Celebrating Sindh day

Whether the topi is Sindhi, Baloch, Pathan, Punjabi, Kashmiri or from Gilgit-Baltistan, it is beautiful.


Marvi Memon December 07, 2010

The result of an unnecessary attack on the president's choice of topi on a state visit to Kabul last year, ‘Sindhi topi-ajrak day’ celebrated its first anniversary this year. It shows that pride in one's culture, history and roots is important.

Whilst celebrating, I thought of what it meant to be Sindhi. Our topi and our ajrak are just the tip of the iceberg. What is most Sindhi to me is the struggle for justice against subjugation as described by Shah Abdul Latif Sain, especially in Sur Marvi. What is Sindhi is my rich mother tongue. What is Sindhi is the Sufi culture, Bhit Shah, Mai Bhaggee, Allan Faqeer and peace-loving people. The sight of my sea, my palla fish, my Kirthar mountains, my Umerkot, my Malir, my Thar desert, my Indus, my katcho. The sounds and smells of my Indus civilisation — a civilisation not exclusive to Sindh as it has the capacity to welcome all from Skardu down to Kotri.

I have been brought up in an environment where we have taken great pride in our national roots. But at no point has this pride made us xenophobic or less Pakistani. It is my firm belief that pride in each nation's diversity is what will eventually make Pakistan a better, all-encompassing nation-state. There is no need to deny these roots to create that sense of ‘Pakistaniat’. This can be done by emphasising the beauty of each province. Perhaps this is what motivates me to spend equal time struggling against injustices in all regions of Pakistan rather than the one I was born in. My maroora are everywhere. They are present from Karoonjhar to Keti Bunder. But they also exist from Shishkat to Nowshera to Gwadar to Balakot to Sheikhupura to Bahawalpur. The injustices people there are subjugated to motivate me to work hard for them.

Unfortunately, wherever I see provincial pride, I also see a sense of superiority. We are born equal and there is no need to hate others due to differences in colour of skin or birthplace. Each provincial culture is as grand as the other.

As I sat in front of a fire at Nausheroferoz at a ‘mach katcheri’, I thought of my rich roots and felt great peace and pride. But my next thought was about the injustices my people were committing against each other, from raping women to raping our national resources. Some of the very men who talked proudly about Sindh day had committed crimes against their people. The sense of hatred that some Sindhi political elements were trying to build against other provinces and towards Pakistan's concept was so distasteful that I felt sickened. Every Sindhi town I drove through the next day had put up flags preaching hatred against my one flag of Pakistan. All for the sake of a misplaced sense of nationalism.

My Sindhi culture preaches unity and respect for other cultures. Whether the topi is Sindhi, Baloch, Pathan, Punjabi, Kashmiri or from Gilgit-Baltistan, it is beautiful. And all these topis put together make Pakistan beautiful.

Perhaps my sense of national pride can best be described by the following sur of Shah Sain:

Sain sadain kareen mathai Sindh sukaar, Dost mitha dildaar, Alam sub abaad karai — My Lord, bring prosperity to Sindh, but along with Sindh, bring prosperity to all of the universe.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2010.

COMMENTS (20)

majid maqsood | 13 years ago | Reply Its really amazing to read that, if there are corruption, Karo Kare or flood so cultural celebration is not fair, Culture has nothing to do with these evils, we Pakistani are mostly corrupt morally or financially and our Mualla tell lie to the people in even mosque and they misguide to the people, and its a reality, if we think we will get rid of this mess is impossible. Cultural activities also integrate the people and they engage themselves, and they do commit any crime on such day. you might have not noticed any mishaps happened in the gathering of thousands and thousands people, and there was no any difference in the different so called classes of our community like Mir, Pir Wadra but all of them were celebrating their culture under the shadow of Ajrak, it seemed one united nation. somebody from KP objecting on such cultural day. and advising for celebrating National culture day but i would request here with all respect that culture of sindh is somewhat peculiar or different sort of culture and people from KP cant integrate with people of Sindh. we people of Sindh are mystics and we dont make any difference with non Muslim here, and we eat and celebrate our culture with our Hindu brothers, we eat and drink together and celebrate our culture Eid, Dewali or holly altogether, and this is a culture and beauty of Sindh. i dont object with my my brothers of KP because i have so many good friends from KP, but fact is that our brothers from KP are mostly found religious and they dont have room for hindus and they cant think to eat with non Muslim or celebrate Dewali with Non- Muslim. similarly we have also different culture in Punjab, where people have different sort of culture and they are also religious, so i think Pakistan is name of four Nations having different cultures and each Nation has equal right to celebrate their culture, and its not fair to object others.
Mohammed Sumair Kolia | 13 years ago | Reply Sain sadain kareen mathai Sindh sukaar, Dost mitha dildaar, Alam sub abaad karai — My Lord, bring prosperity to Sindh, but along with Sindh, bring prosperity to all of the universe. Nice Line Marvi.
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