The hooting of owls echoed in the darkness of the night and the winter breeze made the shadows of giant trees ripple. A group of people were sitting around a bonfire under a decorated canopy with traditional quilts hanging from it. Among them, a man was singing Bhittia’s Vai while others played traditional indigenous musical instruments.
This was a scene in the small village of Marri Jalbani located near Pai Forest, where World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Nature-Pakistan’s “Indus for All Programme” had organised a Mach Kachehri or “chat around bonfire” to revive the decades old cultural tradition of Sindh.
The speakers on the occasion emphasised the significance of culture in promoting the message of humanism, love, fraternity, equality, spiritualism and sustainable use of natural resources.
They said cultural gatherings give birth to folk wisdom, which is vital for harmonising human life with different aspects of nature. They demanded that deforestation and illegal occupation of forest lands in the province should be stopped to save precious natural resources.
Unique species of birds and other animals are disappearing in the region and the situation needs immediate attention of all stakeholders concerned including government departments and civil society members, they added.
The speakers pointed out the important role that media can play in tackling environmental degradation and irrational attitude of human beings towards exploitation of natural resources.
“All living things including trees and birds need to be loved and cared for,” writer Siddique Mangio said at the kachehri. “The people have been deprived of their rich cultural heritage in the name of development and technological advancement,” he added.
WWF-P Programme Coordinator Nasir Ali Panhwar said the bonfire culture adds to the beauty of rustic life and boosts folk literature.
”A great number of myths, folk stories, cultural poetry and proverbs are transferred through the oral tradition,” he added.
“Culture and environment are closely linked with each other. Changes in one domain affect the other.”
Panhwar was of the view that many mythical stories, fairy tales, riddles and other literary elements are associated with forests, wetlands and biodiversity. “Forests are the lungs of Earth, but due to multiple factors forest coverage is shirking,” he said.
He demanded that illegal encroachments on forest land should be halted and policymakers should take into consideration environmental issues while formulating development plans and residential schemes.
Conveying his message to the audience, poet Waseem Soomro said that the social evils of terrorism, extremism, illiteracy, child abuse and violation of women rights can only be mitigated by promoting cultural gatherings. “The Indus eco-region is rich in bio-diversity and natural resources which can only be saved by contribution of local communities and awareness should be created in youth to struggle for conservation of nature,” he added.
Folksinger Jay Ram Jogi and poets enthralled the audience by reciting spiritual and cultural songs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.
Participants were engrossed in ecstasy while listening to music of flute. They danced and enjoyed the classical poetry by the native singers.
