“Everyone has a fundamental human right
to practice the distinctive way of life of their tradition, and to share in the
joys of the cultural life of their community.” This is the
meaning of Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We are in a
time of increased religious, ethnic and intercultural conflict. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s history has been
completely adjusted according to how different dictators wanted it, traditions
have been hijacked by religious extremists and radical mindset which came out
as a result of the hate speech taught in schools mostly, musicians have been
ignored, killed or transformed into clerics and people cannot openly talk about
their beliefs for there can be consequences.
Our language itself has also been purposely changed. In the largest
province of Pakistan, the name of the country is now written in Arabic language
from Pakistan to Albakistan. So basically the integral parts of a society's
identity are hardly seen anywhere.
Since coming back to Pakistan and taking
responsibilities as a Patron in Chief to Pakistan People’s Party, Bilawal
Bhutto Zardari has surprised a number of people whether his supporters or from
other parties or even those who are apolitical with his anti terrorist
statements and his interaction with the people through social media, furthering
the vision of constructing the foundations for peace in today’s severely
affected Pakistan by terrorism. One
particularly innovative approach to peace is the Sindh Festival 2013, a
manifestation of Bilawal Bhutto’s belief in the power and importance of
cultural heritage in fostering mutual understanding among peoples and
societies. Creative expressions have the power to open people's hearts to one
another and make our shared humanity quiet obvious. When a conflict is over and people begin to
rebuild their society, the cultural heritage serves as an important link with
the past and a critical element in re-establishing their identify. The Sindh
Festival was a reminder to the people of Pakistan that our cultural property
monument, monasteries, archives, historic sites are in a vulnerable
situation. They may be damaged or destroyed not only by accident but
by direct targeting.
Being an
attendant of the Sindh Festival from Islamabad, belonging to Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, I admit that I knew very less about Sindh until the festival and I
have started following the news of that area more closely being happy for their
success and feeling pain of them as my own. It is something to take pride in
that the festival got a worldwide interest. If you have friends living in
another country, you will never want to support the idea of going to war with
them. People-to-people ties can act as a brake at a time when political
tensions build up. Cultural exchange of this sort also counteracts cultural and
national prejudices, creating the awareness that no one culture is superior or
inferior to another.
Looking at a number of Sindhi Ajrak
printed kites in the air with joy on each person’s face on Beach Basant,
listening to Mohan Bhagat’s extraordinary folk music on Sufi Night, watching a
laborer winning Donkey Derby, women who had come from Sukkar, Tarparker etc
selling their handmade goods in festival city with nonstop Sindhi folk music
playing in the background, the enthusiasm in the youth for cricket mela, the Voice
of Pakistan bus surrounded by general public being seen in different areas of Sindh,
ajraks worn in a contemporary way in Fashion Festival, the movies being played
in Film Festival and of course seeing Mohenjodaro full of life provided us, a
boost in our self esteem and identity. It
is highly appreciable that with high security risk and security guards not
being able to leave the 25 year old Bilawal Bhuto for a second, he still
managed to attend almost every event with the joy of the crowd Bakhtawar
Bhutto. They both were interacting throughout with the general public presenting
a people’s friendly party.
Understanding
and appreciation of one another's cultures help us live together and build a
more inclusive society based on common civic values. Encouraging
cultural diversity can, paradoxically, help us to find the common ground for
living together in the same nation. When people are secure in their
right to live their lives according to their cultural values, they are better
able to enter relations of dialogue and co-operation with their fellow
citizens. All the provinces of Pakistan must have such cultural
events attended by people from different areas. It is our responsibility to
know and understand more of the cultures that make up Pakistan - the history,
values, languages, and symbols of the people who make up this nation.
