KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that there is a need of organizing one or two international conferences every year to invite men of letters to visit Sindh and to interact to create a clear understanding of each other and revive old contacts and to promote and enrich our literature, education and promote meaningful research.
This he said on Wednesday while speaking at International Conference on ‘Alexander in the Indus Valley’, organized by Endowment Fund Trust at Jahangir Siddiqui Auditorium, IBA City Campus, Saddar. The conference was attended by Syed Fakir Aijazuddin, Dr. Robin Lane Fox, Emeritus Fellow of New College, Oxford University, and Dr. Richard Stone man, Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter. This conference will continue until 24 February 2023.
The Conference opened with a performance from the Kalash dancers who had come from Chitral for the occasion. Hamid Akhund hosted the first session in which Minister Culture Syed Sardar Shah, Hamid Haroon, Jahangir Siddiqui, and others spoke on the occasion. Mr. Shah said that he belonged to Sehwan and have grown up hearing tales of Alexanders’ visit to this part of the world, even now more than 2300 years since his visit, and stories of Alexanders’ sojourn are deeply embedded within local folklore and popular imagination. “Up till very recently, a road in Sehwan was referred to as Sikandari road,” he said and added, “although Sehwan may or may not be the city the Greeks called Sindhimana, Eggermont states that the fort possibly retains evidence that will help understand the full impact of Alexander’s time spent in the Indus region.”
Mr. Shah said that as a boy, Alexander dreamed of matching the heroic feats of Achilles, by 20 he led his cavalry to stunning victories, and by twenty-five, he had crushed the Persian Empire. “He was in the Indus Valley for a very short period of over two years and this great leader of armed men had for the first time in history linked the east to the west with the largest empire and for twelve and half years, he has ruled,” he said and added wise men whom he had brought with him to record events have provided us with the knowledge and conditions of diverse peoples and their customs. The modern-day world is fascinated by this lord of valours’ vertiginous advance over unimaginable terrain, mighty rivers, men, beasts, and what drove him, and at the same time, it appears that this gnawed this lonely man, the CM said and added that that appeared he covered with a show of mense courage and pride to make himself stronger internally and to be assured of his power.
Mr. Shah said that we did not really know what drew Alexander into the world for nothing much has been written. “Was it curiosity, a hunger to conquer and be lord of the world, an addiction to be on the move and to make something happen all the time, self-justification, and struggle to overcome mortality, thus creating a world and placing a thousand things on it? The CM said and added that it was clear that man was the sum only of the qualities that God has chosen to implant in him.
Murad Ali Shah said that much has been written about his exploits and the affection he commanded of his people, their dedication of life to him, and yet as in the case of Xerxes, his entire conquest dissipated into bloody intrigues and fragments by his own generals so much so that his young son was killed – no one to take over. According to the CM, the Endowment Fund Trust (EFT) has come upto his expectations in organizing this conference on time, and they have my appreciation as do Sardar Ali Shah, Jahangir Siddiqui, and Hameed Haroon for their inspiring support. I am aware of the difficult task they have on their hand, they have the full support of his government.
The CM sought the counsel of visiting friends to advise us about the works at the Sehwan Fort, a site that has suffered due to neglect. “The Sindh government has started repair works on rain and flood-damaged sites, it may take longer but steps are being taken.,” he said and added he advised the Sindh Culture dept to organize one or two such events every year to invite men of letters to visit Sindh and to interact so as to create a clear understanding of each other and reviving old contacts and to promote and enrich our literature, education and promote meaningful research.
The Chief Minister ended his speech with what has been recorded in history as the words of Alexander whilst breathing his last. “Crateus, one of Alexander’s confidants leaned over the dying king and asked Lord, who should inherit your kingdom? To whom should it go?” Alexander did not speak. With effort, his [Alexander] head rose a fraction, opened his eyes, and looked around as if he knew everything and feebly whispered. “To the strongest he said.”