Indus Kohistani Speakers in Rawalpindi celebrate their culture

FLI is helping the members of migrant communities of northern Pakistan living in the urban areas of the country to relink themselves to their language and culture while residing out of their native places. These community people are in the major cities for winning their bread and livelihood, and miss their environment. Therefore, the initiative was started to bring them together for celebrating their culture. This time, we motivated the Indus Kohistani speakers living in the twin cities of Islamabad-Rawalpindi to make plans for a get-together. We facilitated them for the formation of an organization so that they could move ahead in an organized way. They formed the Kohistani Culture Development Program (KCDP), which is originally a wing working under the parent organization of Indus Kohistani speakers, Initiative for People in Need (IPN), in the Kohistan area of KP. They opened its chapter in Rawalpindi. They delegated local people the official responsibilities to unite their community people and work for their culture and language while living in the cities.

Eventually they requested FLI support for a grant festival proposing some cultural activities in the event. They also planned to hold Poetry Session in the event and many poets of the language attended the event and presented their work. This event has ignited the zeal among the IK speakers in the cities and they have committed to hold the event frequently in the future.

FLI has supported many communities under its this initiative. Earlier, the Burushaski speakers in Karachi held a grand mela in Karachi last year and Balti community in Islamabad. The Khowar community has also got motivation to hold such event for their members in Islamabad in the current year.