A STUDY OF PASHTO FOLKLORE: ITS ASPECTS AND NATION-BUILDING IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Folklore has an impact on national values. It helps in understanding the ethnic and national identity. Individual and collective values of people are found in their folklore. Pashtuns have their own culture and history. Their folklore contributes to their national identity. They have rich folkloric background. Pashtunwali is their folkloric and unwritten constitution. They are proud of their folkloric code of life. Pashto folklore and Pashtun folk culture is an expression of individual, ethnic and national identity of Pashtuns. Folklore has further influenced political, economic and socio-cultural structure of Pashtuns. A major part of the national history of Pashtuns is seen in their folklore. It also shows that folklore plays a pivotal role in establishing the national history and national identity. One must look into these separate folkloric and ethnic identities and subsequent narratives and ideas before, during and after nation building. As we see that Pashtuns are living on both sides of Durand Line and have historical, ethnic and cultural ties with people across the border. Therefore inan heterogeneous post-colonial states like Pakistan, where we see a multitude of cultural practices and different folklores, Pashtuns’ integration in nation building process needs a special attention and dialogue.

In our part of the world, a regional cultures are sidelined and silenced through different mechanisms. This policy of marginalization creates problems in the process of building a nation state and nation building. One should give space to all of the cultures in a multicultural society. If space is not given to all ethnic groups on the basis of their folkloric identity, then discontent follows which may cause troubles for state. In a multicultural society, everyone struggles for the visibility of their folklore. So ignoring divergent folklores in the process of building of nation state, may lead to the vanishing of indigenous wisdom. In this regard stakeholders must include voice and feeling of more social sectors. Folkloric similarities and common motifs can help in the integration and nation building.
Multicultural States are facing problems in the process of nation- building due to ethnic and cultural diversity. Broadly-shared language, religion and international language are the tools used generally for nation-building. In developing countries, sometimes, these tools fail either due to movements of marginalized ethnic groups for maintaining their identity or politicizing the issue of ethnic and cultural identity. Economic, historical and cultural dimensions can greatly contribute to the idea of nation-building. To understand earnestly the economic, historical, linguistic, religious and cultural dimensions of nation- building in a multicultural society, one ought to study all these dimensions at grass-root level. Understanding and looking into these dimensions from the lay man’s point of view is the part of folklore. As we know that folklore contributes to social, cultural and political narratives, therefore for complete understanding of the issues, ideas, and questions of nation-building, folkloristic study of ethnic and linguistic groups, within a state, is essential. This paper has taken into account different aspects of Pashto folklore which can contribute to the process of nation-building in Pakistan .The paper also discusses that possible role of the State for promotion of Pashtun ethnic identity. In this regard, enabling role of the state may promote pluralism, which may encompass all sub cultures and folklores at provincial and national levels. This support from the State, in terms of effort and resources for different linguistic and ethnic groups, may lead to effective nation-building.