Thar starving and crying Help, Help and Help Thar Desert stretching in thousands of miles has recently attained immense popularity after the Govt of Pakistan has inaugurated the Thar Coal project. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharief, the Prime Minster of Pakistan accompanied by Mr. Asif Ali Zardari the ex President of Pakistan feverishly cut the ribbon of the project. Both our genuine leaders committed to change the fortune of Pakistan by utilizing the black gold buried in its tummy located at Thar of Tharparkar not cholistan. They also promised to change the destiny of Thar dwellers by providing them basic amenities of life including drinking water, health facilities and jobs. Both of our leaders were so passionate for one and half hour, we indeed perceived that Thar is ordained to be converted into a paradise within days not in months or years. Days after this colorful event, we have a aching news in rife through Print, electronic and Social media that dwellers of Thar commonly known as Tharris are starving and migrating in other Parts of Sindh due to high magnitude of starvation and hunger. The Sindh Govt, Civil society organizations are Peeing the situation without any irking. Today’s daily Kawish reported that death of three infants due to malnutrition and dearth of medicines culminating the death toll to 113 in the month of February 2014. This also included 38 deaths in Mithi and its surroundings. There are reports of large scale migration and shortage of food grain causing the natives to leave their homes and migrate as refugees. Besides human being animals are also prey due to the drought and highly infected drinking water. Thar has been witnessing this type of situation from long but every time its cries remained unheard. According to one of the reports published in print media Govt of Sindh has failed to supply 60 thousand of wheat bags in drought hit areas. Though we have abundant wheat getting dirty in our grain stores Thar the birth Place of Mughal King Akbar and Great hospitable and philanthropic Miskeen Jahan Khan Khoso, great artist Khushal das, melody queen Mai Bhagi, her daughter Mai Soni, veteran folk Singer Murad Fakeer and now a day’s Sadiq fakir enthralling with his melodious tharri style of Sufi singing are worthy names to be mentioned as highly gigantic figures to have their birth in Thar. In 2004-5, when I was affiliated with Sindh Agriculture and forestry workers organization SAFWCO in UNICEF supported Education program, we had UNICEF delegation including its provincial chief Rana Seyed and M. Jemeel federal secretary education, arrived in Sanghar to evaluate the progress of the project. During their stay at irrigation rest house Sanghar, I had the opportunity to give them presentation on the progress of the project which also included the situation analysis of the district Sanghar and its achro Thar area. Achro Thar can be read as white desert too. The ground reality of Achro Thar was so painful and hurting that Rana Seyed had to stop me. Hang up Nasir; I can’t afford to listen more The apathy of our Sindh Govt in its governance in facing the situation needs no further explanation. It can be bit evaluated from the treatment given to Thar born Mai Soni but that was an individual case. The question of starvation has put the human and life of all biological segments at risk of elimination. Human being and animal are big extent at risk of colossal losses. Citing the availability of basic amenities of life in Thar, 85% of Tharri Population has their dependence on contaminated and tainted water, only 15% of Tharris have access to basic health facilities, the girls education is at its lowest of 13%. Tharri kids are malnutrited and having maximum mortality due to scarcity of Proper medication and adequate nutrition. The same scenario is prevailing for mother’s health too I am highly perturbed to see this agony with a section of our society, which is less privileged from very birth of Pakistan. Simple in their looks, language, health and other avenues, our Tharri brothers and sisters reside in the life of misery and melancholy. Lachmai an octogenarian of a village near Islamkoat becomes jubilant when her grand children had a bowl of black tea and a loaf of bread as dinner. There is no word of breakfast in their dictionary and history. When Assi Zamani a local Sindhi poet has composed his masterpiece poem “Aya Khuda too hath lahi aa Panjhoo jo joural deh disi wang, Mughangi hikari Ghal budhi wanj “(O my Allah Come down on the earth and see your own designed universe, see my condition and listen my words “matched the style of Allama Iqbal’s Shukwa, this masterpiece poem fully portrayed the plight of Tharris and their day today depressing conditions and agonies. Seeing no other hope I will call upon our civil society Icons Suleman Abro of SAFWCO, Dr Tanveer of HANDS, and Naseer Memon, Dr Sualman Shaikh to understand the gravity of situation and come forwards to save Thar and Tharris. As our Govt of Sindh is busy in dealing Baharia Town projects in Karachi and other cities of Sindh by allotting them thousand acres of Sindh land and Govt of Pakistan is engaged in Taliban dialogue wouldn’t adhere to what is going on with Thar and Tharris. Both won’t be bothered to rescue the segment of society who after massive circumstances kept Thar and tharri culture alive. They deserved to be provided bags of grain, water canes, basic medicines and livable conditions because they are scintillating part of our culture and the real owners of black gold buried in their abdomen to enrich our elite class, Bureaucracy. Shah Karim has rightly said Muth bhirari ee bhalee, ja upta ta wao Better to have Palm tightly closed, if opened will air different secretes
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:40:16 +0000