PROTEST RALLIES ON INTERNATIONAL WATER DAY (22 MARCH) ORGANIZED BY SUJAD BAAR TAHREEK IN MULTIPLE OF CITIES OF SINDH.
Chehra WebDesk
Hyderabad
On World Water Day, hundreds of children organized protest rallies and demonstrations in various cities, including Hyderabad, Malir Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Jhudo, Digri, Mithi, Islamkot, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Shahdadpur, Moro, Wahi Pandhi, and Larkana, under the call of Sujag Baar Tehreek (Awakened Children’s Movement) against the extraction of six canals from the Indus River and corporate farming.
In Hyderabad, a protest rally was held from Old Campus to Press Club, led by Sujag Baar Tehreek central president Fazil Khosa, Hyderabad district organizer Sarmad Saeendad Khasakheli, Shoaib Bhutto, Azad Memon, Sohan Palejo, Amjad Talpur, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Ranto, and others.
In Malir, the district president of Sujag Baar Tehreek Bhura Lal, central senior vice president Zohaib Kalmati, Shahzaib Mirani, and Anmol Memon led a protest rally from L. Civil to Sindhu Chowk, Gulshan-e-Hadeed.
In Thatta, the district president Hameed Khushk, Malik Chandio, Shakir Baloch, and Fazil Lashari led a protest rally from Dubai Store to Makli Park.
In Tando Bago, the central general secretary of the movement, Amar Jalil Halepoto, along with Rehana Halepoto, Sameer Halepoto, and Somal Halepoto, led a rally from the CNG pump to Tando Bago Press Club.
In Jhudo, the Mirpurkhas district president Noor Aftab Kaloi, Mehran Kaloi, and Qadeer Talpur led a protest rally from Awami Nagar Paro to the old National Bank.
In Digri, local leaders Adi Saqafat Jarwar and Jara Jarwar led a rally to record their protest.
In Islamkot, district president Dilip Kumar Bheel, Lakhmi Chand, and Atam Bheel led a rally from Al-Dubai Hotel to Islamkot Press Club.
In Tando Allahyar, a protest was held in Bheel Colony under the leadership of Shayan Samejo.
In Shahdadpur, district organizer Ramesh Bheel, Alam Sariwal, and Alam Laghari led a rally from Cafe Kamran to Shahdadpur Press Club.
In Tando Muhammad Khan, district organizer Danish Meghwar and Rajesh Gawaro led a protest rally from Sujawal Chowk to Tando Muhammad Khan Press Club.
In Moro, the tehsil organizer Fareed Solangi, Ateeq Kalhoro, Comrade Nisha Solangi, and Sonhan Solangi led a rally from Moro Petrol Pump to Moro Press Club.
In Wahi Pandhi, the rally was led by organizer Waheed Ali Brohi, Panhal Brahmani, and Shazman Brahmani from village Dodo Brahmani to Gorakh Chowk.
In Larkana, district leader Comrade Kol Kalhoro, Ather Kalhoro, and Tabassum Kalhoro led the protest from Rahil Chowk to Larkana Press Club.
The protestors chanted passionate slogans of "All canals are unacceptable!"
Addressing the rallies, the leaders said that Sindh's water resources have been plundered for the past 150 years. The Indus Delta has been completely destroyed, and the river is drying up. They accused the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of selling Sindh's water to secure power, alleging that the PPP stands with Punjab in looting Sindh's water.
They condemned the destruction of mangrove forests and the forests along the banks of the Indus River, calling it environmental hostility. They also expressed concern over the construction of six new canals, which they labeled a "diabolical conspiracy of genocide" against Sindh's 70 million people.
The Sujag Baar Tehreek believes that Sindhi children are part of the Sindhi populace, who have been protecting their homeland and river for thousands of years. Like the majority of the Sindhi people, these children will continue to struggle to save the river and will demand accountability for the water taken by Punjab over the last 150 years.
The leaders further stated that since the creation of Pakistan, Sindh's resources and lands have been continuously encroached upon. They criticized schemes such as Paada Paalyo (Cattle Farming) and fraudulent claims that settled outsiders on Sindh’s land. Under the guise of housing schemes such as Bahria Town, DHA, and Commander City, they alleged that Kohistan has been occupied.
Recently, under the banner of an Agricultural Revolution, millions of acres of Sindh's land have been handed over to imperialist companies.
