http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article/3781/
07-04-2013
Farooq Mehsud
Mr. Rehmat, a 50 years old drummer from District Tank KPK, is Saraiki speaker but in spite of the fact that he is non-Pashto speaker, he was a prominent member of music band of the renewed singer of South Waziristan late Kamal Mahsud. In the city of Tank and in Waziristan where from 9/11, music/drum beating is like a camel in a taxi but he was beating his drums very slowly in his home even now I feel fear and terror from his expressions of face due to the prevailing law and order situation in the tribal belt of Pakistan, which affected activities badly, serving a miserable life with meager economic resources and beautiful memories of the past, when he was living a prosperous life among the culture loving people of Waziristan. "I have been beating drums when I was 10 years old and it is not only my profession but with the passage of time it becomes my hobby and I have beaten my drums even in the Presidency in different functions," he said.
His work and profession is not only affected, but almost it has been stopped and finished since 2004, the war on terror was first launched in the region. To quote Mr. Rehmat, "Now I am regretting because this skill gave me nothing I suppose to learn some other skill at least I can run my kitchen".
He was depressed too much, as having no money to visit hospital in case someone is ill in his family, children education suffered due to lack of resources and he is unable to pay their school fee. He remained unfamiliar with any other skills as he spent the whole of his life in the same skill of drum beating which as a profession is almost strictly prohibited in the area and the people cannot arrange programs and ceremonies in the area due to life threats from the miscreants.
Music is an essential part of Pashtun culture. Its presence must be acknowledged in every happy moment either it was a marriage or other events in Hujra. They are the true reflectors and representatives of the sweet feelings and emotions of Pashtun society. But due to terrorism in South Waziristan and in outskirts, 105 music artists are now living from hand to mouth. Mr. Rehmat (Tabla Marr) in a smiling face says that in peaceful days in this region, music played a very important role in bringing happiness. Here common people enjoy it a lot because they want to be a part of happiness and peace.
"Pashtuns are music lovers. In the peaceful days, I observed in my every music program when all the young and old would get together in a spark for their traditional Attan dance", he remembered.
Music and traditional songs are very common in whole of the tribal belt especially in carnivals, local sports events and in traditional cultural programs. But now due to threats from the miscreants, all the talented and famous singers like late Kamal Mahsud, Ayub Khan, Shan Mahsud and Qutab khan left their native land and are living undercover life. They have no area with their profession any more.
Gul Zaman (Drum Beater) 70, says despite my 60 years association with this profession I left it because it has lost its value and now it is not reflecting the true feelings and sentiments of the communities concerned. "Here situation is not favorable and we have no choice other than to leave this profession because when there is no happiness, there is no music we even don't beat our drums as practice or for our own pleasure", he added.
In the conflict zones of Pakistan, the government provides assistance to the musicians but they totally ignored the musicians of Waziristan and Tank districts. That's why the daughter of Rehmatullah (famous Tabla Marr in the area) Zarrina told The Frontier Post that I remember the past days when people would invite us for their every event and our drum was the sign of peace and emotion in Pukhtun culture. But now the situation is different and we are facing problems and difficulties and no one cares about our happiness and emotions. "Last month my father broke his leg and we have no money to take him to the doctor in DI Khan. After three days when the doctor visited Tank district then I took my father to him for bandage of his foot", he said.
Music not only gives happiness but it always helps to provide strength and health to our nerves and brain. The psychiatrist in the D.I. Khan Government Hospital, Muneer Dawar told The Frontier Post that from the last few years, he has noted increase in the cases of physiological disorder from Waziristan and outskirts. It has many reasons but restriction on music is the essential one because they banned a way in which people can express their feelings and emotions. He defended his comments and said, "A person who avoids from listening to music, he has some physiological problem".
If terrorism on the one hand destroyed the folk music and musicians of Waziristan and Tank districts but on the other hand, now some of the young have started to bring peace and produce the new modern music to give a message of peace through their culture in the region. Said Alam Mahsud a young local singer, who took birth in singing field, in terrorism and he uses his music to give hope to his people. Said Alam Mahsud sings songs of peace from the last two years. He told that poetry and music is the only hope for us to give happiness to our people and remind them our peaceful past. No one can destroy our cultural tradition and values till we keep alive our music and poetry. "Terrorism destroys our houses and we are living in camps as IDPs now it's our responsibility to give hope and happiness to our people and we used music as instrument for that which is an essential part of Pukhtun culture".
Said Alam nowadays voluntarily performs in the cultural events in D.I. Khan and in other parts of the country just for to alive their culture and to bring peace through music. South Waziristan's senior retired bureaucrat Dost Muhammad Mehsud said that the government should make a separate special quota and provision in the federal/ provincial budget for the artists, musicians, drum beaters etc hailing from South Waziristan and District Tank and outskirts so that the cultural activities.
