellectual capacities and not give food to our minds, social growth will always remain stunted.
Mused– The Art of Everything
To bring about an intellectual revolution, Daastan has been working tirelessly for these past few years in developing opportunities for writers and content creators to widen the access of literature to our public. Mused is Daastan’s first Live Show, aimed towards boosting the creative industry and helping artists accelerate their growth, both intellectually and career-wise. Spanned across a number of seasons, each season of Mused deals with a separate theme. These include book writing, female entrepreneurship, creative spaces in South Asia and more.
The first season of Mused dealt with the theme “The Art and the Artist – Writing a Book.” If you missed the live show, not to worry! Become part of the discussion by watching the session here
Poster for Daastan’s Live Show “Mused”
The Host– Miss Summaiya Naveed
Mused is hosted by Daastan’s Editor, Ms. Summaiya Naveed. Summaiya is a published writer with a particular interest in poetry. She is an English Literature and Linguistics grad in the making and has worked for the Pakistani literary community as both an editor and a content creator. She is one of those passionate writers who possess the courage to submit to whatever circumstances they are faced with while pursuing a career they love. Through Mused, she is bringing together artists from all creative communities into a single space.
Ms. Summaiya Naveed, editor Daastan and host for Mused
For the first episode, we received an energetic and were able to reach 1000+ viewers. Here is a quick summary of what the discussion was.
What we talked about
The agenda for the first episode was 3-fold.
1. Tips on Improving your Language
The episode began with how to improve your expression. For this, Summaiya explained to us the difference between informing and expressing. She emphasized the need to express in a way that the reader feels engaged and can relate to. It was also advised to use simple basic vocabulary so that the essence of the work was highlighted and not covered up by complicated vocabulary. She explained how in the manuscripts she had come across as an editor, most writers try to plant in fancy words and phrases to make the text look more professional which often backfires because there is little sense made by merely attaching enormous words for simplistic feelings.
Another mistake she pointed out was the use of clichés in writing. This, she explained, creates a boring image and suggests un-originality on part of the writer. To improve expression, shesuggested extensive reading to explore further expressions and using writing prompts to develop writing skills.
2. Preliminaries of Book Writing
Thesecond idea discussed was the Preliminaries of Book Writing. Summaiya pointed out that when writers are inspired by some idea, most of the time, they just start writing instantly without pre-planning the material. By laying down a rough timeline of your story and sketching out the main events that will take place, the story achieves greater finesse. Thus, she suggested making a journal and keep filling it with the events of the story. Decide before hand how the story will start, reach a middle and what will happen at the end.
After setting up a fair idea of the timeline and events, start building your characters. A very good idea of doing this, Summaiya explained, was to put your characters in different situations and see how they will act upon it. Get to know your character before telling the reader who he/she is. After characterization, came setting. She talked about the importance of the time and place of your story and developing the characters accordingly. Lastly, tone and genre were extensively discussed. Summaiya describes that each genre has a specific tone which should be maintained throughout the story. The tone is vital since it is what through the tone that the reader will connect and be a part of the story.
3. The Confidence to Self-Publish
Lastly and most importantly, we discussed the lack of confidence in many writers when it comes to publishing their own work. Summaiya encouraged writers to put their work out there and emphasized on the need for Pakistani writers to contribute in this social development of their society. She also assured new writers that even though their book might not reach the kind of fame they had imagined, they should not beat themselves up about it. Pakistan’s literary space is still young and evolving and it will take time for us to get to the point where our writers reach international recognition. But this must not dishearten you and your strife should go on. Pakistani literature needs you!
Moreover, joining literary communities on social media was another suggestion made. This will widen your exposure and allow you to explore and be inspired by other struggling or contemporary writers. Through these communities you can also take part in literary activities and improve your skills. We were lastly reminded that we ourselves are our biggest hindrance and also our biggest supporters. Which role we play in our journey is entirely our own choice.
This sums up our first live session of Mused. We hope that you enjoyed the first episode and we look forward to bringing more informative sessions to keep the healthy debate active and alive. If you feel you share our passion for literary development in Pakistan and want to work on our mission, sign up with us at Daastan. Let’s grow together!
