HYDERABAD, July 9: The working committee of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat (SAS), at a meeting held at Jhok Sharif on Monday, expressed concern over the acute shortage of water in Sindh.

It demanded that Sindh should be given its due share of water and the greater Thal canal project and the Kalabagh dam should be shelved.

The meeting demanded that as per Unesco charter, students in public and private schools should be imparted education in Sindhi and the registration of those private schools should be cancelled which were not imparting education in the mother tongue.

It also demanded that in the offices of local union councils and other organizations as well as courts, correspondence should be done in the Sindhi language and the duration of Sindhi programmes on radio and TV should be increased.

It demanded of the Sindh government that the antiques stolen from Moenjodaro, Makli, Bhambhor and other historical places should be recovered and the people involved in the theft should be punished.

The meeting welcomed the decision of Unesco to observe the year 2002 as the “Cultural Year” and urged the organization to help save the cultural heritage of Sindh, such as Momil-Ji-Mari and Moenjodaro.

It expressed concern over the increasing tribal feuds and excesses against women and urged the government to enforce the writ of law and justice.

It regretted the apathy of the government towards the ailing writers and artists of Sindh, such as Sarvech Sujawali, Shafi Mohammad Jumman, Mohammad Khan, Abid Baloch, Ibrahim Munshi, Niaz Humayoon and others, and demanded free medical facilities for them.

The meeting also demanded that the retrenchment of Sindhi Adabi Board employees should be stopped and urged the information department to resume the publication of Sindhi magazine “Pegham”.

The meting, presided over Abd Magsi, was attended by the secretary-general of the Adabi Sangat, Adal Soomro, coordination secretaries and other members.