On the Occasion of World Social Forum 2006 at Karachi, Indus Valley Theater Network organized different events for promoting cultural activities, using it as strong tool of social change and social integrity of the deprived segments of the society. Javed Soz Halai reports.

The cultural and theater Festival was supported by OXFAM GB Pakistan through its “We can” campaign against Honor killing. In this events 120 theater artists from different theater groups of Sindh participants and performed.

On the first day before starting the theater AG Chandio Director Indus Valley theater addressed the audiences and talked about the aims and objectives of “We can” and theater festival on violence against women. He said that honor killing is the major form of violence against women in Sindh, it is deep rooted in the patriarchal system and lot of effort is needed for raising awareness among people to sensitize them on the issue. Theater is strong tool for sensitizing peoples through characterization and dialogue. Indus Valley Theater had made plays and audiocassettes on the issues of honor killing.

Following theater groups performed theaters on different days on Honor killing, gender based violence, and domestic violence.
1. Indus Valley theater group, Hyderabad
2. Village Shadabad theater group, Dadu
3. Humanist theater group, Karachi
4. Pribhat theater group, Shahdadkot
5. Youth Community theater group, Hyderabad
6. IRC theater group
7. SMART theater group, Shikarpur

On the first of WSF 25th Indus valley Theater Network organized three theater performances by it’s the member theater group from different areas of Sindh. A theater Group of Pirbhat from Shahdadkot performed theater on the issue of Honor killing. Characters illustrated the attitude towards young girls at family level and its linking with honor and male dominancy over the women through a story of an innocent girl and boy killed under the merciless custom of Honor Killing Karo Kari.

In theater it was also illustrated that how women are being kept in home by the religious groups. Peoples from different areas of Pakistan and other countries appreciated the theater. After the theater, MPA of Sindh Assembly Sasi Palijo who is a Legend and a Political leader of Sindh, Rasool Bux Palijo said that Honor killing is the stigma on the face of a region that has been a birthplace of an old civilization. They urged the government to stop private Jirgas for decision of honor killing. Many big land lords and some parliamentarians are involved in conducting Jirgas in the Sindh. They also demanded for repeal of hudood ordinance and implement the Karo Kari Bill Passed by the government but still it has not implement in its actual manners.

Monica Wahi a peace and women activist of India leading Himat Group which is working for the rehabilitation and socio-economic uplift of the women affected in Gujrat in Muslim/Hindoo clash said that women are being faced by the different kinds of problems especially domestic violence, wife beating is common in India. We have to change this vulnerable situation in both countries and change starts from you.

SMART (Social Mobilization, awareness theater) theater Group of Shikarpur, Sindh also performed on gender discrimination by the parents and on domestic violence with special emphasis on women in rural and under privileged areas. In this presentation its was also shown that women in a family face constraints in mobility, in acquiring education or even in laughing or recreation after getting mature age. Food is often first offered to the male child. Wife beating attitude was illustrated in theater.

After that Theater group of Sri Lanka Performed theater in their own language on the issues of violence against and women and gender discrimination in Srilanka. It was also a unique theater on the issues for addressing this problem at South Asian level. Gloria Disilvia, Executive Director of Sri lankan organization which is working for creating access of women to justice in Sri lanka and Ms. Shubha Ghutam, head of a Nepalese NGO addressed at the occasion and told the situation of violence against women.

On the 26th March a cultural rally titled we want peace was observed by Indus valley theater Network. In the rally participants from different cultural areas, poets, singers, theater artists participated and singers sang Sufi Songs. On the same day Indus valley theater group presented solo play theater on the theme of marriages and violence against women. In this theater customs of the rural society in Sindh was presented on how a male killed an innocent male and when Jirga conducted the big tribal boss decided to give his sister in fine to other family. This practice is common in upper Sindh. 150 people participated in watching this piece and in discussions on these social issues that are stigma on the face of humanity.

On the 28th March an other partner Humanist theater group performed on the issues of women trafficking in the Pakistan. Theater performers gave the reasons of women trafficking through easy dialogue delivery and relevant characterization with the role of judiciary also highlighted where the latter have not taken satisfactory actions in stopping it. The theater was much appreciated by the participants of India, Bangladesh and other areas of Pakistan because this issue is prevalent in Bangladesh and India.

On the same day Audiocassette entitled “Main Kari Nahyan”(I am not Black) produced by Indus valley theater group on the issues of honor killing in Sindhi languages was distributed among the 200 foreign, regional, south Asian delegation of WSF. One prominent singer of Sindhi Mazhar Hussain sung the songs from the Cassette Album on Honor killing and said that Honor killing is a merciless custom, many innocent girls are being killed under this, it is responsibility all of us.

These cultural activities united the peoples of different regions of South Asia through art and sensitized peoples over on the issues of violence against women in the region. Activities undertaken by Indus Valley Theater Net work converted in the cross-cultural understating of cultural of different countries.

WSF was a unique plate from for exploring the vulnerability of the different socio-economic and political issues. Indus Valley Theater gave its input in process of change through addressing the issues of Violence against women by organizing cultural activities, theater, rallies, singing songs on the issues and for making world peaceful.

Javed Soz Halai is a social, human rights and peace activist working in Sindh Pakistan and can be contacted: javedsozhalaiATyahooDOTcom

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