Conserving dying traditions: Three-year project launched to revive indigenous culture

Initiative will document endangered languages, commence digital library for music

PESHAWAR: A three-year project has been launched by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Culture to preserve the indigenous culture and traditions of the province.

The aim is to strengthen the directorate of culture’ to carry out research and to facilitate artisans to market their craft at the international level.

Speaking to The Express Tribune on Saturday, Directorate of Culture Director Abdul Basit said, “The province is rich in culture but ongoing tensions have created instability in the region and negatively impacted cultural aspects.”

He said the three-year project was an important one since it will ensure practical steps are taken to conserve and revive indigenous culture.

Basit added that while the project will initially be implemented for three years, it will be extended further.

Aims, modus operandi

Basit said one of the aims of the project was to prevent languages from becoming extinct in the province.

In K-P, while more than two dozen languages were being spoken those in use in the northern areas were on the verge of extinction.

The initiative will document the disappearing languages and also publish monthly magazines to keep them alive.

The project will also organise international literary festivals to exhibit old literature of the province.

The director added one of his goals was to assimilate and present all the great literature and film culture of the Pashto golden era.

“A digital library for this purpose will also be created but that will take some time,” he said.

Basit added most of the staff has been hired and initial work has started.



The research element of the project will include exploring work of artisans from different parts of the region and assisting them in preserving and showcasing their work internationally.

The official said in the past, culture was never considered to be an industry which caused mainstream negligence of many small-scale artisans who working on traditional handicrafts. He said widespread perceptions never gave them encouragement and since society made little use of their skills, they vanished from markets.

“Under the project, these local products will be launched at the international level and artisans will be trained to use adequate technology – develop websites and market products,” Basit told The Express Tribune.

A display centre has also been established at the Islamabad office where handicrafts will be put on display to attract foreign tourists.

Hamid Kheshgi who works in new media unit of the project told The Express Tribune documentaries and animations on cultural products of the province will be made and posted on the website.

“The purpose is to show our indigenous cultural heritage to the world,” he said. Kheshgi added new media unit will also collect local audio and video music and films and will convert them into digital form, echoing Basit’s sentiments that a digital library will soon be formed. “This is because indigenous music is a true representation of our culture,” he said.

He added that one his works was to be made into an animated movie based on local folk stories and cultural issues.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2016.