No more dance to entertain you

CHITRAL, Sept 28: The organizers of a function faced embarrassment when a group of Kalash children refused to perform a dance at a function in the Bumburate valley. [caption id="attachment_4521" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Kalash children at teh function.--GH Farooqui"][/caption] The function was held in Sarujalik village on the occasion of the opening of a mini hydro-power station funded by the Austrian government. “The Kalash are gradually deviating from their cultural norms and traits as you see from the lack of enthusiasm in Kalash children and youth to dance while this forms an integral part of their custom,” said Muhkamuddin, the head of local support organization working in the valley. He recalled that in the past the Kalash youngsters, both boys and girls, were so keen to sing and dance and wherever they heard a flute and drumbeats, they jumped to the fore and started dancing. The organizers of the function poured the currency notes on the dancing girls to keep them continue to enthral their foreign guest who had come to inaugurate the power station. Sharing his observations about the Kalash people, Mr. Muhkamuddin said the Kalash are limiting their dancing only to their festivals and ceremonies only. A Kalash elder, Manduk Shah of Krakal village, said the new generation was slowly deviating from the culture and were no more proud of it. He attributed it to education which the new generation is getting in the local schools and a good number of them, both boys and girls, are leaving the valleys in pursuit of education. He said that on their return to the valleys, the Kalash youth are found to give up their culture and tradition and they feel shy of wearing their traditional dress. Another Kalash leader, Tash Khan said tourists paid to the Kalash youngsters for dancing and have spoiled their habits.–Zahiruddin ]]>