In this crucial time, when relations between Pakistan and India are at a sensitive stage, it has become more important to promote peace, positivity and love among the two nations. While the drawing of our borders years ago declared us two separate nations, at heart, a Pakistani and an Indian are the same. They are born of the same homeland and in their hearts, they carry the same love. To explore and promote that love and to reminisce the past, we decided to do something. In collaboration with White Falcon Publishing, India , Daastan launched a #WriteForPeace letter-writing campaign.
Chitti Sarhad Parr Say– a letter-writing campaign which began in January 2020. It aimed at reconciling peace across borders through letter writing which is a long-forgotten art. Writers from both countries were requested to send in their letters for the campaign as part of a contest. This activity was mainly aimed at mending the relation between Pakistan and India. Letter writing is a very personal and emotional task that requires both the reader and writer to invest in a piece of paper. By doing so today, thousands of readers and writers got a chance to feel and connect with their counterparts.
The Love for Peace We Received
We received an enormous amount of love from both countries in shape of letters that touched us deeply. Daastan processed the entries from Pakistan while the submissions from our Indian writers were handled by the good folk at White Falcon. Letters from Pakistan were submitted in English and Urdu. From a huge number of submissions, 19 were short-listed. Selecting the letters from a pool of immensely talented Pakistani writers was one of the hardest tasks we had to do. Every submission was heart-felt, and struck a cord. The entries went beyond our expectations and we got to see some highly well-articulated letters.
The Selected Entries
We decided that the selected entries deserved a book of their own. So, in collaboration with White Falcon Publishing, India, Daastan chose some of the best entries to be compiled together in book form and be published digitally on Qissa–Pakistan’s first self-publishing platform. Qissa provides local writers an opportunity to publish their work and reach readers on a wide scale. Qissa has been publishing stories and anthologies since 2016 and aims to reinstate a literary culture in Pakistan.
The entries that spoke to us (and in some cases, made us tear up!) are:
English:
Sami Ghazal
Afraz Jabeen
Syma Tasaduq
Mahnoor Nadeem
Urdu:
Qudsia Batool
Iqra Nadeem
Filza Kamal
Hajra Imran Khan
Fatima Khan
Muhammad Ali
Areeba Sheikh
Naheed Akhtar Baloch
Alina Irfan
Kursum Fatima
Dr Fiaz Ahmad Dar
Sadia Mazhar
Ifrah Ahmed Malik
Hania Armiya
All writers showcased great skill and talent. We were moved by the gush of emotions that each letter brought with itself. Stories of pain, suffering, love and tragedy were all equally spell-bounding. A small peek into one of our short-listed letters read:
‘At the time of departure our hearts were crying. Do you know why we don’t come back? Because things never did get settled. I know you cursed me early the next morning when you came to our house for breakfast and no one was there. I know you wept bitterly when the walls and swings in my courtyard didn’t answer your questions. I know you asked every passerby about us.’
-Afraz Jabeen
Chitti Sarhad Parr Say was an attempt in writing for peace at a time when atrocities between the two countries are increasing every day. The medium of letter writing perfectly complements the campaign as letters provide a very personal account of one’s feelings which the reader can easily relate to. The bond between the two countries is above political agendas and must be achieved so through a positive communication. We, at Daastan, promote the ideology of peace and love through words. Help us grow by sharing your stories and becoming a part of the Published writers in Pakistan simply by signing up with us @ Daastan.
It is the hardest thing to say because the things that we hold dear to us means the world to us. However, in order to move and survive we have to take some tough decisions. Even though we don’t like them. It is just like a doctor operating a patient to save it’s life.
At Daastan, we are facing somewhat a similar situation. Standing at the crossroads, we have to choose. Five years was such a blissful journey where we worked with our brilliant A-team and authors all across the world. We co-created solutions, put out fires and worked tirelessly for one cause i.e. enable authors to publish their books free of cost.
