At last, Pakistan is singing, dancing and rejoicing. Don’t mistake these happy moments for a complete reversal of the country’s fortunes. Pakistan is experiencing some sort of a cultural revival and celebrating the Sindh Cultural Festival.
The government of Pakistan’s Sindh province has organized a two-week long cultural extravaganza to highlight region’s rich cultural heritage. The very familiar Superman logo, clad in traditional Sindhi ajrak, symbolizes the event, which kicked off at the historic Moenjodaro with a dazzling opening ceremony. Organizing the event required a special, superhero effort as well. The country’s self-pride and self-belief has been bruised by a bleak economic and security outlook over the past decade. In such torrid times, conceptualizing an event to celebrate the country’s glorious past and hidden treasures deserves great admiration.
Unsurprisingly, the festival has come under criticism from different quarters. The grand opening ceremony has been lashed at for endangering the ancient ruins of Moenjodaro. Similarly, the festival is also being viewed as part of a massive public campaign to boost the political career of Bilawal Bhutto, the son of the slain ex-Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, and former President Asif Ali Zardari. Use of public funds to present Bilawal as the savior of Sindh’s culture and heritage has not gone down too well with other political parties as well. Further, other critics argue that the country has other critical issues like low literacy rate, sluggish economy and crippling energy crisis, that deserve immediate attention. The millions of rupees spent on the festival could have been dedicated to tackling these issues on a priority.
While some arguments provided by the skeptics remain valid, there is a need for taking a broader perspective to the event. The Sindh Festival offers Pakistan a chance of revitalizing culture and overcoming the cultural coup from foreign influences. Due to the rise of extremist forces, the country’s rich culture has been shrouded in darkness. Cultural expression has been limited due to attacks on cinemas, art galleries and electronic media, which tried hard to fight these autocratic forces. Culture began to die a slow death in Pakistan as threats of violent attacks forced the countrymen to stay away from such cultural displays. Cultural decline can be witnessed in daily affairs of the state through weak political discourse, a civil society held hostage by a handful of rightists and manipulation of rules to benefit the privileged and well-connected. The highly vocal conservatives in Pakistan would also make one believe that the country’s cultural woes have been exacerbated by the invasion of Indian and Turkish films and television dramas. To them, Pakistan’s youth is being corrupted by these immoral and vulgar forms of art as part of a wider global conspiracy.
It is hoped that the festival will help lift the spirits of Pakistanis and develop a greater sense of pride in them. Although the event is a step in the right direction, it alone would not be sufficient in shaping a cultural renaissance in Pakistan. By stirring a greater interest in the country’s culture and traditions, the government can also counter ideological differences with extremists who now wield a great influence on Pakistan’s society.
