The highlights of this week's cultural activities were centered on the commemoration of the Kashmir Solidarity Day. A number of events were organized for this purpose. I had the opportunity to visit the National Art Gallery where an exhibition is being held portraying the "Struggle of Kashmiri People." There were 26 exhibits, which were done by various artists such as Ghulam Rasul, Mansur Rahi, Hajra Mansur, Tayyaba, Abbas Shah and Misba-ul- Haq Qazi.
The paintings depicted the agony, despair and anguish of the Kashmiri people in the struggle for their right of self-determination. The exhibition had a sobering effect, as the theme was that Kashmir was bleeding and the people were suffering. The strokes and the colour on the canvasses showed formidable determination of the people against the atrocities being faced by them. The artists have been able to get the message across in a bold manner.
A photographic exhibition was organized in the sister city by Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC). I have always felt that photographs capture a moment in time and space, which makes the natural occurrence eternal with least manipulation by the humans. The exhibition was inaugurated by the Punjab Minister for Local Government and Parliamentary Affairs, Mohammad Basharat Raja. The Kashmir Media Service and Agence France Press (AFP) took majority of the photographs. The photos were another display of traumatic scenes from the lives of the Kashmiri people. The minister appreciated the RAC's efforts in promoting arts within its limited resources. He stressed the point that the solution to the Kashmir issue was through a negotiated dialogue between the two countries taking into consideration the aspirations of the Kashmiris.
The Arts Council in connection with the Kashmir Day also organized tableaux and plays and it was presided over by Senator Tahira Latif. The plays depicted the problems being faced by the society of ethnicity, provincialism and sectaranianism. The plays advocated unity among the Muslim community so that it could steer the Islamic ship on an even keel. The artists performed in the plays and the tableaux with the spirit of nationalistic fervour.
Again in connection with Kashmir Day, Lok Virsa had organized at Lok Virsa Complex, Shakarparian a book fair, an exhibition of arts and crafts by the Kashmiri Artisans and a Kashmiri Folkloric and Music Ensemble. It was a bright and sunny day on Sunday when I visited the event. The books in the fair mostly highlighted the Kashmiri struggle. however, there were books on other subjects as well. When the scribe informed the person in charge of the bookstalls that she was a journalist, a number of books were given free of cost and I was impressed and appreciated the gesture. A number of people from all walks of life visited the place. The women were mostly interested in Kashmiri shawls, embroidered linen and exquisite handicrafts. It was an ethnic display of Kashmiri people. There was a corner where the music connoisseurs were enjoying the Taleh Ruz. In another corner eatables were being sold. All in all, it was a great way of spending quality time with ones family along with enjoying Kashmiri culture.
The scribe attended another dynamic event that also happened on February 5, although it had nothing to do with Kashmir. It was a stroke of luck that I could attend it as it was meant for an exclusive gathering but a friend obliged me with a couple of free passes and I went with my spouse. The theme of the K2K project was that an individual could achieve anything in life if he/she put his/her heart and soul into it. The event was to give projection to people with physical disabilities who despite facing innumerable challenges in life, could rise above the material and conquer and perform feats, which one reads in fiction stories. The individual who was being featured was Mr. Sarmad Tariq.He is a quadriplegic, a condition which was caused by spinal cord injury that occurred during a swimming accident in 1991.Due to the injury, he is paralyzed shoulder down with partial movements in his arms (has control over his biceps but not his triceps), and has no movement in his hands. Despite his apparent handicap, his desire to live life to the fullest has geared him to drive on the roads for the last seven years against all odds. He has a 1976 M151-A1 reconditioned jeep and automatic vehicles custom made to cater to his particular injury. The K2K project is his brain-child, which involves driving a distance of approx 2000 km non-stop from Khyber to Karachi in thirty hours. The aim is to cover the aforementioned distance in shortest possible time ever by a quadriplegic despite the physical inadequacy and mundane problems. The route to be followed starts from Khyber Pass in Peshawar then to Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Sukkur, Hyderabad and finishes at Karachi. The Grand Trunk Road will be used and stops will be made along the journey for refueling, car maintenance and personal emergencies. Sarmad aims to achieve this feat at a much lesser cost and cover more distance per day i.e, 2000 km in comparison to a Canadian quadriplegic Mike Nemersvary who had a budget of $80,000 (CND) and averaged a distance of 400 km per day.
If Mr. Sarmad is able to accomplish this extraordinary deed then he would not only honour himself but Pakistan as well. A group of volunteers working under the banner of Beyond Elastic Limits organized a live concert by Noori at Islamabad Club so as to publicize the project. It was a two-hour event that included two documentaries and a concert. The first documentary gave a background on Mr.Sarmad and the other was sponsored by Shell that was highly motivational in substance.
The rock band Noori took the Islamabadites by storm. The group put up an excellent performance and carried the audience to dizzying heights of euphoria. This was the first ever charity show done by the group considering they have around 200 performances to their name. The audience made up mostly of the young hip that moved to the groove. Mr.Sarmad who was given credit for the project all through their performance singularly inspired the band. It was an absolutely splendid show with Islamabadites coming alive and living it up for a good cause.
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