District admin plans cultural revival through community initiatives

JARANWALA:

In a bid to foster heritage appreciation and social tolerance, the district administration has unveiled plans to introduce art galleries in private housing colonies and establish literary societies and sports clubs in educational institutions.

This initiative will begin in Faisalabad district, with plans to extend it across the division.

Commissioner Silwat Saeed shared the initiative in a discussion with media personnel, emphasising the need to balance real estate development with cultural and humanistic infrastructure to make Faisalabad a sustainable city.

"Our urban centres are heavily focused on real estate, yet overlook the cultural elements that make cities liveable," she stated.

The Commissioner's Office plans to partner with private developers from housing colonies along major arteries in Faisalabad to establish galleries and cultural spaces for residents to engage with the city's heritage.

These galleries will feature exhibitions of renowned artists, poetry recitations and a curated collection of historical literature to help revive the region's history, specifically the Sandal Bar's cultural legacy.

Public access will be free, promoting widespread community engagement.

Silwat Saeed noted that detailed consultations with the Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) are underway to finalise a mechanism to make the proposal feasible, indicating that these history revival initiatives will soon take shape.

Addressing growing extremism, particularly among youth, Saeed highlighted plans to revitalize inactive school councils.

The reconstituted councils will include local influencers, such as village headmen, prayer leaders, and union council leaders, to foster tolerance and community engagement. "These leaders play a vital role at the grassroots level and can help instill values of tolerance and support educational development through voluntary contributions of resources," she explained.

As part of the initiative, literary and sports clubs will also be reintroduced in schools.

These clubs aim to promote healthy activities while instilling core values of tolerance, unity, and social harmony. According to Saeed, these programs do not require extensive physical infrastructure, as school libraries, laboratories, and examination halls can serve as venues for activities such as poetry readings, prose recitations, and painting competitions celebrating Faisalabad's cultural heritage.

"These projects require no additional funding, only the resolve to implement unique and creative solutions," she noted, adding that a meeting with educational officers has been scheduled to expedite the project.

Chaudhary Muhammad Asif, DG of the FDA, assured full support for the Commissionerate's initiative. He stated that the FDA will collaborate with private developers to implement the art gallery project in a phased manner.

According to Asif, under the Punjab Private Housing Scheme Rules 2022, private developers are already required to include public buildings like schools, parks, and community spaces.

The commissioner's suggestion to incorporate art galleries into these spaces aligns well with existing regulations.

"The proposal will be submitted to the governing body to establish guidelines for developers to incorporate cultural spaces as part of the layout plans for new housing colonies," Asif added.

Ahmed Niazi, an actor and playwright, praised the divisional commissioner's initiative, describing it as a "breath of fresh air" amid the shrinking space for indigenous cultural and theatre activities, which are nearing extinction.

He emphasised that this effort would play a crucial role in preserving and promoting local heritage, stories, and folklore.