As the car ascended the rugged road in the plains of Punjab, the first glimpse of the magnanimous watch tower reinvigorated the lessons I had once learnt of Mughal history. The fort lay safely behind it, with its old, robust walls and heavy armored gates guarding the royal life that once thrived inside. Bars of sunlight cast through rents in the walls made motes of dust glitter where they yet hung in the air.
Dominating the tranquil landscape in the fields of Jhelum, Rohtas fort is one of the few remaining splendors of what Pakistan has inherited from the Mughal era. Moving through the abandoned structures and its brick rooms, one could only contemplate how royal life would have been for Sher Shah Suri and his disciples half a century ago. The aesthetic carvings on the walls, the decayed defense structures and the spectacular scenery towards the countryside would make anyone fall in love with the area instantly. And why shouldn’t we? This is us. This represents our culture, our heritage, our way of life enshrined in these buildings for the world to witness in the centuries to come. It gives us a tangible memory to be proud about. Yet, there is something else concomitantly enshrined into these walls as well, something that will disgrace us as a nation – wall chalking and graffiti.
It has become much of a norm to witness graffiti wherever man abides in Pakistan. While we take much of it for granted, this plague has rampantly made its way to be also inscribed in our history – onto the walls of forts and abandoned palaces. The worst part about this hideous plague is its miscellany – it comes in the form of names, mobile numbers, intolerant political and religious statements, advertisements and romantic confessions with their lover’s names! Ahah! We have finally proven it. We have finally confirmed that we were the ones to give these pinnacles of history the last refulgent thing it needed! Indeed, our mark on history will traject along these ruins for many generations to witness.
Unfortunately, Rohtas fort isn’t alone in this matter. Cultural pollution in the form of wall chalking in growing expeditely all over Pakistan’s historical sites. We often speak of how the authorities need to safeguard these sites from decay and erosion. However, a bigger question remains unanswered – what is to be done with these chalkings? As a matter of fact, what is to be done with the mindset that breeds this sort of audacity to vandalize history?
