KARACHI: Sindhi Culture Day was on Sunday celebrated in the metropolis and all other districts and smaller towns of the province with traditional fervour amid strict security.

This year, participants of the cultural event were politically charged as they vowed to resist the federal government`s controversial plan to dig six additional canals on the River Indus.

Setting aside their political differences for a day, the participants unanimously pledged to protect the Indus River at any cost.

In Karachi, a very large number of people, including women and children, thronged the Karachi Press Club (KPC) Chowk and adjoining streets from different parts of the city to join annualcelebrations.The main event held in front of the KPC was organised by different Sindhi language TV channels.

Wearing Ajrak and Sindhi topi, a large number of people arrived there in the form of small rallies.

Jubilant youth were seen dancingtothetunesoftheiconic Jiye Sindh jiye Sindh wara jiyan Sindhi topi Ajrak wara jiyan song and others.

A cultural show was also held in front of the KPC in which famous artists including Deeba Saher, Tufail Sanjrani, Ahmed Mughal, Taj Mastani, Arshad Mehmood, Asif Siyal and others performed.

Speakers reject six-canal project The organisers of the annual event said that this year`s theme was against proposed construction of canals on the Indus by the federal government.

Speaking on the occasion,Sindh Culture Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah said that Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had taken a clear stand about construction of canals on the Indus.

He declared that the PPP would resist any such move by the federal government.

He said that the culture department would also organise and support similar cultural events in educational institutions in every district of the province.

The minister also shared the government`s plan to digitalise poetry of Sufi saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and other poets.

Sindh Taraqi-pasand Party (STP) leader Gulzar Soomro said on the occasion that the Sindhi culture was closely linked with the Indus River. He said that there would be no Sindhi culture if the river was deprived of water.

Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz(JSQM) leader Illahi Bux Bikak alleged that Sindh had already been deprived of its own natural resources, like gas and oil, and now the Centre was trying to snatch the province`s water. He declared that the people of Sindh would resist any such scheme.

Bal(shan Mehranvi, Imtiaz Leghari, Zafar Jiskani, Irfan Shaikh, Aslam Hyder Solangi, Saqib Abro, Mushtaq Sarki and others also spoke.

They said that although it was a day of Sindhi culture celebration, it was also a day to make a promise that `we will protect the Indus`.

Police celebrate Culture Day In addition to the main programme, the Sindhi Culture Day Continued on Page 15 was also celebrated in many city localities and government offices.

The Sindh police organised a programme at the Central Police Office to mark the day. Speaking on the occasion, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon said that `peace, tolerance and hospitality` were the cultural identities of Sindh.

He said Sindh had not only provided shelter to the people from all other provinces but other countries as well.

The IGP said that efforts were underway to bring considerable improvement in the overall thana culture.

However, he opined that without education, it was not possible to accomplish any good deed.

Large crowds of jubilant people from all walks of life revelled on the roads and streets in all other cities and towns of the province to mark the Sindhi Culture Day, this time in an impressive show of religious and ethnic harmony.

Men, women and children, attired in traditional Sindhi Ajral< and cap, besides colourful dresses, took part in several hundred open air gatherings at roundabouts, intersections and outside press clubs of their hometowns, includingHyderabad, Sukl(ur, Larkana, Mirpurl(has, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Ghotki, Kandhkot, Kashmore, Badin, Thatta, Sanghar, Umerl(ot and Nawabshah.

They sang and danced while Sindhi music and songs kept playing on the sound systems, especially brought to the venues for the occasion.

In Hyderabad, two major programmes were held, one outside the local press club and the other in the Sindh Museum.

A group of Sindhi TV channels, led by the `SindhiTV` organised its event titled `Mazhabi bhai charo asaan ji sagafat, Sindhu darya asaanjimaeeshat`(Religious harmony our culture, Indus River our economy), outside the press club. The programme at the Sindh Meusum was organised by another Sindhi-language media house, Kawish TV channel and newspaper.

Artists including Dua Memon, Mukh Ali, Sajida Leghari, Khushi Baloch, Tahir Mitho, Yasir Hussain and Laklci Umrani performed at both the events.

The same level of enthusiasm and fervour was seen inthe people who marched through the streets of Sukl(ur, Shikarpur, Kandhl(ot, Ghotki and Jacobabad singing Sindhi songs Sindhi folk songs and dancing in excitement.

They made brief stopovers across the route to the venues of final gatherings, the respective press club.

Several rallies were taken out in Jacobabad by revellers; one of which was led by Waris Khan Jakhrani of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and Haji Gul Hasan Soomro of the All Pakistan Soomra Association.

Kandhkot city wore a fes-tive look with colorful buntings seen adorning roads, streets and roundabouts.

JSQM workers took out a rally from its office at Rasaldar Road and marched through different roads to celebrate the occasion. Many more groups of jubilant people joined them outside the local press club.

In Larkana, a number of events reflecting different colours of Sindhi culture were held in Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot to celebrate the day with zeal and zest. Wearing Ajraks, Sindhi caps, people of all ages thronged at the venues.

The main event was jointly held by the Larkana Press Club and Sindhi media houses at the main gate of Jinnahbagh. Officebearers of the press club along with other journalists hosted the event. It began with the Vaei of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, followed by speeches and tableaux, as well as dance and music performances.

People 1(ept dancing with artists at the venue, where different cultural stalls were set up.

Larkana DC Sharjeel Noor Channa, SSP Dr Mir Rohal Khan Khoso and representatives of the Larkana Chamber of Commerce and Industry participated in the event.

MPA Jameel Soomro, polit-ical secretary to PPP chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari, Mayor Anwar Ali Nawaz Luhar and District Council Chairman Aijaz Leghari were amont the prominent figures who attended the event.

Mohenjo Daro witness heavy rush of people coming from different areas of the district by various means of transport and even on foot However, they were disappointed when they found the ancient site closed to visitors. On insistence, they were allowed only to visit the museum.

`We have closed the site to save its structure from damage,` said curator Ihsan Abbasi.

In Umerkot, a group of Rajput community members wearing their traditional attire and turbans performed mesmerising `sword dance` and stick fight while crowds of revellers sang on Sindhi songs and danced on their tunes in different cities and towns.

Cultural programmes and tableaux were held in educational institutions and at public places.

Well-attended programmes and rallies to celebrate the occasion were also held in Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Naushahro Feroze and Badin districts.