FROM ZEESHAN MIRZA
KARACHI: Sindh Culture Day is being celebrated on Sunday with zeal and zest across the province and elsewhere in the country.
The day is celebrated on the first Sunday of every December. On this occasion, various cultural, government, and non-government organizations organized seminars, rallies and conferences to highlight the centuries-old culture of Sindh valley.
Donning cultural dresses with Sindhi topi and ajrak, the traditional block printed shawls to spotlight the centuries-old rich culture of Sindh.
A large number of people including political workers, leaders, NGOs, students, laborers, villagers, associations, and workers purchased the traditional Topi and Ajrak to mark the day. As the demand for Topi and Ajrak was soaring, the shopkeepers also raised the prices.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his message on the occasion of Sindh Culture Day said this day gives us the lesson to respect all traditions and customs without any discrimination. He said this day is the day against racism, extremism and discrimination.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday felicitated the people of Sindh on celebrating their cultural day. On his Twitter handle, the premier said the civilisation of Sindh province had been adding the beauty of its cultural colours to the regional and human civilisations for centuries. “Today is the culture day of Bab-e-Islam, Sindh, a day to highlight the beauty of one component of federation,” he added.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also greeted those celebrating the day all over the world including Pakistan. “The culture of Sindh is a beautiful blend of Indus and Islamic civilisation,” he was quoted by his PPP party as saying.
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday extended his heartfelt greetings to everyone living in Canada on the day before Sindhi Cultural Day. “This occasion deals a brilliant opportunity for Canadians of Sindhi origin to share their rich cultural legacy with the community,” Trudeau said in a letter.
Trudeau, in his warm wishes to the Canadian Sindhi community, said: “I am certain that many performances and activities planned for today’s celebration have been enjoyed by everyone in the audience.”
PM Trudeau thanked the Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) Canada’s active members including president Jam Muneer, Rizwan Issani, General secretary Raj Bansari, Rab Nawaz Gaho, Shahid Ali, and Shiraz Memon for their hard work in shaping the remarkable event.
Meanwhile, Consul General of the US Consulate General Karachi Nicole Theriot, while felicitating on the Sindhi Culture Day, said that Sindh is a land of rich culture and history.
On the official Twitter account of the US Consulate Karachi, she wrote: “The people of Sindh have created an inclusive and tolerant society. On this Sindh Cultural day being celebrated on December 04, the United States wishes the people of Sindh and Pakistan peace and prosperity.”
Nicole Theriot, with Sindhi Ajrak on her shoulders, also appeared in a video shared on the official Twitter account of the US Consulate in Karachi.
She said in her video message: “Today, we join Pakistanis to celebrate Sindh Cultural Day. We do it with the understanding that many are still recovering from the plight of the devastating floods this year. This day, we commemorate Sindh’s rich history and culture.
“I thank the people of Sindh for your warmth and hospitality as I continue to learn more about Sindhi history, poetry, and culture.
“On behalf of everyone at the US Consulate in Karachi, I wish you a happy Sindh Cultural Day, and remind you that the people and government of the United States stands with the flood-affected people of Sindh and Balochistan in these difficult times.”
The video also featured other officials of the US Consulate in Karachi, cladded in traditional Sindhi attires, and extending felicitation on the Sindhi Cultural Day in Sindhi language.
“Sindh Jo Saqaafati Dihaarho Mubarak Hujy! The US Consulate in Karachi wishes you all a very Happy Sindhi Cultural Day,” Nicole Theriot concluded.
