Dire need stressed to protect cultural heritage of Lahore

Speakers at the Ravians Literary Festival highlighted a dire need to protect "a dying soul" ie the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Lahore. "We understand that the change is inevitable but it should not be done blindly at the cost of the city's heritage," said renowned architect Nayyar Ali Dada while addressing the opening session of the festival on "evolution of Lahore".
The one-day festival comprising of five sessions was organized by Old Ravians Union at the Government College University Lahore. It was also marked by a satirical and thought-provoking address by legendary writer Anwar Maqsood on the current social-political scenario in Pakistan.
Kamil Khan Mumtaz, a name of eminence in Pakistani architecture, Fakir Syed Aijazuddin, a noted writer and former principal Aitcheson College and Hamid Mir, a renowned journalist and TV anchor, also addressed the opening session moderated by an historian, Faisal Sajjad. Aijazuddin said that cultural heritage was the soul of Lahore, and with this soul, it would be no more Lahore.
He said that not only the physical heritage but also the intangible social attributes of Lahori society, inherited from generations to generations, were diminishing. The speakers also asked the government to launch projects to protect and conserve the city's old buildings, especially for located inside the walled city.
Kamil Khan Mumtaz also mentioned that most of the genuine owners of old heritage buildings, located in walled city, had moved to modern Lahore, and now very poor people were residing in these buildings and they didn't have economic resources to maintain or conserve them.
Addressing the festival, Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Hassan Amir Shah appreciated the ORU executive committee for holding a vibrant literacy festival to apprise the young generation of their language, literature, art and culture. He believed that writers, media and civil society had major responsibility towards raising awareness in the society about importance of culture heritage.
Dr Ghazala Irfan, a professor of Philosophy and the Secretary General of the All Pakistan Music Conference chaired a session on "Classical Music in Pakistan" which was also addressed by Ustad Fateh Ali Khan's son Rustam Fateh Ali Khan, noted singer Jawwad Ahmed and music master Tariq Suleman Khan Farhani.
The musicians said that unfortunately even music had become a commodity in the market economy.
"It doesn't matter how much good you are. You can't become successful now if you are not commercial," said Jawwad Ahmed. Rustam Fateh Ali Khan said that the government must support the artists so they could purely concentrate on their work instead of worrying about the economic needs of their families.
The session on "future of theatre in Pakistan" was addressed by veteran artists Irfan Khoosat and Sania Saeed. They said a good theatre was must for the reformation of society; the government must support it instead of levying entertainment and other taxes. The panel also stressed the need for eradicating the vulgarity from theatre, and reviving it on the pattern of literary drama which had been staged in institutions like the Government College Lahore since the 19th century.
The session on history of literature was addressed by eminent historian Professor Dr Tahir Kamran, playwright Dr Asghar Nadeem Syed and GCU Urdu Department Chairperson Dr Khalid Sanjrani.