Sindhi Culture Day was celebrated throughout Sindh province with main festivities held in Karachi. Members and workers of various parties including Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mohaz (JSQM), Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F), Awami Jamhori Party (AJP) Sindhi United Party (SUP), Sindh National Party (SNP) spent the day together meeting each other and singing Sindhi anthems. Women and children wore traditional Sindhi clothes – Ajrak and Topi being the most prominent attire – and distributed sweets among attendees. Speeches and poetry as well as traditional Sindh dance took place. PPP organized a vibrant gathering at the Peoples Secretariat while Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Patron-in-Chief of PPP, congratulated Sindhis on the celebration and wished them more prosperity and peace.
The event held for celebrating the diversity of Pakistan with its focus on Sindh received enthusiasm not only within the province but also in other parts of the country as well. Given the rich history and heritage of Sindhi people, it would be a terrible and unfortunate mistake to ignore the beautiful traditions and culture of this Moen-Jo-Daro civilization that happens to be five thousand years old. Building upon this sentiment, various Sindhi politicians and prominent figures exemplified Sindhi language, art, political history, people’s struggles and achievements in order for others to learn and appreciate.
Events like this in Pakistan are becoming a rarity; given the security situation of the country, any untoward incident is now, unfortunately, expected. In a sweet and nostalgic way, the geopolitical history of Sindh became even more relevant during the festivities; this is after all the land of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar and Sachal Sarmast – all erudite, compassionate peace-lovers. It is also the land of Sufi mystics and poets as well as just leaders. The fact that the celebrations took place smoothly without any turmoil is something to be cherished.