Effects of terrorism on music in Waziristan
07-04-2013
Farooq Mehsud
Mr. Rehmat, a 50 years old drummer from District Tank KPK, is Saraiki speaker but in spite of the fact that he is non-Pashto speaker, he was a prominent member of music band of the renewed singer of South Waziristan late Kamal Mahsud. In the city of Tank and in Waziristan where from 9/11, music/drum beating is like a camel in a taxi but he was beating his drums very slowly in his home even now I feel fear and terror from his expressions of face due to the prevailing law and order situation in the tribal belt of Pakistan, which affected activities badly, serving a miserable life with meager economic resources and beautiful memories of the past, when he was living a prosperous life among the culture loving people of Waziristan. "I have been beating drums when I was 10 years old and it is not only my profession but with the passage of time it becomes my hobby and I have beaten my drums even in the Presidency in different functions," he said.
His work and profession is not only affected, but almost it has been stopped and finished since 2004, the war on terror was first launched in the region. To quote Mr. Rehmat, "Now I am regretting because this skill gave me nothing I suppose to learn some other skill at least I can run my kitchen".
He was depressed too much, as having no money to visit hospital in case someone is ill in his family, children education suffered due to lack of resources and he is unable to pay their school fee. He remained unfamiliar with any other skills as he spent the whole of his life in the same skill of drum beating which as a profession is almost strictly prohibited in the area and the people cannot arrange programs and ceremonies in the area due to life threats from the miscreants.
Music is an essential part of Pashtun culture. Its presence must be acknowledged in every happy moment either it was a marriage or other events in Hujra. They are the true reflectors and representatives of the sweet feelings and emotions of Pashtun society. But due to terrorism in South Waziristan and in outskirts, 105 music artists are now living from hand to mouth. Mr. Rehmat (Tabla Marr) in a smiling face says that in peaceful days in this region, music played a very important role in bringing happiness. Here common people enjoy it a lot because they want to be a part of happiness and peace.
"Pashtuns are music lovers. In the peaceful days, I observed in my every music program when all the young and old would get together in a spark for their traditional Attan dance", he remembered.
Music and traditional songs are very common in whole of the tribal belt especially in carnivals, local sports events and in traditional cultural programs. But now due to threats from the miscreants, all the talented and famous singers like late Kamal Mahsud, Ayub Khan, Shan Mahsud and Qutab khan left their native land and are living undercover life. They have no area with their profession any more.
Gul Zaman (Drum Beater) 70, says despite my 60 years association with this profession I left it because it has lost its value and now it is not reflecting the true feelings and sentiments of the communities concerned. "Here situation is not favorable and we have no choice other than to leave this profession because when there is no happiness, there is no music we even don't beat our drums as practice or for our own pleasure", he added.
In the conflict zones of Pakistan, the government provides assistance to the musicians but they totally ignored the musicians of Waziristan and Tank districts. That's why the daughter of Rehmatullah (famous Tabla Marr in the area) Zarrina told The Frontier Post that I remember the past days when people would invite us for their every event and our drum was the sign of peace and emotion in Pukhtun culture. But now the situation is different and we are facing problems and difficulties and no one cares about our happiness and emotions. "Last month my father broke his leg and we have no money to take him to the doctor in DI Khan. After three days when the doctor visited Tank district then I took my father to him for bandage of his foot", he said.
Music not only gives happiness but it always helps to provide strength and health to our nerves and brain. The psychiatrist in the D.I. Khan Government Hospital, Muneer Dawar told The Frontier Post that from the last few years, he has noted increase in the cases of physiological disorder from Waziristan and outskirts. It has many reasons but restriction on music is the essential one because they banned a way in which people can express their feelings and emotions. He defended his comments and said, "A person who avoids from listening to music, he has some physiological problem".
If terrorism on the one hand destroyed the folk music and musicians of Waziristan and Tank districts but on the other hand, now some of the young have started to bring peace and produce the new modern music to give a message of peace through their culture in the region. Said Alam Mahsud a young local singer, who took birth in singing field, in terrorism and he uses his music to give hope to his people. Said Alam Mahsud sings songs of peace from the last two years. He told that poetry and music is the only hope for us to give happiness to our people and remind them our peaceful past. No one can destroy our cultural tradition and values till we keep alive our music and poetry. "Terrorism destroys our houses and we are living in camps as IDPs now it's our responsibility to give hope and happiness to our people and we used music as instrument for that which is an essential part of Pukhtun culture".
Said Alam nowadays voluntarily performs in the cultural events in D.I. Khan and in other parts of the country just for to alive their culture and to bring peace through music. South Waziristan's senior retired bureaucrat Dost Muhammad Mehsud said that the government should make a separate special quota and provision in the federal/ provincial budget for the artists, musicians, drum beaters etc hailing from South Waziristan and District Tank and outskirts so that the cultural activities.
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