Vasay Chaudhry Resigned From The Cultural Advisory Council & It Is Important To Understand His Reasons

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Vasay Chaudhry resigned from the Cultural Advisory Council

Funny man, Vasay Chaudhry was not in a particularly funny mood last evening when he sent out a series of six tweets detailing his reasons for resigning from Punjab’s Cultural Advisory Council.

Vasay, who, along with film star Shaan Shahid and veteran director Syed Noor had been serving on the council for the last three months, decided to step down from his advisory role after he felt that most of the recommendations made by him and others on the panel were not being given serious consideration.

He acknowledged that his suggestion pertaining to the provision of health services to veteran actors had been realized and that actors across the province were being issued health cards by the government.

However, going by his tweets, it seemed that this was perhaps the only suggestion that was given due consideration while all the others were left unattended.

The list of recommendations that Vasay Chaudhry stated had been “carefully and passionately” prepared by the members of the council included:

  • The launch of an international film festival in Lahore;
  • Formation of a film authority in Punjab to support the revival of cinema in the province; (and)
  • Restructuring of the current taxation on cinemas in Punjab.

He, however felt that there was no omen in sight that indicated towards the implementation – or even serious consideration – of these suggestions any time soon. Vasay further stated that he felt obligated to share this information with everyone as he had been part of  meetings convened by the council that had been paid for from the tax-payer’s money.

Why Vasay Chaudhry’s Move to Resign Is Relevant

The term “culture” has often been exploited by various governments to garner support for actions that might otherwise meet with all out criticism.

The recent notification, issued by PEMRA advising television channels to not air content that delves on societal matters such as divorces and extramarital affairs is one such example. This action to curb creative freedom has also been justified under the pretext of preserving “culture.”

The point that is important to consider is that while culture has been used as a scapegoat to justify grossly unfair policy practices, there has been little effort to actually preserve and propagate it.

It then makes a lot of sense for individuals like Vasay Chaudhry – who genuinely want to venture beyond rhetoric – to feel alienated by traditional bureaucratic practices.

Rather than indulging in further tokensim, it would serve the government better to pay serious heed to the words of those like Vasay Chadhry for whom “culture” is not an abstract word with an ever-evolving definition and function. It is only by deriving and learning from the experiences of artists that Pakistan can truly protect and promote its rich cultural legacy.

 

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