Amar Sindhu

Amar Sindhu, born Salma Laghari, is a Pakistani author, poet, activist and academic. She works as an assistant professor of philosophy at Sindh University Jamshoro.

Early life and education

Salma Laghari was born on 28 August 1968 to Hussain Bukhsh Laghari. Her birthplace is the village of Dodo Laghari, which is located in the Mirpur Khas District of Sindh, Pakistan. She pursued higher education extensively to build her academic foundation.

She holds two master's degrees and an LLB degree. These qualifications support her diverse professional roles as a teacher and a legal scholar.

Career

Sindhu serves as an assistant professor of philosophy at Sindh University Jamshoro. Beyond the classroom, she is a recognized Sindhi-language poet. She also works as a political analyst and a writer. Her columns appear in Dawn News and Humsub. She writes articles in English, Urdu and Sindhi. Some of her written work has been translated into the German language.

As an author, she published the bilingual poetry book Ojagiyal Akhyun Ja Sapna and Jaagti Ankho Kay Sapnay. She also published a magazine titled Adrish that focuses on social, political and cultural issues. Her literary contributions include many articles regarding the poetry of the legendary Sindhi poet Shaikh Ayaz.

Her activism involves human rights and civil society issues. She addresses the rights of minorities and women alongside concerns regarding violence. As a socialist feminist, she is a founding and leading member of the Women's Action Forum. In 2008, she and Arfana Mallah started the Hyderabad chapter of this forum. She also led the "Aurat Azadi March" in Sukkur on 8 March 2020 to observe Women's Day.

Sindhu creates spaces for intellectual engagement through various initiatives. Inspired by Sabeen Mahmud's T2F in Karachi, she co-founded the "Khanabadosh Writers Cafe" at the Sindh Museum. She established this cafe alongside Haseen Shah and Arfana Malah. The venue allows intellectuals and creative people from Hyderabad or other areas of Sindh to hold discussions. In 2015, she organized the "Ayaz Festival" to celebrate the life of Shaikh Ayaz. This event included participants such as Rasool Bux Palijo and Noorul Huda Shah. The cafe also hosted a tribute to the poet and journalist Hassan Mujtaba in 2015.

Her life has faced physical danger due to her activism. In 2012, she suffered minor injuries when she was shot while traveling to Karachi.

Personal life

Salma Laghari is known publicly by her professional name, Amar Sindhu. She was born in the Mirpur Khas District to Hussain Bukhsh Laghari.