Sindhi Topi and Ajrak Day

The Sindhi Topi and Ajrak Day is observed on December 6. The day is celebrated by the people of Sindh, province of Pakistan to express their loyalty to the Sindhi culture and it's thousands of year old cultural symbols, the traditional Sindhi Cap and Ajrak cloth.

History

The day was first conceived by the Pakistan Peoples Party and a Sindhi television channel KTN in November 2009 in response to a television anchors condemnation of President Asif Ali Zardari's wearing of the cap and shawl on his state visit to attend the ceremony of swearing in of Hamid Karzai as President of Afghanistan for a second term.

The comments which were made on November 21, 2009 in the current affairs show Meray Mutabiq by Shahid Masood. The anchor's condemnation caused a wave of fury through out the province with the local language media calling for protests and apology. The governing Pakistan People's Party gave a formal call for the day to be observed on first Sunday of December. The call was subsequently endorsed by all the parties of Sindh except the Pakistan Muslim League.

Observance

The day began with rallies and walks in all the district head quarters of the province. Residents throughout the province donned the caps and danced to the folk songs, reaffirming their RESOLVE to protect the Sindh motherland from conspirators.

The call mobilized the people who started purchasing of Sindhi caps all over Sindh. Such enthusiasm from the masses resulted in historic sale of Sindhi Topi with people purchasing it on high prices and sharing it with each other after the stocks ran out.

The day gave a look of mass celebrations since the morning and the groups of youth found in dancing on The Famous song of Ahmed Mughal “Sindhi Topi and Ajrak Wara Jian”, at different parts of provinces, including Karachi, Hyderamad, Larkana,Benazirabad, Thatta, Jamshoro, Shahdad Kot, Jacobabad, Mirpur Khas etc.

Series of motorcade rallies were brought out in various cities which after passing various roads would culminate in front of the respective Press Clubs, which become centers of the celebrations.