News
Monday, December 11, 2006
Well done, Punjab UniversityBy Ali Waqar
Punjab University deserves congratulations on the success of the first performing arts festival not only for entertaining the audience with some marvellous performances but also for providing more than 200 students from 11 public universities of Punjab with an opportunity to demonstrate their talents.
The Punjab University College of Arts and Design (PUACD) organised the three-day inter-university contest with support from the university administration and Governor Khalid Maqbool, the chancellor. Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Government College University Lahore, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore, Government College University Faisalabad, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore, Islamia University Bahawalpur, Fatima Jinnah Women’s University Rawalpindi, University of Agriculture Faisalabad and Lahore College for Women University Lahore participated in the festival.
The festival was unusually successful considering the influence of Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT), the youth wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, in the university. The IJT has dominated the university for decades and imposes its conservative ideology on campus. In the past, the university administration’s efforts to arrange cultural activities had always failed.
Criticising the party and its ideology was unthinkable, but the recent initiative of the liberal media’s has compelled the university administration to change its approach.
After trying various strategies including crackdowns and operations, the PU administration has now decided to defeat the party using administrative means. After stopping the IJT from hijacking the university’s annual book fair and refusing to reinstate about 24 expelled students that belonged to the IJT, the university was also able to set up a musicology department despite the unrelenting opposition from the IJT.
Considering insiders report strong ties between some senior PU officials and the IJT, this is a major breakthrough. Following the success of the performing arts festival, the university has also announced performing arts classes (diploma and certificate courses) at the university by next year and said the festival would be made an annual event. These measures are a strong message of rejection of the conservative elements on the campus and are encouraging for liberal students.
Stakeholders believe that the continuing success of liberal policies would eventually help the university defeat the conservative elements. The PU administration is correct when it says that Lahore is Pakistan’s cultural centre and the performing arts festival, in line with Lahore’s traditions, will improve the university’s image. Punjab University is worthy of congratulations on opening new horizons for students and deserves support in its endeavours towards a better future.
Courtesy DailyTimes.com.pk