Celebrating diversity

The efforts of K-P archaeology department to promote cultural diversity are welcome, but a lot more needs to be done

Diversity, at its core, is synonymous with having tolerance and respect for one another. Unfortunately, when it comes to preserving diversity in its various shades, our role as a nation has been far from effective. We have never realised the implications of neglecting our cultural heritage. In such an environment, the effort of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government’s archaeology department is highly commendable. It recently arranged a special prayer session for Buddhist monks at the Jaulian Monastery, which is located near Taxila. The historic site, which had remained ‘silent’ for around 1,500 years, was reopened for South Korean monks.

The significance of such events from a province, which has been largely closed to the outside world despite having much to offer, is immense. In recent times, marginalised communities in K-P, adhering to different faiths, have been the target of extremists. This has promoted an image of an intolerant society, which not only does not accept diversity, but seems to thrive on wiping it out. The implications of living with a singular worldview that does not promote even the slightest bit of exploration of other cultures are disastrous.

Pakistan is a signatory to Unesco’s declaration on cultural diversity that is committed to promoting “fruitful diversity of culture”. The government’s lack of effort in safeguarding and promoting our ancient history is akin to forgetting our past and preventing our younger generation from taking ownership of it. The efforts of the K-P archaeology department in this regard are most welcome, but a lot more needs to be done.

War and conflict are the major contributing factors in destroying the culture and heritage industry. It is a sad fact that Pakistan is in the middle of a bloody fight against extremist forces, which has impeded efforts to celebrate our diversity as a nation. However, this is still no excuse to overlook and not promote our ancient history and cultural heritage.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2014.

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