Cultural Diplomacy and National Identity Reconstruction: Bhutto’s Cultural Policies after the 1971 War
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v4i1.2565Keywords:
PNCA, Lok Virsa, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Cultural Diplomacy, National Identity, Pakistan, Dhaka Debacle, Cultural Policy, Nation BuildingAbstract
The separation of Pakistan in December 1971 created a serious crisis of political legitimacy, national confidence, ideological coherence and collective identity. The emergence of Bangladesh challenged the very idea of Pakistan as a single nation and made national restoration inevitable. When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came to power, he realized that the reconstruction of a common national identity was as important to the rebuilding of Pakistan as political and economic reforms. His administration thus employed cultural diplomacy and cultural policies as important instruments for nation-building. These initiatives aimed at reestablishing links with the country’s many historical, regional and cultural traditions and preserving Islam as an important component of Pakistani identity. Institutional efforts to preserve and promote cultural heritage were added to by the establishment of Lok Virsa in 1974 and the Pakistan National Council of the Arts in 1973. In a bid to promote national cohesion, Bhutto’s government promoted literature, music, visual arts, theater, traditional customs and heritage preservation. Cultural diplomacy also allowed Pakistan to project itself to the world as an autonomous, historically rooted, culturally diverse and Muslim state. Despite institutional and political obstacles, these artistic endeavors played a substantial role in Pakistan's post-1971 identity restoration.
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