Around 4100 endangered Kalasha peoples are celebrating their annual autumn festival, it is pertain to mentioned here that Kalasha peoples are the only indigenous community in Pakistan living in North West of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa District Chitral.
Recent flash floods have been paralysed life in District Chitral North West of Pakistan where remote valleys are home to Kalasha peoples on the Hindukush Mountain Ranges.
Since last week their unique Ratnut festival is being celebrating in three narrow valleys of Kalasha known to be Mumuret (Bumboret), Rukmu (Rumboor) and Biriu (Birir). On 23 the final celebration of Ratnut and Ucaw (autumn festival will be concluding in two valleys of Mumuret and Rukmu).
Kalasha valleys are disconnected from main town Chitral and people are facing tough time due to worst communication system and flood has been washed away roads, bridges, houses, land, crops, trees, school, maternity homes, mosques, hotels and fruit trees including the famous walnut trees in recent flood disasters and disconnected with main town since 16 July 2015.
Continues flooding have been added more worries to the mountain community in their daily life and still facing hard times in their history.
The Kalasha Ucaw festival is playing vital role in their life but now it plays additional role to convey a message of peace and harmony to the world, and telling outside world that people should be happy and accept message of Dezau (The Creator) in all such circumstances where humans are helpless and no tactics to cope such situation.
Although many people are whispering and blaming each other for reasoning flood disasters in the valleys. There is need to play positive role in such situation instead of play dirty blaming game.
It’s not time to make reasons and causes of flood, it’s time to come forward and help the remote region to restore normal life again Kalasha valleys of Chitral.
The valleys are located at a distance of 43 kilometres from Chitral town where people have no access to basic health facilities and there were some cases in Rukmu valley where two patients had died while taking to Chitral town through mountain treks.
Natural Disasters Management Programme, NDMP an initiative of KPDN is running online fund raising campaign to restore normal life again in Kalasha valleys, consider donating to the cause for immediate work in the valleys
Imran Kabir Bazik describes Ucaw as ‘This festival is celebrated in the month called “ucaw mastruk.” The rat’nat’ festival is celebrated for many weeks and then comes ucaw festival. First the elders in all villages announce the festival. The next day after the declaration day is the preparation day. In these two days the “rat’nat’” festival is celebrated. After the preparation day is gone the festival “ucaw” starts. It starts with the ceremonies performed on the high places or the altars. Offerings are offered and food is eaten on the alters by the men only. Women eat at home. After all this the festival starts, and it goes on till late night or till the next morning in Mumuret.
Kalash 30 June: official notification for reserved seats out today and Jamat-e-Islami left other parties behind while giving two seats on reserved basis to Kalasha peoples of Pakistan. According to official announcement Mr. Imran Kabir made his way to District Council while Nazar Gai has given seat for Tehsil Council on behalf of JI Chitral.
Mr. Imran Kabir former activist of Pakistan Terek-e-Insaf joined JI before the local body’s election 2015, and Nazar Gai who seen with All Pakistan Muslim League during 2013 general election, also joined JI and elected to Teshil Council on JI ticket.
While after so many promises PTI finally made space within Kalasha peoples by giving reserved ticket to Adv.Na Baig Kalash. His seat as a District Councillor have been also confirmed by official notification today.
Kalasha peoples of Pakistan thanked both political parties for giving representative status at District and Teshil Council to Kalasha peoples, whose voice have been un-heard in policy -making forums and left with so many serious issues in past.
Adv. Na Baig with Dr. Arif Alvi (MNA PTI) Nazar Gai Kalash
Kalash 15, Breaking News, Mother of Tika Khan and Sikandar Kalasha passed away, shocking news just erupted today. She was went to collect some fire woods at Anish. She was in her paternal home according to her family sources. Today she and mother Sher Hakim went to collect fire woods near by forest. On return they were just closed to the village but suddenly she got problem and sit down to take some rest and become unconscious according to sources. Yasir Ali and brothers were collecting stones nearby village and they called for help. They took her to home where she died at 5 PM on 15 Match 2015. Ishpata News would like to condole with family and prays to Dezau for giving her better place at Behe’s.
Kalash 12 March 2015, Kalasha valleys remained remotest area of Pakistan and people here are earning from livestock and dairy products, but since last month the livestock especially goats have got kind of loss motion (Diarrheal), lungs and liver, three in one diseases.
