Abstract

This study is made to find out inclination and tendency of Sulaiman Layeq toward whether he is social realist, socialist realist, or both based on his poetic and prosaic works in Pashto and Dari languages. Social realism, a multidimensional and complex concept, is the realistic depiction of society; the observation and manifestation of life that covers countless shades of social life whereas socialist realism is the depiction of reality that must be linked to the task of ideologically remolding and educating the workers in the spirit of socialism and communism. And, it is also significant to briefly assert that how Russian Socialist Realist models were imitated and adapted to Pashto literary context in the development of Afghan literature across the 20th century. This qualitative research is based on the data collected from the existing Pashto literature whether journals or books. Pashto texts and other English books written in English including other theoretical English books are reviewed to meet the objectives of the study. In the result, Sulaiman Layeq has written his poetic and prosaic works that deal both with social realism and socialist realism. Layeq easily makes romanticism to realism accompanying his social beliefs. ‘The Songs of Chunghar’ are great sources of social-political-historical movements where both social realistic and socialist realistic themes could be abundant. Not limited to this piece of literary work, Layeq as a voice of the times and as a pioneering poet of revolutionary caravan is the first poet who centralizes a worker as a great hero in many other poetic and prosaic works where Layeq persuades him (the hero) to a better way of life. There are other social realistic themes either such as mercy on the poor, brutality and violence of the cruel and masters, uncivility of the social elements in Afghan society.

Keywords: Sulaiman Layeq, Social Realism, Socialist Realism, Pashto and Dari Literatures