MINGORA: The cultural activists in Swat have said that popularity of online games and social media websites have effaced traditional games and pastimes gradually.

They said that modernism and globalisation was a constant threat to tangible and intangible cultural heritage as the rapid prevalence was swallowing up everything indigenous and cultural.

With the disappearance of many such tangible and intangible pastimes and games, the traditional slingshot is also on the verge of disappearance. The slingshot or catapult is called “Linda” in Pashto language.

“There was a time when I had a thriving business of slingshots and its accessories here in Mingora as unlimited customers used to come to me from Swat, Shangal, Buner and also other parts of Malakand division,” said 90-year-old man Juma Khan, sitting on ground along Kanju Road in Mingora with few slingshots, rubbers and other accessories but no customers.

Slingshot vendor Juma Khan says it is difficult to find customers

He said that he would earn modest income from the business and lived good life in the past. “With the passing of time my business shrank. From the owner of a big shop, I became a smalltime vendor as use of slingshot became extinct in the cities and only few people in the rural areas still use it,” he said.

The nonagenarian vendor said that his slingshot shop along with many others was a busy trade centre as young and old customers would throng it to buy slingshots, rubbers or other related items.

“It is now 2pm but I have not received a single customer since morning. There was a time I had not a single free moment due to the influx of customers,” he said in despair. He added that it was the only business he understood so he was doing it in compulsion.

Mr Khan said that there were various designs and verities of slingshots in the past with different prices. He did not know the real cause of the extinction of slingshots as seemed unaware of the digital technology around him.

“I don’t know but people say that mobile phones and video games have made our children and youth busy in other things and they are no more interested in our old culture and traditional things,” he said when he was asked about the reason of his shrinking business.

The cultural activists said that there were more than 50 small and big shops of slingshots and its related items but presently there was no such shop in the area. They said that only few people, who could not do other businesses, were still stuck to the slingshot business but all of them were small vendors.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018