Sources from Kalasha valley Rukmu told Ishpata News that 30 goats have been died because of the diseases so far in a small village at Chetguru. Shepherds who are looking after the livestock are very worried, their day night hard work has been badly affected. They are complaining that livestock department has not even bother to take any steps to decrease their disparities. Goats are an integral part of Kalasha culture, if the epidemic did not stopped the Kalasha people will be facing serious problems in sustaining the expensive culture in near future.
Same news are coming from Acu’hagha valley, Rukmu valley, Biriu and Mumuret valley where 100s of goats have been victim of the dangerous diseases and died.
Sher Shaheen few days back got injuries on his foot while feeding the goats and axe chopped his leg and he couldn’t walk on snow at Acu’hagha valley some fellow shepherded saw him helpless and took him to Mumuret valley on their back for treatment, bleeding on his foot caused him very weak. When Ishpata News correspondent asked him about the dangerous diseases he become sad and tears in his eyes said that “ We are looking after goats as shepherd but we couldn’t do anything to save lives of the goats and our animals are dies in front us but we are helpless’’
People have appealed government of KP to announced an emergency to cope the situation before it’s too late.
Kalash, Feb 21. After a three-year struggle, the government of Pakistan has finally accepted Kalasha as a separate religion in the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and addressed the concerns first raised in Chitral.
The issue for the Kalasha was first identified in 2012. Kalash youth raised awareness of the problem and a number of efforts followed. Founder & CEO of Kalash People’s Development Network and Editor-in-Chief of The Kalasha Times, Luke Rehmat immediately took up the issue seriously. Several times, he met in Islamabad to address the concerns of the Kalasha, trying his best to gain support from the authorities. However, due to some technical problems in the Pakistani constitution as per 1973, this was delayed and the way forward was not an easy one for the minority group.
Very soon, an online campaign was started on http://www.thekalashatimes.com, and an offline campaign collected all evidence from local sources. The efforts on the ground, in the form of a signature campaign within the community and briefing sessions with community elders, concluded with the determination to take up the issue at every platform.
In Feb 2013, all requested data was compiled and submitted to the Ministry of Interior, NADRA Headquarters in Islamabad, and the district commissioner office in Chitral.
The issue was taken up on local and national media following visits at both levels. The efforts remained active during these periods of time. During the general election of 2013, the Kalasha announced boycotts of the upcoming vote in Pakistan due to a number of reasons—the leading being the identity issue.
The political parties in Chitral, especially PTI, called a conference to end the boycott with all parties agreeing to solve the issue once they came into power. But it remained as it was. No one spared the time to resolve the issue once they had been elected.
A number of Kalasha youth activists contributed to the cause in their capacity including Wazir Zada, Sayed Gul, Shamin, Gul Nazar, Subhan uddin, Zarin Khan, Akram Hussian, Unath Baig, Yasir, Sikandar Ghulam, Bakhtawar Shah, Sher Khan, Taj Khan, Talim Khan, Said Ahmad, Sohail Khan, Nasir Uddin, JR Din, Zardari Khan, Feroz Shah, Amir Mehmood, and many others. In 2015, we were finally accepted as a separate religion and identity in Pakistan. It was good news for everyone, and the Kalasha people now seem very happy with their recognition.
The community was facing many problems as the religion check-box was not an option for Kalasha on many documents. On the birth certificate, they were forced to tick Buddhist as there was no other option for Kalasha.
We appreciate the assistance provided by the following people and departments: the Ministry of Interior, NADRA HQ and NRC Chitral, Deputy Commissioner of Chitral Mr. Rehmat Ullah Wazir and his team member Mr. Zahir Shah along with media people such as Zahir uddin, Mukham uddin, GH Farooqi Sana Jamal Manzor Ali, Farhan Dogar, Hashma Nawaz, and DW Baig. Thank you also to all those who have signed the online petition from around the world as well as those who have morally contributed to the genuine cause and encouraged our small ethnic group to obtain their basic right of identity.