Reasons for good bye
We hired the best of the best, the rarest of talents in terms of design and content to ensure that authors can learn and make the most out of this opportunity. We spent all our savings to facilitate authors and team. You won’t believe it but Daastan almost generated and injected 100,000 USD in the local economy, in past five years of its operations.
We know that you are wondering that why a good bye. Is Daastan closing its operations? Before we answer that, we want to highlight one more thing that we marketed our authors and team not on local level but also on international forums and exhibitions on our cost because we believed that as a platform, it is our duty to do that. It would help people in excelling in their careers.
However, what hurt us was that much of the people took us for granted, abused the services, lied and fought with us. Our team spent countless hours facilitating them day and night. We issued refunds, regardless of the fact that whose mistake it was. We wanted to help.
In fact, we still do and forever will.
Good Bye </3
Life After Good byes
In light of these challenges, we have now decided to say good bye to the ones who do not consider Daastan as their future, be it authors or team. It is okay because everyone has right to choose for themselves and we respect that. We live, breathe and walk literature in our everyday’s life. We will be spending our energies, time and resources on those who share the same vision and passion.
Internally, we have restructured and formalized the work processes. We have said good byes to some of the most fantastic team members because the visions weren’t aligning further. Though they left but we will forever be good friends and partner-in-literary-crimes. We will still be meeting over a cup of tea and sharing the laughs. Life moves on!
We are no longer a startup, rather evolved into a for-profit social enterprise. We know most of the people would argue that making money and doing social work can not go hand-in-hand. We are here to prove that it can. We will make enough money so we can invest back in the community and improve lives. The old mindset needs to go. Youth is coming to take charge. New rules are being forged. Publishing in Pakistan will never be the same again!
It won’t be same without you!
Future of readers?
The readers can still read the published content, order books and leave reviews on our publishing platform, Qissa. The platform was and forever will be free for readers.
Future of authors?
Daastan will no longer provide services free of cost. We are introducing an annual membership where we will work with people who are passionate and crazy enough to invest on their selves.
It is such a wrong tradition that publishers would just print the titles and hand them over to authors. Same is the case online where tech portals, newspapers and magazines would take free content, make money through it and author suffers. We are saying good bye to this tradition and challenging ourselves to market authors who join our membership program.
What makes our platform unique is that author can see the performance of their content. Ask yourself that would you prefer to dump your books in a bookstore who take insane margins, provides no guarantee and gives no proper report of sales or would you prefer an online portal where you can see the readership, monitor your sales and draw your earnings whenever you want?
We believe in transparency and accountability and we use technology to improve efficiency, kill useless paperwork and unwanted bureaucracy. Good bye to old traditions. The future of publishing is Daastan! The opportunity is knocking at your door, will you avail it?
P.S. We are not closing the company. Just re-formed the team and upgraded the way we work i.e. introduced annual memberships.
If you’re anything like us and are obsessed with Pakistani literature, you have heard of the latest controversial buzz in the literary community. We’re calling it the “Moon Controversy” because of the similar use of the word “moon” in two book titles– Noor Unnahar’s ‘yesterday I was the moon” and Khizra Zaheer’s “the moon has my heart“. In this case, the author of “the moon has my heart” has been accused of stealing concepts and content from Unnahar.
In the past week, things have unfolded with quite a twist: the publishers of said plagiarized book have issued an official statement; Unnahar has talked about the scandal on both her Instagram and her Facebook; and now Khizra Zaheer, the author of the book said to be plagiarized, has come forward with what she has to say about it all.
Asalam u A'laykum All ! We at Auraq take copyright issues very seriously and we firmly stand against the plagiarism in…
While writing a comprehensive article on just how such an event came to be, Daastan reached out to Ms. Khizra Zaheer to ask how she would like to address the situation. She responded with a detailed explanation.
Khizra Zaheer’s Official Statement
“First of all my new book (the moon has my heart) is crafted with all the hard work, time and efforts including cover that is neither plagiarized, copied, burgled, robbed or theft by any other book. In the past two days, the issues that were raised for my newly launched book cover (the moon has my heart) were totally baseless and senseless.
