Sindh: Disrespecting the ajrak?

[Naveed Yaseen]

KARACHI: The management of the Aga Khan University Hospital’s (AKUH) catering service has deeply offended the sentiments of the Sindhis by using one of the most respected piece of Sindhi culture, the ajrak, as a uniform for their staff. They are also using the ajrak as a tablecloth. The Sindhi intellectuals of the city have expressed their annoyance over the issue and said that it is a violation the Constitution of Pakistan’s Article 28, which ensures that the languages, scripts, culture and cultural pictograms of all the people living in the country will be preserved. On the other hand, the university’s management justified the move in a written statement by saying that by making the ajrak the uniform of the staff, the university is appreciating and celebrating Sindhi culture. This scribe visited AKUH to attend a lecture after which the participants were invited for hi-tea. The scribe saw that the staff was wearing an ajrak overcoat, over their red coloured uniform. “This uniform is in violation of Constitution of Pakistan’s Article 28, which ensures the preservation of languages, scripts and cultures of all the people living in the country,” said famous human rights lawyer, Ayaz Latif Palijo, adding that the ajrak is an integral part of the Sindhi culture. He also rejected the AKUH management’s claims that they were celebrating Sindhi culture. “Converting a piece of heritage into table clothes and overcoats is no way to honour or celebrate culture and in fact is a way of disrespecting it. I demand that the uniform be changed immediately,” he said. On contact, Sindh Cultural Department Provincial Secretary Shams Jaffrani said that the ajrak is a shawl like cloth that cannot be used for any other purpose. “Basically the ajrak is worn over the shoulders or is given as a gift in the Sindhi tradition and it represents hospitality. It is also worn on festivals and weddings. All the other uses of the cloth are immoral and people are disrespecting the culture by using the ajrak otherwise,” he said, adding that his department has no legal laws to stop the AKUH management or any other establishment from using ajrak in such a way. “It is simply a moral practice, legally we can’t do anything against the use of ajrak by the AKUH management, but it is unethical,” he said, adding that his department is aware of the increasing immoral use of ajrak as tablecloths, bed sheets and shalwar kameez but legally his department cannot do anything about it. This scribe contacted the AKUH management to get their version over the issue and after a long wait of five days this scribe received a written statement from the AKUH spokesperson with instructions not to mention anyone’s name in the statement. The statement read, “AKUH is supportive of the sub-continent’s arts and cultural history as evidenced by the architecture of the campus. In the same way, ajrak is used in some of the university’s uniforms and furnishings to appreciate and celebrate local Sindhi culture.” text and photo by amar guriro

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg12_3