SWAT: The insurgency and flood-stricken people of the Swat valley seemed a bit more relaxed this Eidul Azha, where a majority of locals thronged the markets after performing their religious obligations.
Jamil, a resident of Mingora, told The Express Tribune, “This year we celebrated Eidul Azha, performed our sacrifice in a better way and met people freely because we were not fearful for our lives.”
The Swat valley, once famous site for shooting local Pashto dramas and video songs, was completely paralysed after the local Taliban burned down music and DVD shops, closed cinemas, killed and threatened dancers and banned people from listening to music, plunging the once relatively liberal tourist centre into a hell.
They bombed hundreds of entertainment shops, claiming music and movies as against the teachings of Islam. They also banned shooting of films and recording of songs. The local artists had to migrate to other parts of the country for safety and earning their livelihood.
After the military operation against the extremists and flushing them out of the valley, these artists are now returning back to Swat.
Umar Rahman, a local artist from the Hazara area of Kabal Tehsil, performed in the video market on the second day of Eid and said, “I am really fond of acting; it was miserable when the Taliban took control of the region, our other friends migrated to Mansehra and Abbottabad where they took part and shot short films and dramas. I am glad they are all returning now.”
Talking about his passion for acting he said, “After the ban, we used to shoot dramas secretly, which we released this Eid in the Kabal area. Acting is our passion no one can take that away from us.”
Iftikhar, a video-shop owner in Mingora bazaar, told The Express Tribune, “I have been in this business since 1990, our business completely came to a standstill during the insurgency but this Eid, the business of movies and dramas is picking up momentum. Our markets are full of people.”
Regarding the choice of the people, Zafar Ali, another owner of a CD shop in the same market said, “90 per cent of people come to buy Pashtu films and music, it seems people have forgotten Indian movies and this trend changed with the lifting of the ban. To say that Pashtu films have made a clean sweep in the market would not be wrong.”
Talking about his business, he said, for three years we lost a lot but this Eid we recovered up to 50 per cent and hope for the best in the future too.
“We are here to collect some Pashtu movies and music CDs. This is the first Eid we are celebrating without any fear and doing what makes us happy, but things were totally different when the Taliban were in power,” Faheem Ali, a student, said. “This Eid is far better then the previous ones as there is no fear, threat or sounds of gunfire,” he added.
The influx of people to CD houses and entertainment markets prove that people in Swat are fed up with the chaos and disorder and want a stress-free environment.
The government must promote the entertainment industry to provide healthy and positive entertainment to the people of Swat.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2010.
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