Future of Art in Afghanistan (GS Paper I : Art and Culture )

03 Nov Future of Art in Afghanistan (GS Paper I : Art and Culture )

Context: 

Recently it has been observed that Afghanistan issued a circular regarding artworks . All the schools of the art were ordered to be closed till the next orders of the government (talibani). All the artworks like music m, radio, television and the fims industries , comedy shows and others were instructed to stop . 

The day when the Taliban controlled over Afghanistan and the  Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled, the declination of the artwork of Afghanistan had started which had flourished during the last 20 years . Now the future of art in Afghanistan is completely in the dark . Most of the artisans , painters , musicians and the comedians , either they have left their country forever or they have tochange their profession for the survival because on the name of islam , This taliwan government will never allow to flourish any art work , mainly music and comedy 

Although Talibani spokesperson said that only those artworks would be hampered which are anti Islamic but everybody knows about them . During their first regime, they had destroyed the statues of Buddha in Bamiyan provinces and they banned music, painting, dance etc completely . Therefore, just because of this fear many artisan are leaving this country and trying to be settled in european countries, America or in the countries of third world 

Afghanistan had been very rich in its art works . Mural painting flourished during the last 20 years . Under the new government, there has been a concerted campaign to remove artworks from all aspects of life, in an attempt to make society more Islamic. In doing so, the group is erasing two decades of craftsmanship that blossomed after the collapse of its first government in 2001.

Every art lover thinks that art and Taliban would not survive simultaneously.

These days , we see more than 2000 murals in the streets of Kabul that are going to be covered . These murals were related to women, promoting a message of peace,   human rights and gender equality, among other issues.

Since Taliban is sole explainer of Islam he will destroy this art and promote only those muran which would be Islamic in the sight of Taliwan . In other words we can say  that It is not possible for the Taliban to live with art.”

After getting power, taliwant either cover those murans (painted after 2001) or remove those murals which were painted beyond the preechings of Islam . 

Even Though the taliban government said that non religious painting and artwork would be stopped and painters would be pressurized to paint only religious messages even though they are the painters of the nature 

Although Taliwan claimed that they haven’t officially imposed any nationwide restrictions on artistic activities. But they also have shown no sign that their government will allow art as a form of free expression in the society they wish to lead, and their actions so far foretell an uncertain future for thousands of artists.

Many liberal professors, intellectuals and artists had fled Afghanistan . International agencies should ensure the life of these artisans and other artworks/ secular artworks should also be promoted and preserved . Art does not have its own religion. Art and religion both are different things. Taliwan should understand this concept and not to destry the old artworks on the name of Islam 

(Dr Anshul Bajpai)

Rajeev Yadav

Plutus IAS Current Affairs Team Member