The decision by the Punjab Assembly to pass a resolution calling for a ban on ‘objectionable’ concerts at educational institutions may be one of the worst examples yet of lawmakers trying to impose their version of morality on the constituents they serve. Although the resolution is non-binding, it still needs to be vociferously opposed before members of the provincial assembly decide that they have the support to convert it into a binding bill. What is most dangerous about the bill is its refusal to define ‘objectionable’. A morality brigade imbued with the fumes of self-righteousness could use it to shut down everything from classic dance to rock concerts. Whether artistic content is ‘objectionable’ lies in the eyes of the beholder and cannot be legislated by politicians, especially when the majority party in the Pubjab Assembly is the one that banned the wearing of jeans by pop singers on national television in the 1990s.
The resolution was spurred by a tragedy at a concert in Lahore where three girls were killed in a stampede. Rather than shutting down the venue and jailing the organisers, who allowed the overcrowding which caused the stampede, legislators decide to play the morality card. Furthermore, in this debate no mention was made of safety laws that would ensure the well-being of attendees. It is almost as if they think those who attend ‘objectionable’ concerts have no one but themselves to blame. The actions of the Punjab Assembly would suggest that MPs have granted themselves the right to ban anything they don’t personally approve of. This is not how a free society should be governed. Inevitably, politicians who think they can ban cultural events will try and expand the list of proscribed activities. Such moral policing only ensures that there are fewer public spaces that welcome youngsters, driving them further away from mainstream society. For the sake of culture, free speech and the youth of the country, this Punjab Assembly resolution needs to be repudiated by all.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2012.
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Fake degree holders are the law makers now....is it appropriate to conduct concerts in the schools and colleges? Are the educational institutions not for the purpose of to seek education only? for God sake , this is Islamic republic of Pakistan. We should concentrate on moral, ethical and educational building in youth and this cant be done by arranging concerts in the Schools and college.
What do you expect from fake degrees holders??