Participants gather for a monthly study circle in Peshawar.—Photo by the writer

IN the conservative Pashtun society, it was unthinkable to bring young men and women at one platform for an open debate. Children in our country grow up in an environment where asking a question is looked upon as an insult and being silent is often seen as sign of a noble soul. Critical and analytical thinking is tantamount to challenging authority. This kind of attitude results in intolerance, hatred and a tunnel vision that drives our youths to extremism, militancy and even lynching. However, an acclaimed academic, Professor Khadim Hussain, encourages a group of youngsters known as the Bacha Khan fellows to hold such a debate.

Wagma Feroz, a Peshawar University graduate, is initially unsure if participating in the debate will be useful, but finally decides to attend it. She even invites a few of her classmates to it. When her turn comes, she opens a debate on women’s rights in the Pashtun society. Her well-articulated presentation gets a good round of applause from the audience, largely comprising young Pashtuns from different educational institutions in Peshawar.

Greatly inspired by it, Nadia Khan Wazir, a student of the Agriculture University, Peshawar, pledges to spread the word among girls about the open debate. “The discussions now draw youths, both males and females, from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Girl students are no longer reluctant to take part in such gatherings. The circle promotes reading habit among youths and makes them learn the etiquettes of debating,” Feroz says.

Prof Hussain, director of the Bacha Khan Trust Educational Foundation, had floated the idea of a monthly study circle with the objective of encouraging young people to participate in an open debate and share their views on pressing literary, social and political issues. He says the circle was launched one and a half years ago, with just a few participants. But the idea soon went viral and more and more youngsters began to join it for active participation. He says the trend has spread to Karachi, Jalalabad, Kabul and even the Gulf states, where Pashtun youths get together with open minds to throw light on any issue relating to them and their region.

The aim of launching the initiative, he says, was to encourage young people to learn how to build, present and defend an argument around an issue. “The trend promotes the culture of dialogue, the idea of raising questions and the norm of respecting opinions of others. It develops peace and the spirit of interfaith harmony among different segments of society,” the professor states. Breaking taboos and stereotypes is not an easy task.

Students in other KP districts, including Swat, Mardan, Charsadda, Dir, Kohat and Bannu, and parts of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas are holding monthly, fortnightly and weekly sessions where poets, writers, research scholars and intellectuals are invited to deliver lectures on issues of public interest. A day or two prior to the debate a topic is shared among the participants on social media so that they may make preparations for the event.

Sana Ejaz, a noted human rights activist, along with her colleagues Gul Marjan and Aftab Mallagori, organises a study circle every Friday at her home on Arbab Road, Peshawar. Participants are growing in number as Ejaz adopts creative ways and means to bring young students to the circle.

If on one Friday a documentary is screened for review, on the next a group discussion on human rights issues is held. She says the administrations of four universities in Peshawar have approached them to arrange such open forums on their campuses for students.

“So far we have organised 12 such debates on peace, education, nationalism, feminism, geopolitics of Pashtun region and several other topics. Movielogues and lectures are also featured, which are followed by question-answer sessions,” Gul Marjan, a co-founder of the circle, states. “This trend can help us break the narrative of militants who want to stop us from speaking up for our genuine rights,” he adds.

“We have already organised a large number of open debates at various places including educational institutions where students have given wonderful presentations. Open debate inspires the skill of critical and analytical thinking. Had this trend been rampant in our society, tragic incidents like lynching of Mashal Khan would not have occurred. Silence breeds doubts and contempt while speech encourages confidence and develops mutual trust,” Ejaz adds.

Tariq Pakhtunyar and Shaukat Swati are two PhD scholars who, after drawing inspiration from the idea of these open debates, launched a weekly session for students at the Faqir of Ippi Pearl Lawn on the Peshawar University campus a few months ago. On every Tuesday, students, teachers, writers, young researchers and intellectuals gather to hold debates on various issues. Until now 26 sessions — covering issues like need for changes in curriculum, the pros and cons of CPEC and the importance of girls’ education — have been held. Scholars and experts are also encouraged to give their viewpoints online, they say.

A young activist, Afsar Afghan from Shangla, says that educational institutions should introduce such platforms for students and teachers where debate becomes a norm and progress is made towards a peace-loving and forward-looking society.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2018