Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Kabul (BNA) The people of Afghanistan have joyfully and happily celebrated the first day of the New Year.
Nawruz is the largest and the best known festival in Afghanistan.
A number of the Kabul citizens congratulated the arrival of the New Year to all people of Afghanistan, adding as the winter ends, the people celebrate the New Year with special traditions and customs across the country. The people are used to go to recreational sites and celebrate this day along with their families, the Kabul citizens further said. A young woman, Shahnaz who came to Bagh-e-Shahrara along with her friends and relatives to mark the Nawruz said that she comes here each year to pummel the grass and enjoy the life.
She said, ‘Despite the Afghan women are faced different types of violence in the country, but we hope one day we can live in a comfortable atmosphere as like as the men do.’
There are many women here who wish to have a happy life, and today is a day that they have gathered together to celebrate Nawruz without any fear.’
She asked the government to increase the number of recreational parks to women in different provinces of the country.
She added that however Bagh-e-Shahrara is a safe place to women, but it doesn’t have the capacity of large number of women, therefore, many recreational sites should be built to women in the country, particularly, in Kabul.
Sakina who sells Bolani and Pakawra in Bagh-e-Shahrara said, she earns good money at the first day of Nawruz, adding due to problems existed in our society, the women cannot go outside their cities and sell their materials freely.
But, the women can feel free and can freely walk around here and sell or buy everything, Sakina further said.
This year, more women had come here comparing last year and they all looked happy, Sakina added.
Sakina is widow and has four children. She has to work to feed her children. She works in Bagh-e-Shahrara for 6 years. She said, ‘Due to many problems in our society, I cannot work along the streets and sidewalks.
’ But, I really feel myself comfortable in here, she continued.
She hopes one day, she can expand her work outside the Bagh-e-Shahrara to provide better life ground to herself and her offspring.
Meanwhile, large number of the Kabul citizens has joyfully celebrated the New Year. They went to many recreational sites, such as, Paghman, Badam Bagh Hill, Sakhi Shrine, Bagh-e-Babur and many others to mark Nawruz.
The people hope one day security is restored throughout the country, so they can spend the rest of the year in a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
They ask the government of national unity to make effort in restoring peace in the country and also makes the international community committed to cooperate with Afghanistan in this respect.
This is while that Nawruz is annually celebrated in different provinces of the country with special traditions and customs.
Shukria Kohistani
