Knowledge Festival: Hit show goes out with a bang
A declaration was signed by eminent writers, educationists and students pledging to make efforts for the promotion of a knowledge-sharing culture and for the development of education to ensure the prosperity and well-being of people. The declaration recognised that knowledge required free access and adaptation, for which strategies should be developed and promoted.
The participants undertook to broaden their understanding of education and share it with their peers, friends, organisations and families through living the vision of “cooperation for a better and safe world.” They pledged to remain open to new ways of understanding and acting that could expand their capacities for “doing general good.”
Candles were lit in front of pictures of prominent personalities whose contributions to knowledge and learning will always enlighten the minds of Pakistanis. These personalities, among others, included Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Mirza Ghalib, Maulana Hali, Ghulam Abbas, Waris Shah, Bulley Shah, Noon Meem Rashid, Rehman Baba, Saadat Hassan Manto, Mir Taqi Mir, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
A play, written by renowned short-story writer Mazharul Islam, was presented to mark the festival’s culmination, in a way communicating the event’s central message. It was in the form of a dialogue between a 60-year old librarian, played by student Hira Ghazanfar, who has devoted her life to books and a journalist who interviews her, played by Mukhtar Azad.
The librarian tells the interviewer that her passion for reading books developed because her father used to tell her interesting stories in her childhood. Ironically, her father, who wanted her to become a medical doctor, was disappointed when she decided to become a librarian.
During the course of the interview, she uttered some thought-provoking sentences and spoke of the golden tradition of ‘Aana Library’, informing the journalist that all the great men and women of history had been book lovers.
She recounted reading that when books are left in shabby conditions and no one dusts them, the writers themselves come to the world and dust them. According to her, the book proved to be a catalyst for her aspirations, feeling that the book had seemed to address her directly. She remained under the influence of that book till she became an adult and decided to become a librarian. The play ended on the romantic note, “If a man’s life is without books, his life is without love.”
Sharing his views on the occasion, the play’s writer said, “It was the need of the hour to provide a platform to people where they could share knowledge with each other, understand its importance to meet modern challenges and fight the rising tide of obscurantism in society.”
“The festival was an initiative to inculcate the love of knowledge among the youth, with special focus on the poor and out-of-school children to bring them in the mainstream,” he said.
Over 80 government and private organisations, literary and cultural bodies, universities, colleges, publishing houses and research centres participated in the festival, showcasing their products and achievements.
Educational institutions set up stalls to provide information to visitors. Exhibitions displaying innovative scientific models, photographs of natural disasters, weather forecasts, mineral resources, miniature paintings, and postal stamps attracted throngs of visitors, especially children.
The event also witnessed the launch of Islamabad’s first mobile library. A grand book fair, in which more than 25 publishers and booksellers participated, was a major highlight of the festival. Documentaries and films on museums, science education, performing arts, land and culture of Pakistan, Sufism, children’s plays and Ikebana, were also presented.
Special programmes and activities for children included knowledge-based games and puzzles, mathematics Olympiad, book readings, poetry recitals, various contests and cultural shows.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 26th, 2011.
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