Traditional Culture as a Space for Identity (A case study of village Bumburet Kalash Valley)

Abstract

This study was conducted in the Bumburet valley of Kalash, District Chitral Pakistan. The study attempts to explain the traditional identity and religious philosophy of non Muslim Kalash. The data for this study was collected by adopting anthropological techniques particularly participant observation. The fieldwork was conducted in the year 2007-08. The thesis addresses the impact of space in formulating distinct cultural patterns; for determining the identity of Kalash people. Culture is a protective and flexible space, in which a group of people can coexist and perpetuate their way of life. In any geographical setting, eventuality of displacement; or movement on mass scale due to environmental disaster to another area will not diminish or change their identity, as long as their culture remains intact. The Kalash culture is an example which has provided a space for the small groups of people who have survived and perpetuated. This interactive and inquisitive study scrutinizes the various aspects of the traditional culture, and effect forceful and mediated influence of the external and internal forces combined with rapidly changing environment. The basic objective of the study was to prove that perpetuation, preservation and practice of tradition strengthen the identity of a group, or people, and culture provides the space for small communities to exist, survive and propagate their way of life without being unnecessarily threatened by the majority group’s culture, tradition and religion. The role of government is to provide freedom of expression and security to all irrespective of their religion, culture and tradition. The Government of Pakistan does not treat them as an exotic object of tourism but as a group of people worthy of survival. Kalash a distinct community of Hindukush is an example; where culture is encapsulating the identity. The fundamental building blocks of their religious ideology and believe is based on the concept of onjesta and paragata i.e. purity and impurity. This phenomenon is evident in every sphere of their life. They regard high mountains, lakes, green pastures; cooking area, gods deities, fairies, Holy sanctuaries and jestik~han (worship places) are onjesta i.e. pure. The females, their menstruation and maternity homes bashalini, graveyard, and evil spirits bhut are considered paragata i.e. impure. The people of Kalash are trying to preserve their centuries old tradition and customs in spite of the constant invasion of modernization and globalization. Modernization is a process which consciously or subconsciously corrupts the fundamentals of organizational set up. The set up is responsible for the smooth running of various institutions by following a specified code of conduct. The process of social change manipulates the passive environment to an active environment where the nature and longevity of tradition and group`s identity attached to it can be threatened. But people of Kalash are aware of the negative consequences of this modernization therefore are negotiating a space where modernization and tradition can survive and coexist.