CAPITAL CULTURAL SCENE: Looking through the magnifying glass lays bare the societal norms

It is pouring in Isloo these days that keeps the temperature down but along with it comes the humidity, which is suffocating. There is a lull in the cultural scene of Isloo as most of the people are either vacationing in the cool environs of the North or have gone abroad for a summer break to escape the heat. But life is like that and time moves on with or without the activities.
The weekend kicked off with the covering of Dialogue on Art organized by Pakistan National Council of Arts. Professor Dr. Syed Zulfikar Hussain Gillani, Rector of Foundation University spoke with eloquence on the topic ' Creativity, Education and society: the Pakistan scenario.' It was an interesting interactive talk where the professor opened up the minds of the audience to the floodgates of most pertinent questions in our society. And most of them acquiescing with his view.
He said that some of the things going on in our society are so ugly that most of us avoid looking at them. However in order to bring a change, one needs to dissect the ills in its minutest detail but not enough people are doing that. Having said that he thought there are enough people in Pakistan and the biggest hope are the youngsters. Their curiosity, the need for change, growth, and creativity is an inherent potential. It is there for all of us. One has to learn to channelize that and tap into it so that institutions and systems can be established that provide the space and the opportunity for the youngsters to exercise the curiosity and that potential. Then and only then the creative potential of our society will start emerging. Creativity to him was not what has driven arts and music but it has driven science as well. All scientific discoveries are based on very creative work. One can be a creative physicist not only a painter or a musician. In Pakistan unfortunately when people talk of creativity they usually narrow it down to arts. Societies that have flourished in history have been creative in all areas whether it is drama or literature or paintings. Only in those societies these things thrive in where other things such as science is also thriving. At the societal level we can't do too much but at the individual or an institutional level we need to initiate a process; then only the creative potential of our people will start emerging.
PNCA Director Changez Sultan said that it was an absolute pleasure listening to Raza as he has touched some fundamental points. And this is one forum where PNCA has tremendous media support. The whole idea is that people who have this kind of deep thinking of our educational system get their message across so that those who have sufficient power in this country to make a change, they may get wiser as a consequence. Mr. Changez opened the floor for a question-answer session. Aslam Azhar said that he was sure that he spoke for everyone present that every word that Raza said and every thought that he articulated was what he might have said himself. Only Raza Gillani said it better. It should have been that everything that he said was self evident .To Aslam for example it was self evident but unfortunately for the reasons that he has so well delineated this is not self evident in a Pakistani society. Now Raza has painted the scenario and the question is that how do we go forward? Talking of individuals, the individuals have also to be organized in order for their 'Bezubaani to be given Zubaan'. Raza has been the Vice-Chancellor of Peshawar University and now he is the Rector of the Foundation University and he is also working within a system and that system consists of all hierarchical entities and all those distorted values which prevent the creative process in the physical sciences and the humanities from going forward.
He wanted to know how do we start the process, though it might not happen in a few years, or a decade or a lifetime of a person but what is the first step. Raza said that there are individuals who make a difference but they are largely dispersed. He rambled and gave a brief background and said that when he joined Peshawar University, it had been in existence exactly fifty years and there was a certain spirit, which was largely a spirit of stagnation that was prevailing and that is probably true in most universities. However, when he embarked, he very soon realized that they had to change things and he set up a small group of 30-40 people. The group consisted of those very sleeping professors and administrators who within months started critiquing, analyzing fundamental systems of Peshawar University. They came out with recommendations in black and white as to what it should be. Some of those very people said that they have been in the university for the last 20 to 25 years and they had never enjoyed themselves so much or have been so productive as they had been then. Raza didn't claim any credit for this as he only set up some parameters like rules of business so to speak and the basic consensus being that the way things were, was not right and it had to be changed. And he convinced them that unless they are involved in the change, it would never happen.
The powers that be were not interested in change. Three years of that experience gave him tremendous hope in the sense that the present opportunity will materialize into an educational institution that is a university in the real terms of the word.
Therefore, his analysis was that individuals have the power to make a difference when they unite their efforts towards a certain goal. Raza Gillani's concrete analysis of the problems being faced by our educational system and the determined solutions towards its change was superbly expressed. I think clear and articulate thinking is essential to be able to initiate an enlightened discourse of this standard and excellence.
Kudos to PNCA in being a forerunner of this regular Dialogue on Art programme. It is informative and it spurs an individual into asking the right questions along with getting the right answers into the bargain.
Another week whizzed past placing the sad demise of Zamir Niazi into the limelight. I wasn't fortunate enough to know him personally but reading about him in the newspapers, I feel as if a kindred spirit has passed away taking the belief akin to the ideals and principles of myself where the whole life is spent upholding these convictions.