Sheema Kermani, a classical dancer, teacher, drama artist and women’s rights activist, heads Tehrik-e-Niswan, [“The Women’s Movement”], an organization dedicated to improving women’s rights in Pakistan by raising awareness through the use of dance and the performing arts. According to the group’s official website, Tehrik feels “that the fight for women’s rights has to be conducted not only at the legal and political level, which other organizations are already doing, but also at the level of moral attitudes, emotional responses and values. No change can be meaningful and lasting unless it takes place at the emotional level as well. And this can best be carried out through artistic means.” Below, Sheema Kermani tells CHUP about their work and how these messages can be relayed through the performing arts:
Q: You are a renowned classical dancer in Pakistan. How did your love for dance and art feed into your organization, Tehrik-e-Niswan?
Tehrik is a cultural action group and uses the medium of the performing arts to put forth the message of human rights, especially women’s Rights. Tehrik-e-Niswan realizes that the women’s movement can only be carried forward and succeed if it is seen as part of the overall fight against religious narrow mindedness and bigotry. Since women are the worst hit by these rising trends, they should be in the forefront of this fight. This is a cultural fight and it needs to be fought through cultural means.
The objective of Tehrik-e-Niswan is to change the existing values and relationships between men and women. We believe these values are not conducive to women’s rights and are very discriminatory. To change values you have to touch people’s hearts – we feel that the Performing Arts are a means of touching people’s hearts. We use art and poetry to send the message of equal rights, the message of justice and equality. So my love for dance and drama becomes part of the movement and part of the struggle. My politics is integrated with my art and I believe there is no politics without art.
Q: How has art and music traditionally been viewed in Pakistan and how has that been obscured throughout the country’s history?
The establishment in Pakistan, while being anti-culture in general, has a special mistrust of the Performing Arts, which they consider a highly subversive activity as it forces one to look at one’s own life from a distance and question anything and everything around you. In fact, in this sense, all art is subversive, but the Performing Arts are more so than others, as they bring the performers and the audience in direct contact with each other. In a successful performance, a fusion takes place between the audience and the performers. I think that it is this transforming experience and its power, of which the authorities (both religious and political) are scared and therefore ban and discourage dance.
I place the problems facing dance and theater in Pakistan in two broad categories. The first is the active hostility of the state, which is translated into government policies aimed at making life extremely difficult for people who wish to indulge in dance and theater at any other except an extremely crass level. I say this because the theater of vulgar jokes and loud humor and “Filmi” dance in the “Mujra” style, is thriving and encouraged even at an official level. In the old days ,the performing arts were patronized by the rajahs and nawabs and feudal aristocracy of all shades. Later on, this role of patronage in most societies was taken over by the government and private industrialists. In Pakistan, however, the state not only did not fulfill this role, but also went on to formulate a series of policies whose purpose was to thwart cultural expression. The other problem arises from the nature of the society itself, which is culturally conservative, with no tradition of free expression and deep-rooted prejudices towards the performing arts. Unlike other countries of the world, there are no trusts for culture set up by philanthropists. Karachi must be the only metropolis of its size in the world, which does not have a single proper auditorium. Culture is not on the list of worthy causes to be supported.
The poor, on the other hand, are tied to their everyday problems of survival. For them, cultural activities are luxuries beyond their means. Like any other class society, the onus of cultural expression falls on the middle class. The Pakistani middle class, predominantly Muslim, is small, conservative, underdeveloped, and extremely anti-culture and regards the performing arts with disdain and contempt. This attitude is reflected in the derogatory terms that are prevalent amongst them for various practitioners of the performing arts; A singer or musician is a ‘Meerasi‘, an actor a ‘Bhand‘, and a dancer, of course is unspeakably low, if not a ‘Prostitute’.
Q: You are a big proponent of women’s rights. What are the biggest obstacles women face in Pakistan? How can culture and art be used to help realize and attain women’s rights in the country?
