And when Mai Haju moaned ……………………. Narrating their torment, Mai Haju was emitting tears from her eyes. See this barren desert, is there any sign of life in it. People still says there is no disease and drought in Thar. We are besieged by circumstances, we have nothing to eat, medicate and migrate. I have heard the outpouring of relief goods but Thar and Tharris are still starving. She is having knitted spiritual affiliation with Shah A. Latif Bhittai and reads a line from his poetry in her particular style, likhio mugh nirar, kalam Kirani na waha (I have to face all that which is ordained for me) Haju accompanied his son was standing to await the distribution of wheat bags in the adjacent village of Mithi. His son Manjhi is in his mid 30s but giving the look of 60 years old. Marred by hunger, poverty and disease, I haven’t seen any healthy male or female in the congregation of 500+ people. All busted and with gloomy looks. What I see, was the wave of the arrival of media, govt and civil society functionaries. The guest house owners, local hotels and other vendors were seemed with new life. Some people were enjoying the Mithi visit as a spotlight or picnic but they never knew the melancholy of deprived local natives. When I saw lethargic Haju and her son sitting under a tree, I found it a chance to ascertain the real situation analysis from them. Being a development worker, I always meet such type of females and know their pains but Haju was weird case, the altitude of her pain was much high then others. I came here from Salam Kot; we took two days to reach here. On the instant drought situation, she says that Thar has not received rain from last two years, so the drought was to be anticipated but no one cares and plans about such natural calamities. She emits tears here, when Muhammad khan was king, (referring Muhammad Khan Junego as prime Minster) Thar was happy but today we have no king (and there is no govt and prime Minster) Thar experienced the severe starvation which was initially rejected by Sindh Govt and termed drought related causalities as fabricated figures. Our Beloved Sindh minster of Information even went to call Thar, a disease free area with some normal outbreak in one or two areas. Thanks to print, electronic and social media which, has brought this disaster into limelight. Ali Kazi and Kawish group deserve much respect in giving due coverage to apathy of Thar. Approx 0.8 million population of Thar are directly affected from the ongoing drought. More than two hundred children have died, hundreds are under treatment. Loses in the context of livestock are uncounted. After the electronic, print and social media buzz, everyone is heading towards Thar but the questions is what will happen when this buzzing is over. Is there any long term strategy to face the Thar situation, the answer comes in nay? There is no such strategy visible to ensure that after a month, Tharris will be attended in same way. Obviously everyone feels satisfaction by distributing some food bags and gets satisfied and comfortable that I have fulfilled my work but no appraisal of this great tragedy is being under taken either form federal or provincial govt. No long term planning is in sight to tackle Thar situation. What actually I have observed that testing time of Thar will start after two months when this barren land will be miserably hot and nobody will be there to assist Tharris. All short term efforts are no solution to the grim situation which is on anvil. Better if responded now tomorrow will be more miserable and disastrous. Tharris, as Mai Haju and her son are behaving are simple and free of gimmicks, being so severely hit by hunger and poverty, they gets well satisfied with three bags of flour or rice. They are oblivious of future and awaiting despairs. If prime Minster terms Cholistan in better condition why not Thar, if Govt of Punjab can open health facilities, schools and water stations in Cholistan why not in Thar of Sindh, If the land of cholistan can be irrigated through reservoirs why not Sindh Govt can do all in Thar. Muzzling will be a great crime of history; coming generations would read it as a human tragedy caused by inefficiency, bad governance.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 13:38:08 +0000
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