The Long March

The roads are closed in Lahore.  The government's response to the Long March is to prevent travel throughout the city.  How does one respond creatively to such political and social uncertainty?  Yesterday there was an opening at the gallery, here people talked, enjoyed the work and discussed how creativity might engender social and community development.  And broke the law.  Section 144 was in place which requires that no more than 4 people collect together at any one time.  If everyone observed this law families would be unable to live together, restaurants would close, students would stay home (although not, of course with their family), there would be no football or cricket games, shops would shut .... so on and so forth.  But of course common sense prevails and these things go on.  Yet, on a day meant for flying kites, the roads are closed and people are constrained.  So they fly kites on roof tops instead in a way that would make Mary Poppins proud.  It would be easy to argue that with such great social and political uncertainty there is no place for arts or creativity but perhaps the very fact that the kite flying takes place regardless of what is going on on the ground, so to speak, demonstrates otherwise.  The need for spaces where one can even momentarily disengage and reconnect with one's humanity becomes more, not less, important.  So, part of the artists role is to provide that other perspective and to hold a mirror to society, whilst challenging the socio-political environment, being rooted in reality whilst providing points for departure.