A literary festival titled as “Panjgur Literary Festival” was held in Panjgur district of Balochistan on Saturday. The festival was composed of several sessions containing various topics. Great numbers of participants from across Balochistan—including writers, politicians, people from literary and social fields participated in the festival and took part in the sessions.
The festival was held in the auditorium of Panjgur’s Degree College. Among the main guests of the festival were Deputy Commissioner Panjgur Abdul Razzaq Sasoli, Makran’s Settlement Officer Muhammad Younis Sanjarani, prominent intellectuals such as, Mr Rahim Bakhsh Mehr, A.R Daad, Mullah Murad, Education Officer Amjad Shehzad, Madam Farzana, Madam Hajra, Banuk Afsana, Madam Nazia Aftab and Aslam Ata Mehr.
The arrangements of the festival were made by Shah Mir Shams Baloch, Nusrat Khan, Chakar Baloch, Iqbal Zaheer, Niaz Akbar and Adil Baloch of the organizing committee.
Cultural shows and dialogues were also presented at the festival. The event was rare of its kind in Panjgur, as female students also participated along with male students.
A large Book Stall was also the center of interest at the festival where books on various topics were displayed.
Topics; such as the role of women in society and their rights were also discussed at the festival. Special guests of the festival; Rahim Bakhsh Mehr, A.R Daad and others expressed their views and said that Rabia Khuzdari and Bibi Banuri are role models for women.
“Language and culture are important components of a society without which no society can survive,” speakers said. Baloch society is facing many challenges, if the youth play an effective role in this, its positive aspects will be seen everywhere and the youth will have to realize their responsibilities and spread the culture of book-friendliness, they said.
“Book is something that can not only guide us, but also can bring a change in society,” they said. Speakers also went on saying that politics and the economy are inseparable, if anyone of the both stays behind, the society can’t be developed.
The participants and guests appreciated the organisation of such a festival and expressed their desire to continue these type of programs in the future.
Earlier this year, Hub Literary Festival, Kech Literary Festival and Sariab Literary Festival also kicked off in different cities. Besides, a student organization called Baloch Students Action Committee has been organizing book donation camps in many parts of Balochistan under the name of “Kitab Caravan”. It should be noted that such programs are entirely being organized by the Baloch youth in different parts of Balochistan.
Government libraries are a rarity in Balochistan – the number of functioning libraries can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The government has also done little to provide libraries for the Baloch youth, and this inaction has prompted the youth to take it to themselves to construct functioning libraries. A group of five bibliophilic friends in Wadh recently led an enterprise of constructing libraries in their town Wadh. They secured the donations, got the government approval and completely renovated a former drug den into a functioning library. Their endeavours received the endorsement of world-renowned Brazillian author Paulo Coelho, who tweeted: “Send books to Balochistan, they’re building reading rooms.”
The Baloch youth also share an incomparable love for books – a unique feat for an area where only 2% of the youth find their way to higher education.