Music Freedom Day
Sir: Terrorism has affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA in a horrible way. The militants hold a notorious record for human rights violations in the region. These militants are against arts and music. They have almost put a ban on music in FATA while in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, musicians are at risk and the music industry has become a direct target of the militants. This is evident from the fact that hundreds of musicians and singers have quit their jobs as the space for musical expression is shrinking with each passing day. The existing music industry is fragile but managing to survive amid a hostile cultural environment and rising militancy. With the increase in militancy and frequent attacks on the music industry, these efforts are being pushed back. Although in the last two or three years some good initiatives have been undertaken to address the problems of musicians and to provide an enabling environment for musical expression, the picture of musical expression as a whole is bleak. Last year, increased activism for musical expression was seen in the provincial capital of Peshawar when musicians, cultural organisations, journalists and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa jointly celebrated Music Freedom Day on March 3, 2012. However, the snail’s pace of this activism is continuously being marred by an overall hostile environment and lack of interest by the relevant stakeholders in the issue of shrinking space for musical expression. The situation demands that musicians and people associated with the music industry come forward again on March 3, 2013 on the occasion of Music Freedom Day and let their voices be heard.
In this regard, a mega musical event should be arranged in Nishtar Hall Peshawar. Musicians, singers, poets, journalists, civil society organisations, music schools and government departments for the promotion of art and music, and students from colleges and universities should all be invited to this event.
MUHAMMAD ARIF TANGI
Islamabad
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\30\story_30-1-2013_pg3_7
Sir: Terrorism has affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA in a horrible way. The militants hold a notorious record for human rights violations in the region. These militants are against arts and music. They have almost put a ban on music in FATA while in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, musicians are at risk and the music industry has become a direct target of the militants. This is evident from the fact that hundreds of musicians and singers have quit their jobs as the space for musical expression is shrinking with each passing day. The existing music industry is fragile but managing to survive amid a hostile cultural environment and rising militancy. With the increase in militancy and frequent attacks on the music industry, these efforts are being pushed back. Although in the last two or three years some good initiatives have been undertaken to address the problems of musicians and to provide an enabling environment for musical expression, the picture of musical expression as a whole is bleak. Last year, increased activism for musical expression was seen in the provincial capital of Peshawar when musicians, cultural organisations, journalists and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa jointly celebrated Music Freedom Day on March 3, 2012. However, the snail’s pace of this activism is continuously being marred by an overall hostile environment and lack of interest by the relevant stakeholders in the issue of shrinking space for musical expression. The situation demands that musicians and people associated with the music industry come forward again on March 3, 2013 on the occasion of Music Freedom Day and let their voices be heard.
In this regard, a mega musical event should be arranged in Nishtar Hall Peshawar. Musicians, singers, poets, journalists, civil society organisations, music schools and government departments for the promotion of art and music, and students from colleges and universities should all be invited to this event.
MUHAMMAD ARIF TANGI
Islamabad
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\01\30\story_30-1-2013_pg3_7
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