Balochistan Point Voice of Nation
By: Nadil Shah
Heritages are the representative of any nation in the world. Every nation of the world is working to protect their cultural heritages and following different strategies to protect them. It is also a course which is taught in schools, colleges and at universities level internationally. Despite these, there is no concrete action for the protection of these heritages. Many courses and trainings for the protection of folk culture and heritage management are being conducted in the World generally and particularly in Pakistan.
Recently, Lok Virsa, a National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage established in 1974, situated in Islamabad. It is playing a pivotal role for representation, promotion and dissemination of all cultures of Pakistan despite any discrimination of gender, race, caste, ethnicity, and religion. All cultures of Pakistan are given equal chances to represent under the umbrella of Lok Virsa.
Lok Virsa also arranges workshops on different cultural related topics in different areas of the country. It recently arranged a workshop on digitalization of museum in Lahore and many people got benefits from it. According to Lok Virsa administration, classes are also held on most of the languages of Pakistan to develop understanding about different languages spoken in different areas of Pakistan. Because language is the only tool through which we can communicate with each other. It is very hard to integrate people who belong to different backgrounds but it is the only institution under which every individual feels a family when enters in it.
Most importantly, Lok Virsa in collaboration with US Embassy, Boston University, AIPS, AUTAQ, and IRC arranged ten days course on Folk Culture and Heritage Management. According to the Executive Director Dr. Fozia Saeed, “the prime purpose of the course to train the young generation for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage. But the important function of course is to integrate people from all diverse cultures of Pakistan for the perpetuating tolerance among them.”
Aimon Fatima, Resource Person of LoK Virsa, told: “About 250 people have applied for this course due to limitation of seats only 40 people were selected from different background such as Media persons, Teachers, Musicians, researchers and students etc.”
The participants emphasized that such programs should be held further so that every person get chance to understand the culture and integrate themselves with the people of other part of country. Despite this, such programs should also be arranged on provincial level by Provincial, federal government and other concerned authorities.
The writer is student of Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) at University of Karachi
Published in The Balochistan Point on January 8, 2018
