KARACHI: Hundreds of thousands of jubilant men, women and children celebrated ‘Sindhi Culture Day’ by dancing and singing at many public places in almost every city and town of the province on Sunday.

The participants demonstrated unity and also expressed solidarity with the people affected by recent floods.

In Karachi, the main event was held outside Karachi Press Club while Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori arranged a function at Governor House to join the celebration.

A large number of people wearing traditional Sindhi caps and Ajraks travelled to the press club in rallies taken out from different parts of the provincial capital. Famous singers like Ahmed Mughal, Tufail Sanjrani and Shahnila Ali entertained the audience with their songs.

South-SSP Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that around 19,000-20,000 people attended the event.

The organisers, mostly Sindhi TV channels and civil society organisations, said this year’s culture day was dedicated to flood-affected people of the province.

Speaking to the participants, Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo underlined the importance of promoting education, women emancipation, respect for rights of minorities and fighting against extremism.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Lal Malhi also spoke.

HYDERABAD: The day was observed with great zeal in this district as people celebrated it in their own way.

Attired in white cotton starched suits, youth danced at roundabouts and in streets. Resplendent in colourful attire, women and young girls kept waving and clapping on national and modern Sindhi songs like ‘Hi Mela Naseeban Ja’ and ‘Jeay Sindh Jeay” played at high-pitch on sound systems, fitted in different vehicles meant for rallies. Many cars which were also decorated with Sindhi Ajrak.

Traffic jams were also witnessed as youths blocked roads briefly to dance in jubilation.

Three media houses had chosen separate places to observe the day and to welcome rallies and crowds. A stage was set up outside the local press club by one of these outlets. People started gathering since noon to celebrate the day. Another venue was the Sindh Museum, where a new Sindhi television channel set up its stage to welcome crowd and rallies. The third stage was set up outside the museum on main road. Several gatherings were at the museum were organised by another media outlet.

The rallies brought out from Qasimabad culminated at Guddu Chowk. Revelers also gathered at Kotri Barrage to join in the celebration.

Such functions were also held in different areas of rural taluka including Husri, Tando Fazal, Hatri, Tando Alam Mari, Bahawal Zaunr etc. Youths in big and small groups kept converging on all these locations since afternoon and remained there till sunset. Cultural songs like ‘Maaroara Sangheera Munjha”, “Sunhro Lateef, Munjho Pyaro Lateef” were played by organisers. Some artists presented live performances.

Celebrations also were reported from Jamshoro, Kotri, Tando Allahyar, Tando Mohammad Khan, Matiari and Hala. The central point for the Jamshoro event was overhead bridge where different rallies culminated. In Kotri, another event was held on the main road near Kotri bridge. In Tando Mohammad Khan, people converged on Phuleli road where a musical show was held.

Political parties including Awami Tehreek, Sindhi Hari Tehreek and PML-Functional also staged rallies. Representatives of political parties, traders organisations and other bodies also brought out rallies there. A similar programme was held outside Tando Allahyar Press Club where artists gave their performances.

In Matiari district, the main programme was held at Dambora Chowk, and outside the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in Bhitshah.

LARKANA: Local leaders of various political parties and nationalist groups highlighted the centuries-old rich culture of Sindh at many open air gatherings in Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts to mark the Sindhi Culture Day on Sunday. They aired the message of love, peace and fraternity in their speeches.

Cultural events on a small scale also held at most schools and colleges where male students attired in traditional Sindhi caps and Ajrak and young girls colourful Sindhi dresses sang songs and presented tableaux. Various social and political organisations took out rallies during which participants danced to the tunes of Sindhi music.

The main programme in Larkana was held outside Jinnahbagh where dancing participants were seen absorbed in the melodies of Sindhi folk songs.

Objects of cultural importance were put on display on a stall set up at the venue by the Sorth Saqafati Sangat.

Speakers at the event highlighted Sindhi culture and called for spreading love and demonstrating unity among the masses to fight against terrorism and extremism, saying that Sindh was the land of Sufis, who propagated peace and love.

SUKKUR: Tens of thousands of jubilant men, women and children danced in the streets of all cities and towns of Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Kandhkot-Kashmore districts to mark the Sindhi Culture Day on Sunday.

Male children were wearing neat and clean Shalwar Qameez, Sindhi caps and waists while female one were attired in colourful traditional dresses to highlight their culture. They were dancing and singing while folk songs were played on music systems.

Youths took out rallies in Sukkur and Rohri to join the celebrations. They paused at many places on the way to give dance performances. Many youths riding motorbikes were seen taking rounds along the route while raising slogans of ‘Jeay Sindh Jeay’.

A huge stage was set up near the Sukkur Press Club for leaders of political, nationalist and religious leaders, who highlighted Sindhi culture and Indus civilisation in their speeches.

Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Awami Tehreek, Qaumi Awami Tehreek, Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Mahaz and several other nationalist parties and groups organised rallies in all districts of the province.

Sindhi Culture Day programmes and rallies were also held in all cities and towns, including Mirwah Gorchani, Digri, Tando Jan Muhammad, Samaro, Sindhri, Naokot and Kot Ghulam Muhammad in Mirpurkhas district as well as Badin, Sanghar, Tharparkar and Umerkot districts.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2022