The arts and the women of Pakistan have been the two major victims of military dictatorships. Women in Pakistan have been victims at the state level too, especially when anti-women Islamic Laws were introduced in 1977. The state introduced legal and social forms of control over women as part of its campaign of suppression and made women’s sexuality and morality the business of the state. In the name of religion, laws like the “Hudood Ordinances“, “Qisas“, “Diyat” and “Blasphemy Laws” were introduced and are prime examples of laws that devalue women and humanity. The most crucial aspect in these laws is that a woman’s testimony is unacceptable. The Law of Evidence declares that the testimony of two women is equal to that of one man. I believe that Feminism is recognition of both the existence of this kind of sexism, male domination and patriarchy and the desire to change this situation. I consider myself a feminist and strongly feel that I must do whatever I can to change this discrimination against women in our society so that she can find her place of dignity and respect. It is the values that have to change and the attitudes towards women both of society and state. And I believe this can only by done through cultural work.
Dance helps one to cope with the stresses of life. It renews and regenerates one. It brings one in touch with one’s body at the level of generating energy as against expending energy. This is so important for us women to understand. When women energize themselves, they create power within themselves. Our physical strength increases as soon as we begin to believe we are strong and have confidence in our muscles; our emotional and intellectual strength increases when we allow this power/passion to reside in our mind and find a form in ‘Thought.’ Thought can alter reality; thought can create reality. Thought is empowered by intensity. Passion is power, and the necessary active ingredient. And we women have it.
Q: Since 1981, Tehrik-e-Niswan has been presenting plays under its Mobile Theater Program in middle class and low -income areas of Karachi. What has been the reactions to your socially relevant plays? What is your target audience and what do these plays aim to achieve? What medium has the bigger impact – television or theater?
Actually, Tehrik has been presenting its Mobile Theater program since 1979. 2009 will be mark 30 years of our existence in this very difficult environment. The mobile program is carried out in low income areas like Orangi, Korangi, New Karachi and also the rural areas of Sindh and lower Punjab. The target audience are the people, men and women living in these “katchi abadis.” Often our audiences have been young people, because we frequently perform in schools or on school compounds. The purpose of this activity is to provide entertainment to these people and also create an environment of dialogue and acceptance of theatre and theatre arts so that these communities understand the importance of this art form. The young people are encouraged to form their own theatre groups and perform on their own issues. We provide training and conduct workshops for communities as well.
The reaction is usually of much excitement – they dress up and it becomes a major event for them and of course it becomes something for them to look forward to. There have been times when we have had some adverse reactions but that is seldom. My belief that the masses of Pakistan are basically liberal and open to these art forms is always reinforced through our mobile theatre activity.
Q: How can other Pakistanis help contribute to your cause in their own areas?
Tehrik-e-Niswan wishes to set up a permanent cultural center which will house a training academy for dance, drama and music, and will include a performing space. It will also include a bookshop which will specialize in books on women and a coffee shop. The idea is to create a venue where women can come and spend time, meet friends and exchange ideas and experiences freely. Pakistanis any where in the world can contribute towards this through donations by checks made out to Tehrik-e-Niswan, or by arranging performances with the Tehrik group, with the funds going towards the setting up of this center.
To read CHUP’s other interviews, click here.
I am so pleased to read Sheema Kermani’s piece, Kalsoom. She is a beacon of hope in our otherwise dismal society. I find it quite admirable that she chooses her art as a way to stand up for women’s rights, especially since the performing arts are so looked so down upon in our culture. I myself used to practice Classical dance and absolutely loved the freedom of expression and rush that went along with performing in front of large audiences. However, I tended not to be so open about it when I would visit Pakistan, for as Kermani so aptly puts it, I didn’t want to be called a marasi or ridiculed. As she points out, there are so many negative implications associated with the performing arts thanks to our government and societal biases, and it’s completely ridiculous.
I think Sheema is doing and absolutely amazing job, and I hope we soon have other intelligent, educated female artists who choose to join her movement.
@ The tehrik-e-niswan and the likes is ” ACTIVE” in
Pakistan since 1958 ( APWA) with different faces and
heaviests of Big Begumaats, the only thing they taught
and imposed on their tribes was the slogans in sixties
” take off your Dupatta, you will certainly have
progress in your society “. Good Lord, I left Pakistan
in 1974, still there is no sign of progress, development,
advancement etc, but, Dupatta disappeared quickly, and
was replaced by sleevless blouse ‘ complaining, its very
hot today, oh my God, lets go to Gymkhana for a swim,
and I realize today why, my bothers always left me
behind when going to Gymkhana, specially during,
hottest, Karachi afternoons.