Kalash 28 September, world tourism day started with recitation of holy Qur’an. On behalf of organizers a senior journalist and ex. Chairman Ayun and Valleys Development Programme Mr. Mukham uddin welcome participants and brief the participant on potentials of Tourism in regards to Kalash valleys. He highlighted issues and also suggests forming a committee that would work for promotion of tourism in Kalash valleys. Talking to participant Mr. Zarin Khan In charge Tourism Cooperation Khyberpakhtunkhwa briefed participants about importance of tourism. He said that tourism could be good source of income if utilized its potentials for Tourism.
Khan added that ‘’ in Europe there is youth hostels or bed and breakfast facilities where tourist especially youth are getting encouragement having such facilities youth could pay minor and also cook themselves’’.
Kalash valleys are hub for tourism but unfortunately the valleys are deprived from basic facilities. Mr. Sohail secretary Mumuret hotels association highlighted road issues that are a pathetic in the valleys. He asked district concerns to promote healthy activities to promote tourism in the valleys.
Hazart Karim who did master in Islamic education and later he returned to the valleys and started working on tourism promotion activities. He said I have a topic to highlight local foods and guides he said I had been worked for 15 years and worked with different tourism promoting agencies now me working as a teacher. He also said that whenever tourism enters in a region he comes to a guide and then he visits other places.
Guide sought to be educated about the specific area so he could give accurate information to the tourist. You could guess that guide needs to be well-educated. So we could promote soft image of the country.
He added that ‘’ I have done one and half year’s tourism hospitality training at Pakistan institute of tourism and hospitality’’. Tourist needs special care so they could return with good image. He requested district government to ban on land selling to outsiders if proper action didn’t take then valleys could face a problem.
Wazir Zada manager AVDP appreciated efforts of local police force concerning maintaining law and order situation in valleys. He appreciated efforts of SHO and his team efforts taken in this regards.
Zahid Alam introduced as young Social worker talked about the past peaceful nature of the valley he highlighted war on terror created issues and security concerns. He said there is a lot of potential in the valleys.
During local government in past organized Jashne Mumuret for tourism now there should be such activities.
Kalasha religious identity in national data based remained focal point to discuss by some speakers while the forum was to celebrate world tourism day. Wazir highlighted winter sports festival and said that Luke Rehmat founder and CEO of Kalash People’s Development Network have been organizing indigenous winter sports festival in collaboration with district government and local NGOs and he express that he would like to continue the initiative in coming 2015.
Akram Hussian encouraged the participants and disclosed that more than 5000 thousands tourist have been entered in the valleys he said that it’s encouraging for tourism. ‘’There are more than 3000 non registered tourist they considered to be government officials and staff’s friends, 108 foreign tourist the remaining are domestic tourist are seems to be increasing’’ Tourist figure given by Akram were those who visited the Kalasha Dur museum and there is tourist those visited during weekends and museum unable to count them so far.
Akram added that there should be tourist information center so tourist could have right information regarding the valleys.
Shahi Gul a local handicraft promoter said that roads are very dangerous in the valleys so how could how a tourist comes. She said that education should be promoted in the valleys so tourism could be managed properly.
For non school going girls there should be handicraft working center so girls could be benefited from it.
Chief Guest Amin Ul Haq district commissioner Chitral said that unfortunately I am very sudden that no one highlighted tourism focused things of Chitral and Kalash valleys.
Tourism and recreational activities are very important factor of a society. There is a lot of positive potential for tourism due to its unique geography.
Hotelier sought to bring change in their behavior with tourist. Keep hotel clean so tourist would be feel better. Keep eyes on employees to provide better services to the tourist.
Amin said why tourism declined now while it was better 12 years ago. I admit law and order situation is worsened but it seems lack of interest with tourism could be other reason.
He said that law and order situation is getting better and tourism could be promoted and you people could play your positive responsibilities.
He asked the participants that meet minority MNA and asked him to raise the issue in Parliament to solve identity issues of Kalasha community. Use your vote for right people in order to solve your problem.
Alarming case for Kalasha people as there are only 25% Kalasha population in Mumuret valley while Muslim community are around 75 % the status shard by district commissioner Chitral.
Pak army representative appreciated efforts taken by local organizations and TCKP concerns for organizing world tourism day.
He said we are fully aware of threats posed to Kalash valleys but people are so lazy unfortunately. They need to play active role for the area. People coming to the valleys to see culture and natural beauty but the valleys lack of facilities required for better tourism. There is peace in the valleys its due to support of locals in the valleys. At the end a committee formed to work for promotion of tourism.