n recent years, Mohajir Culture Day has been celebrated, particularly in the province of Sindh. This aligns with the celebration of various cultural days that highlight the unique identities of Pakistan’s provinces. It marks a positive shift from the past, when the notion of a singular Pakistani culture was promoted, and any divergence from it was viewed as a threat to national identity. At times, the backlash was so intense that acknowledging other cultural identities was considered almost treasonous.

This change reflects a valuable lesson learnt from the tragedy of East Pakistan, where political separatism gained legitimacy partly due to the sidelining of the Bengali language, Bangla.

Since then, Pakistan’s provinces have asserted their cultural identities in ways that coexist with the national identity, rather than contradicting it. This approach recognises that Pakistan’s national identity is not homogenous in a rigid, monolithic sense but is instead a composite of diverse nationalities that form the fabric of the country.

The largest number of people who migrated during the partition of 1947 were Punjabis, as the Punjab was divided into two, similar to Bengal. However, while the Punjab witnessed a horrific bloodbath, Bengal was spared a similar ordeal. The cultural similarity among Punjabis allowed for easier assimilation within the Punjab, and the small number of Urdu-speaking migrants did not pose a significant issue or become a politically charged matter. While there were occasional comments about cultural peculiarities and identities, these rarely went beyond light-hearted banter.

In Sindh, however, the situation was markedly different. The influx of Mohajirs and their dominance in Karachi, the capital, and to some extent Hyderabad, created a contentious divide.

The observation of Culture Days, including the Punjab Culture Day, tends to carry a non-political tone. The focus is generally on traditional attire, cuisine, music, dance and the distinctiveness of literature, particularly folk poetry and linguistic quirks. Music and dance are celebrated primarily in their folk forms, with an emphasis on cultural authenticity. However, when the arts begin to establish independent references or evolve creatively, they often face resistance. In this region, such developments are frequently subject to religious interpretations, leading to various forms of exclusion.

In many ways, the circumstances and fallout of the partition were without precedent. While it is easy to suggest that assimilation was the best path forward, history provides no comparable example of such a massive movement of people in such a short period. The newly created country, Pakistan, had an unprecedented proportion of Mohajirs, around 25 percent of its population comprising migrants who replaced those who had left. The disparities in education, the chaotic haste and the looting, arson and violence created an unprecedented scenario with no historical blueprint for guidance.

Pakistan faced unique challenges. It had two geographically separated parts, a thousand miles apart. The smaller region, East Pakistan, had a larger population. The new country lacked a capital, a currency and state institutions. Moreover, these institutions were located in provinces with smaller populations and cultural frameworks that some chose to disregard.

Patience and gradualism were needed. Instead, the situation was handled with political and cultural engineering. Over time, however, changing realities, driven by technological advances, are fostering a form of assimilation that may eventually smooth the rough edges. This gradual process holds the promise of creating an environment of tolerance, easing the sense of superiority held by some and the resentment of those who feel they have been treated unfairly.

The writer is a culture critic based in Lahore