Celebrating Pakistan’s cultures

When the UN General Assembly declared May 21 to be World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development in December 2002, its aim was to promote understanding of cultural values and create a space for people of different cultures to live together in harmony.

In Pakistan, we have very little understanding of the multitude of cultures present in our country. Each region has its own set of traditions and practices but as a country we tend to eschew the individual to make way for the collective. It is almost as if we believe celebrating our own cultures will in some way detract from our patriotism for Pakistan.

People seem to believe that you can be loyal to only one entity; you can be a proud Sindhi or a proud Pakistani but not both. This isn’t even remotely true. From Sindhi ajrak and Kalash dresses to Baloch folk dances and Punjabi bhangra, all of these are a part of the culture of Pakistan and should be celebrated equally instead of hidden away.

The ongoing white-washing of our culture in recent years as the country shifts towards a more religion-based system has serious implications for the people of Pakistan. We are putting aside our own culture to emulate the culture of another country, namely Saudi Arabia. The provinces that make up Pakistan have a rich and vibrant culture, which is characterised by song, dance and colour but we are ignoring this beautiful heritage in our quest to become holier than thou.

Before celebrating world cultural day, we should celebrate Pakistan’s cultures and show our citizens that we value them and their unique cultures. Educational institutions and public spaces should proudly celebrate our varying cultures. In neighbouring India there is a place called Kingdom of Dreams, in Gurgaon, which has an entire area dedicated to celebrating India’s various cultures. The Culture Gully is 100,000 square-feet of area with theme restaurants and from 14 states, each represented with their representative architecture and décor. Pakistan should invest in a similar venture, if only to spread cultural understanding and tolerance within the country.

This World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development let’s celebrate the different cultures that make up Pakistan and remember the basis on which our country was made – to provide a safe place for people of all ethnicities to live together.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2016.