Everything looks beautiful when it is neat and clean. If we talk about the roads or cities what is their beauty? Well-designed structures, neat and clean roads and walls, proper traffic controlling and its visiting points like malls and parks. But the main thing that gives the first impression to any visitor is the walls of the city. It is very important that what the walls of the city are telling you about the resident and their mentality or creativity. Because when international delegations come to your city and they travel from the airport to the main city they must see the walls and imagine what they think about all those polluted and hate yelling walls? It is not good for any country that someone comes to your country and went back with this impression that the people of this country don’t have an interest in art or creative activities.
The requirement to consider this topic
Do you ever imagine what foreigners think about our cities and about us? Doesn’t it feel like every person in the city is weak and needs magic to solve their family problems or political slogans that represent hater only? It is very important that now we should talk on this topic and do something about it. Because wall chalking is not in favor of any country. It only gives satisfaction to those people who don’t have any interest in the country’s image. We all witness this thing here in Karachi also how much the walls are polluted. I don’t think there can be any area that is saving from this rubbish thing except highly secure areas of every city. But now is the time that we should walk out for the cause and show our skills and collaborate with the organizations that are already working for this cause.
Schemes for wall’s cleaning
Many years the walls are covered with many inappropriate political slogans and ads but now finally some people really took this responsibility to remove all those dirt from the walls and reclaimed it with art and spread the message of love, peace, and creativity. “Re-claiming the walls of the Karachi” is a project that was led by Adeela Suleman, the head of the Fine Arts department at Indus Valley school and collaborates with an organization “I am Karachi”. Here are the details of those projects.
Stencil art project
This project is coordinate with Munawar Ali Syed and he has a team of 15 artists who have worked really hard on this and till now they have covered these areas Hassan Square, Civic Centre, Saddar, Shahrah-e-Quaideen, MT Khan road, Airport, Kala pull,” said Adeela. This is a good achievement for their task.
Bachoon sey tabdeeli
There is also a project that is named bachoon sey tabdeeli in which children paint the walls near their school areas. Rabiya Jalil and Shahana Rajani are working on this with school children and till now they have painted the walls in Shirin Jinnah colony and liyari. It is a good way to introduce a sense to stop wall chalking at this age because these children are the bright future of Pakistan.
Deemed behind the act
There is always an idea or thought behind every act. Moreover, Adeela came up with a thought that the hate speeches on the walls should be removed through the expression of art. As a result, she adds, “Through our Stencil Art Project we have so far repainted more than 1000 walls. Under the Bachoon say Tabdeeli project, we have targeted almost 25 walls whereas the Individual Artists’ have remodeled up to 80 walls by now.” The areas they covered are MT Khan Road and near areas around the Airport in Karachi. And you know the fact that no one dares to do wall chalking on those painted walls because it requires more paint to do wall chalking on painted walls, Adeela said.
Responsiveness of the artists
if you ask from the artists who have worked on these projects and read their interviews you will get to know how passionately they opted this cause and gave their 100% and made those walls a beautiful sight for everyone and show those people who did wall chalking that no we are not loving these political slogans or pathetic ads.
Require A Peculiar Legislation
There should be a proper law to stop this wall chalking. As we all know that there is a wall act 1995 and it state that “Whoever affixes or causes to be affixed any poster, bill, notice, placard or other paper or means of advertisement on a wall or writes on any wall with chalk or paint or in any other manner whatsoever or expresses or describes any matter on any wall in any manner whatsoever with the intention to attract public attention to that matter shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to Rs. 5,000/- or with both.” However, we know that this law only exists in the books there is no implementation of this. It is to say if the authorities start acting on this law then no one dares to write anything on walls.
Summing up
“There is a will, there is a way”
If you really want to achieve something in life, you will get it with all your dedication. Exactly the same thing applies to this case you have read all the above information that how people worked for this cause. Above all as a Pakistani, as a citizen of this country, we also have some duties towards our country. On the other hand, look at how beautifully they changed the walls and made our city even more beautiful. It seems like if the authorities are not doing anything then just stand up and do hard work for this cause by yourself and in the end, you will see that people will join you and support your cause if you are right. Never lose hope if you are alone at the starting I am sure the end will be beautiful and one day we will get rid of this wall chalking disease.
