Gypsy Mela: Artists and craftsmen celebrate cultural diversity

A NADRA van was brought to help register the gypsy people as citizens.

LAHORE:

Artists, performers and craftsmen gathered at the Children’s Library Complex on the first day of the Gypsy Mela on Monday to celebrate the culture of various regions in the country. The theme this year was ‘Identity is Our Right’.

The event has been organised by GODH, a non-government organization working for human development at the grass-roots level, in collaboration with the Social Welfare Department and the Children’s Library Complex. It included more than 40 stalls with performers and musicians.

The mela had a modest turnout during the day, which grew later in the evening. Musician Krishan Lal Bheel from Cholistan, last year’s highlight, lobbied for the gypsy communities’ right to an identity. He was speaking at a conference held at the CLC Auditorium. He stressed the need to secure gypsy rights and protect them as a community. He said they were extremely vulnerable. The crowd appeared to greatly enjoy Bheel and his troupe’s performance, as they danced to the tunes of Cholistan.

GODH Executive Director Nazir Ahmed Ghazi said the mela aimed to generate awareness about the gypsy community. He said it was vital to protect the community by coming up with solutions for their problems. A NADRA van was also brought in to help register the gypsy people as citizens. Ghazi said in line with this year’s theme, efforts had been made to take practical steps to ensure the gypsy community’s right to an identity.

The Anti Narcotics Force Pakistan, the Noor Welfare Foundation, Rahnuma Family Planning, the Technical Services Association and the Roshni Association had also set up stalls.

There were also many stalls with local herbs for ailments, gypsy arts and crafts, and local handicrafts.  Abdul Hameed was displaying his crafts at a stall Guggoo Ghoray Walay. Hameed’s stall had small clay sculptures of roughly finished horses painted in bright colours, and priced at Rs20 each. “This is all I know. I have been doing this for more than 40 years” Hameed said. Based in Lahore, Hameed said he travelled to nearby areas to participate in fairs and festivals. He said did not know what the word ‘guggoo’ meant. The stall next to Hameed’s displayed handmade clay sculptures made out of colourful velvet, crepe paper and wooden sticks, which were not for sale.

Muhammad Rafique, a snake charmer, was managing his stall under the name of Jogi Baba. He was accompanied by two family members, who were all in the same business. “It has been in the family for generations. This is our life” he said. Rafique said despite the emergence of alternate means of entertainment, snake charmers still drew crowds. “Whether it is in a galli (street) or a mela (fair), people are still spell-bound by this art”, he claimed.

The Art and Craft Welfare Foundation displayed the works of Sadia Athar, who had recently completed training at the foundation. The stall displayed colourful trinkets, rings and accessories. Athar said she believed it was time to move towards more economic alternatives in times of high prices. She said they were now using materials including ceramic bases, velvet, beads, plastic and stones. “It is a pity that Pakistanis fail to appreciate their local handicrafts as much as they are appreciated abroad”, she said.

The mela also had stalls to raise awareness of health issues and rights. Muqaddas Nazami, volunteering at a stall for free blood sugar testing, said more than a 100 people had availed the facility.

The stall had been set up by the Lady Willingdon Hospital, Mayo Hospital and the Lady Aitchison Hospital in collaboration with the Social Welfare Department. “There is a lot of awareness among people here, including those from the gypsy communities”, he said.

The Gypsy Mela will end on Wednesday (today) at the CLC.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2014.