All women’s associations will remain as they are, an
entertainement for some privileged ladies, I am
astonished to read about rights and tehriks, for some
reason involved in catagorizing musicians but at the
same time only active in presenting foriegn culture, its
half a century now, these associations have only achieved
one thing, promotion of Bollywood and Secularism.
Noboby has ever discovered what these woman associations
want to make of a Pakistani woman ?
Do you Kalsoom ??
I am a listener of Radio Pakistan Karachi since I was 6,
when we had our first electric Radio, our classical music
ghazals and semi-classical were so popular and
appriciated, and today ? radio, TV its a total mess.
Why performing art is systematically publicised as a
disputed territory and imposed otherwise, where as, other
arts are totally neglected and destroyed.
just out of curiosity, rafay, what is the problem with women at the gymkhana? are you proponent for gender segregation?
[…] attitudes, objective, pakistan, perspective, poetry, relationships, rights activist Read more at: CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan This post […]
@ Maria S.
problem with girls at the gymkhana was that
they were always reluctant to let me in, they always
shouted out ,
” its not for the boys today !! (me a gentleman) imagine ?.
Proponent for gender segregtion ? yes, of course, but
only between two ages, what is segregated increases,
our curiosity and attraction.
Rafay,
While I always value your input, I disagree because I do see the benefit of organizations like Tehrik-e-Niswan. They are attempting raise awareness on the inherent rights of women that are universal – not secular or Western, but the rights that are evident in our religion and that should be prevalent in our culture. I agree that many organizations have tried to impress Western perceptions of feminism and equality on our culture – that approach hasn’t worked. However, many of the values and methods used by Tehrik are evident in our religion and classical dance and performance are historically applicable to our region, versus imports like Western music and Bollywood.
In the interview, Ms. Kermani underlines why her organization uses performing arts, rather than just art as their method of effecting change. She said – “In a successful performance, a fusion takes place between the audience and the performers. I think that it is this transforming experience and its power, of which the authorities (both religious and political) are scared and therefore ban and discourage dance.”
Not every NGO or organization out there is successful in creating lasting change, but I believe organizations like Tehrik should be applauded for their achievements. They are attempting to raise awareness so that men AND women are informed of their basic rights and how they can empower themselves to progress in society.
Congratulations Ms Kermani for touching the hearts & minds through your “Mobile theater programs” of so many who do not have much, specially in the low income areas of Orangi, Korangi, New Karachi the ” Katchi Abadis”.
May I suggest that President Zardari be approched to contribute towards building this permanant Cultural Center. It can be named the “BB Cultural Center” in her honour- wonder if he would go for it….worth a shot!
[…] – Changing Up Pakistan posts an interview of Sheema Kermani, a classical dancer, teacher, drama artist and women’s rights […]
@Kalsoom,
you see, if they try to impose by all means, i.e. influencing
thru media, politicising, ” intellectually ” pressurising,
” forcing ” people to abandon their culture, respectable
local traditions, presenting segregation as a ” Sin ” or a
violation fo Human Rights, then the resistance will be
responded with plain refusal and promote hatred between
classes, those pro-western and we nationalist, this is happening actually.
I wish I could go thru their statut and articles, you see
the word ” awareness ” among seculars and muslims
might vary on lts facets & angles.
No problems, on inherent universal rights of women and men,
I think the whole convention of Human Tights charter of 1948
withits 30 articles turns around this matter !!!
bringing in culture, social behaviour, relations, family,
environment, attitude all is counted and related, any thing
contradicting or going against the ” locally established ”
ethics and morals creats nothing but further gulfs between
classes, generations, and culture. We do have the right to
re-evaluate their forms to certain limits.
[…] interview with a dancer and women’s rights activist Sheema Kermani. Via Global Online […]
@ happy 2b a Paki,
my heart is inundated with gratitude and
pleasant feelings to watch the ” nrit ” bhao and
Kathak ” jhol jhukao ” adaab in your Katchi abadi,
inaugurating ” nrit ” culture centers in Orangi, Korangi,
new Karachi, malir, Saudabaad, hab nallah,
BB cultrel Center ” Bol Bhao cultural Center to remind us
of the Great BB rehmatullahi, wa ghafarlaho minal jahanam.
I liked your inverted comas, sending all of us into deep
COMAS. Please avoid my forgotten arabic.