The author of the book (Yesterday I was the moon) instead of contacting directly with me or my publisher regarding her concerns, she preferred to post about her concern/issue directly on the social media platforms. And being the influencer she had used all the platforms to put false claims of plagiarism and allegations on me and Auraq Publications without having any evidence of it. These postings at her social media accounts and all other social groups had brought me a lot of damage and defame to me with abusing and this intensely had hurt my credibility that I have earned professional field in both local and international industry in over ten years. Seriously it takes a lot of years to create credibility and people demolish it within a fraction of seconds even without proofs. Though Auraq Publications have offered her to have a copy of my book (the moon has my heart) for proper understanding of the book but she denied to have it.
Through your platform [Daastan], I want to say that if you really want to see the truth and factual based stuff then do check out the images and link attached at Facebook and Instagram pages of Auraq Publications or at my Instagram handle @khizra.zaheer.
The analysis of both books are keenly and carefully tested and analyzed by renowned industry experts and NCA professional designers. It’s my humble request to you all for future that without seeing the real image and verification don’t put your words in everyone’s mouth else it will bring lots of damage. People abused, accused and alleged me for the whole senseless dramatic story.
Also just to clear, the MOON is universal object and can be used by anyone while the concept of both book titles are totally different (the moon that is a part of yesterday with the cut of lines, yesterday I was the moon while my new book concept is revolving around the moon that has my heart).
The attached images and all stuff under the link of Our official pages will give a real peace to all people’s hearts and souls who have put worst allegations on us. So it’s to clear you all that the font, color, layout, style, blueprint, background, images and content are neither copied, stolen, theft, robbed and burgled nor violated any COPYRIGHTS of any book. I am really very thankful to Auraq Publications that have greatly supported and tackled the issue in a better and thoughtful way.
However, for more understanding of the inside content, where I put my heart and all the efforts, you can order my book directly so you can know well before blaming someone that what I have originally put in it.
Note that we reserve all the rights, including legal notice, to proceed and act if the humiliation and assassination continues. Thank you!
What do you think about this?
Zaheer firmly claims that no part of her book– concept, content or layout– is plagiarized and her book is the result of her hard work and efforts. In the light of everything that has unfolded, it seems to come as a surprise that the author has taken a strong viewpoint and is denying all accusations made against her. What Unnahar or the rest of the community has to say about this is still not known.
If you want to check out the evidence the author has talked about, you can click here. Let us know what you think about the #mooncontroversy in the comments below!
In a time where copies and duplicates make up a big part of any industry, originality is a rare feature of a work, appreciated by those who understand what it takes to create something unique and independent. Like in any other community, time and again, the literary world has been shocked by the surfacing of plagiarism: the 1978 Roots scandal or more recently the speech made by First Lady Melania Trump which turned out to be Michelle Obama’s are quiet some examples.
Plagiarism is the “unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author” (HEC); an act of stealing all or parts of someone’s original work and passing it off as one’s own. Basically, it means to take credit for that which an individual has not personally created. It is a practice that the literary community is riddled with but one which is seriously frowned upon by readers and writers alike.
Plagiarism – A Crime
Sadly, in Pakistan, there is a lack of action taken by the authorities when it comes to plagiarism. It seems that the focus is mostly on research works and theses: since 2007 approximately 80% of all plagiarism cases regarding research works were solved. The literary industry, however, suffers still.
Not only is plagiarism a social evil but also has legal consequences. Again, in Pakistan, the law is more concerned with academic plagiarism than literary plagiarism. It involves dismissal or rustication for teachers and students, respectively. A literary author, however, runs the risk of defamation, blacklisting, rejection from publishers for all future works and more.
How Daastan handled Plagiarism Cases?
As a publishing house based in Pakistan, we at Daastan have had our share of dealing with cases of plagiarized works. In most cases, writers copy another work, word by word; in others, we see extensive use of the thesaurus. For the latter kind, it takes a sharp eye and a detailed read to weed out manuscripts that are unoriginal. A “plagiarism check” is an essential part of our editorial process; our editors judge a manuscript by its ability to stand on its own, without the help of outer influences.
