2022: Three-Days 4th International Hindukush Conference held in Chitral
4th International Hindukush Cultural Conference Chitral
The three-day 4th International Hindu Kush Cultural Conference was held from 14th to 16th September 2022 in Public Library Chitral.
Along with local scholars and researchers, dozens other from different parts of the world and various regions of Pakistan presented their research papers in this international conference. During the three-day long event, more than sixty research papers were presented by scholars on the history, culture, language, customs and traditions of the nations living between the mountain range of the Hindu Kush. Topics likes Kalash civilization, climate change, geography and tourism were also discussed.
Apart from this, panel discussions were also organized by experts in the event. The keynote speakers of the conference were Linguist Dr. Elina Bashir of University of Chicago, Professor Jakelin Troy of University of Sydney Australia, Professor Augusto Cacco Pardo of University of Florence, Italy, former Chairman of the Department of Geography of Peshawar University Professor Asraruddin and well-known writer Dr. Inayatullah Faizi.
The conference was a joint venture of Forum for Language Initiative (FLI ) Islamabad and Anjuman Taraq-i-Khowar. Talking about the conference, the President of Anjuman Taraq-i-Khowar, Tanveer Mulk, said that sixty-three papers were presented in this conference, while three panel discussions were held. Two women researchers from Chitral also presented their papers. He said that a resolution was passed recommending that the communities living in the mountainous areas of the Hindukush have been recognized and registered as indigenous in the United Nations General Assembly and Eco-Sac therefore the rights of local people on natural resources, land and water should be recognized and they should not be deprived of minerals and other resources.
Tanveez-ul-Mulk further said that by drawing the government’s attention to climate change, it was demanded that scientific and emergency measures must be taken to protect the Hindu communities living in the mountain valleys from the destruction and destruction of floods caused by melting glaciers and deforestation. Another suggestion was that arts councils and cultural complexes should be established in across Chitral to preserve the unique culture of the Hindu Kush and the indigenous languages. Another participant, Hidayat Rahman, a renowned researcher and historian from Chitral, said that the arrangements for the conference were excellent and participants of this international conference, held after a long interval, also got opportunity to learn a lot about the region, especially Chitral. He further said that participants were also exposed to new dimensions of the history.
Ali Akbar Qazi, a well-known scholar of Chitral who also presented a paper in the conference commended the holding of the conference and said that such conferences should be held every three years to inculcate the spirit of research among young students in the future.
It should be noted that the first International Hindukush conference was held in Moesgaard, Denmark in 1970. The 2nd International Hindukush Cultural Conference was hosted by the Anjuman in Chitral, in August 1990 with Professor Israr-ud-Din as convener and Dr Karl Jettmar (Yatmar) as general president. The 3rd conference was hosted by the same organization in Chitral in October 1995, with the same convener and Prof Schuyler Jones as General President.
