Now-a-days it is generally accepted among the progressive thinking people that art is not for its own sake, but for the sake of the people. Art, to be true, must not reflect only the brainwaves of clever persons in their ivory towers, but must reflect the life of the people, their trials and tribulations, hopes and aspirations, successes and failures. It must portray the national genius as a whole.
Culture of a country is manifested in the art, music, and literature etc. of its people. This is a mirror in which a nation's soul is beautifully reflected. Culture, is evolved out of the people's
collective life - its appreciation of beauty, beauty in form, in nature in hope and struggle and in mankind. It is, therefore, clear that culture which is the outcome of the natural spontaneous process of social life cannot be imposed from above or outside and certainly not through force. In this respect, culture is more than a synonym with heritage.
Culture of a land, therefore, is not something undefinable as maintained by many a critic. It is the very symphony which permeates the lives of individuals of a land, bringing out the
common love tor life and that is why when this life of the people does not throb and pulsate with a sense of joy the culture begins to decay.
‘Excerpts from address delivered by Bulbul on ‘The art and culture of Pakistan’ at Hotel Metropole, Karachi, in 1950’; Huda, Mahmud Nurul; 1989; ‘Amar Shilpi Bulbul’; Dhaka; Publisher: Abu Rashid Mahmud