Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Folk Festival of Pakistan, popularly known as Lok Mela, concluded on Sunday at Lok Virsa, Shakarparian, with a prestigious and colorful award ceremony.

If there is one lesson to be learned from the eight-day Lok Mela, it is that there is a wealth of talent, be it in folk songs or in crafts, in every nook and corner of the country. But these artists continue to be neglected and their skills looked down upon.

The annual Lok Mela, organised by the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa), served as a reminder about these talented and diverse artists.

Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan was the special guest on the occasion. In his address, Chohan congratulated Lok Virsa for the successful holding of this huge festival that brought rural masses from each corner of the country to the capital city enriching its beauty and attraction. “The government is fully determined to strengthen the national institutions. We are aware that no nation can afford to progress in industry, science and technology at the utter neglect and cost of its cultural awareness,” he said.

Federal Information Secretary Shafqat Jalil was the chief guest of the concluding ceremony. In his address on the occasion, he said the Lok Virsa is doing a great service to the nation by documenting, preserving and disseminating the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Pakistan. “In my view, culture is the path that leads to the provincial solidarity, religious harmony, love, peace and brotherhood among the nation,” he said.

The festival was brought to a close with a colourful cultural performance showcasing every corner of country.

Over the course of the eight-day event, over than 600 folk artists, musicians and performers also participated in the event, enthralling visitors who attended the festival in large numbers. The event aimed at promoting and preserving arts, crafts, culture, folk music and traditional skills of Pakistan. Pavilions for all the provinces including Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) displaying cultural aspects of these areas were set up. Folk artists at these pavilions performed their traditional songs and dances in full traditional garb.

Earlier in her speech, Lok Virsa Executive Director Shahera Shahid thanked all the provincial governments, particularly of their cultural departments, art councils, craftspeople, folk artists, musicians and other institutions for their cooperation towards Lok Virsa for making this national event a great success. “I am also indebted to our own administrative ministry for their all-time support, guidance and enabling role in materialising the activities and programmes of Lok Virsa including Lok Mela,” she added.

During the award ceremony, a number of cash awards were given to the most authentic craftsmen and craftswomen on the recommendation of a jury constituted by Lok Virsa comprising knowledgeable experts in the field of art and culture. The jury held detailed meetings over the last three days and minutely observed working of each artisan so as to arrive at a just and fair decision.

All the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir fully participated in the festival by presenting their beautiful indigenous culture, arts, crafts, music and cuisine in specially designed pavilions symbolizing their respective historical monuments, contributing art, music and entertainment activities.

The chief guest gave away the awards to artisans and artists as a token of their participation in the festival. Kashmiri artisans and artists who received cash awards were Ghulam Muhammad Siddique, Gul-e-Zehra and Banu Rehmat. From Gilgit-Baltistan, winning artisans and artists who received cash awards sponsored by Lok Virsa were Rehnuma Bibi and Nijat Bibi in Hunza embroidery, Deedar Ali in pattu weaving, Sultana Iqbal, Abid khan, Tanveer Ahmed and Sajeel Alam.

Among artisans from Sindh who received cash awards included Qadir Buksh in blue pottery, Saran in spinning wheel, Nadeemuddin Soomro and Bisham Lal in shoe making, Shaukat Marwari, Krishan Laal Bheel, Rasul Baksh and Hussain Bakhsh.

From Balochistan, Umeedan, Mai Hazari, Hawwa, Ali Muhammad, Lal Bukhsh, Shahwali, Raza Shaida, Rehmatullah, Rasul Bakhsh, Liaquat Mansoor and Shahmeer Sabzal won the awards. From Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, Munaza Hayat, Faheem, Rakhsana Bibi, Fazl-e-Wahid and Ajmal Khan stood successful. From Punjab, Javed, Zeeshan Rasheed, Allah Ditta, Ibrahim Alam, Nazish Naveed, Shahida Bibi, Aurangzeb, Riaz Ahmed and Muskan Noshahi were the winners.

Exotic cultural and musical performances were also presented during the ceremony, which were greatly enjoyed by the audience. A large number of art, craft and music lovers, cultural personalities, media persons and general public attended the event.

Published in Daily Times, November 12^th 2018.