Role of Pashto Theatre and Other Performing Arts in Inculcating the Spirit of Cultural Renaissance and Promoting Nationalistic & Ethical Values Among Pashtuns: An Analytical Overview

Theater reflects the social fabric of a society. It is not just a medium of entertainment; rather it's a vibrant tool for cultural conservation. Cultures that lack arts and its allied forms rapidly stagnate and finally get diminished. If language is the spirit of a particular community or culture, theater and performing arts is its heart. Theater has also emerged as an important platform for cultural amalgamation thus reducing the gaps between two different societies or nations. India, as a British colony, once had a large Pashtun population roughly equal to that of Afghanistan, mostly concentrated in the North-West Frontier Province and Baluchistan. In Rohilkhand and Western Uttar Pradesh, Pashtuns made large settlements subsequent to 14 th century and prior to the 20 th century. The Pashtuns, as the history betrays give neck and neck fighting to the imperialist East India Company in 1857 with never surrendering absolutely. Today the Pashtuns in India can be divided into those who speak Pashto and those who speak Urdu, the latter group being much larger. Now, Pashtuns in India hardly remain in few thousands due to negative population growth. Pashtuns in India are highly educated and had worked on top brass positions in both government as well as non-government sectors. His Excellency, Dr. Late Zakir Hussein, the Third President of Independent India was a Pashtun. He received his doctorate in economics from the University of Berlin in 1926.In India; Pashtuns had hold high positions in various ministries, defense forces, commercial sectors as well as media-entertainment sector. Pashtuns are one of the most cultured societies on this planet. Hospitality, bravery, honesty, compassion forms the bed-rock of Pashtun culture. Since the dawn of civilization, Pashtun society had loved music and dance, though theatre shows its presence in the days of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Frontier Gandhi) who was fighting for the Independence of India and Pashtun renaissance. Pashtun theatre basically focuses on historical themes or Pashtun Nationalism. Pashtun dances which are collectively called Attan not only signify entertainment but also communicate strong social and cultural messages. Thus, this Research Paper attempts to zero in on the theater and other performing arts and the message conveyed by them to entire world in general and Pashtun Society in particular. As Afghanistan is rapidly moving towards path of national reconstruction, Pashtun theater and other performing arts are playing an important role in inspiring the Afghans to bring their lost glory back.