While there are no qualms about being inspired by other writers (some of the best works are born that way), we strongly oppose the practice of plagiarism in literature. The beauty of literature is the perspectives it offers to readers. Behind that perspective is an author’s hard work, research and dedication. When works are copied, that hard work is disrespected. We, as a community, stand firmly against that.
The Noor vs Khizra scandal
Recently, the plagiarism incident of a book titled “The moon has my heart” has been making waves across social media platforms. It has induced the anger of the literary community as a whole but has also split us in “for” and “against” teams.
On the 27th of December, 2019, a local publishing house launched a poetry book titled “The moon has my heart” written by the Instagram influencer and poetess Khizra Zaheer. The book was in the works for some time: pre-orders, cover launches and giveaways were all set to go. On the website, the book was said to be “a rich and beautiful collection of poetry about life, love, loss, inspiration, hurt, strength, nature and family”. The author herself was receiving praise from her readers on the accomplishment of a second poetry book.
Some readers, however, noticed that the book cover for “The moon has my heart” was very similar to another book. This was the generally acclaimed poetry book “yesterday I was the moon” by Noor Unnahar—a talented 22-year-old writer who has been published by Penguin Random House. Her book “yesterday I was the moon” has received much praise from readers and critics and the book cover has won a design award by the New York Book Show!
The similarities didn’t end here. Readers who bought the book confirmed that the inside layout as well as parts of the book were copied off of Unnahar’s book. One reader said, that “most of the book was badly plagiarized. Original poems had terrible grammar. Others were heavily inspired from Noor’s book”.
The literary community came forward as a united front, dug deep and recognized the similarities between the launch ceremonies of the two books as well. Whereas another reader threatened the publisher for legal action.
cannot believe a publishing house published a heavily plagiarised book. khizra's book looks like a cheap knock off of…
While there were those who stood firmly against the blatant plagiarism and called out the publishers, some readers took a different perspective. A group of writers insisted that the book was actually not plagiarized. The book cover bore a resemblance to “yesterday I was the moon” but the content inside was different. Others argued that because it was only similar to Unnahar’s work and not exactly a copy, it did not come under “copyrights infringement”. More still, came out in support of Khizra Zaheer.
The majority, however, lay with those who did not consider this a mere coincidence. Noor Unnahar, herself, took to Instagram to talk about the case. She said,
“I was informed that the cover of my book, along with the layout inside, was copied by an author. I knew them, had interacted with them when they needed help with publishing their first book.” She also said that she was, “heartbroken” but that the “support that came from the writing community has been splendid. Together, we reached the publishers of the book in question to take it down.”
The evolution of publishing industry
The support that Noor has seen on part of the literary community tells us how far we’ve come. 5 years ago, Daastan started as a publishing company, hoping to revive the dying literary industry of Pakistan; to put in our part in its rejuvenation. Seeing the kind of ferocity that the readers of Pakistan have defended an author’s work with, we are convinced that that revival is well on its way.
The community has evolved to expect the best and the original: where once, this incident might not have invoked such a strong voice on part of the readers, today it has resulted in the authorities taking action. Auraq publishers have taken down the book “The moon has my heart” from their website and further action is expected. When approached, they told us they had issued an official statement regarding the matter. The author, Khizra Zaheer, was also asked to address the situation and has recently issued her own statement through Daastan. You can read what she has to say here.
Asalam u A'laykum All ! We at Auraq take copyright issues very seriously and we firmly stand against the plagiarism in…
At the end of the day, however, when it comes to the standard that has been set for the publishing industry in Pakistan, it’s refreshing to see what the literary community expects of us: honesty and transparency.
Daastan always strives for excellence in publishing: from our team of editors who work tirelessly on manuscripts, to our readers who keep us on our toes, we are taking this journey for the revival of Pakistani literature, step-by-step. Join us today and help us revive the literary Industry of Pakistan!
