December 31, 2006	Sunday	Zilhaj 09, 1427

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MULTAN, Dec 30: Civil society organisations who gathered at the Taunsa Barrage for a two-day people’s assembly resolved to launch a peaceful struggle against “unjust” projects launched in the name of dams and development.

The two-day assembly entitled ‘Sindh Sagar Sath’, or people’s tribunal on the Indus, which concluded at Wasti Sheikhan was organised by the Sindhu Bachao Tarla, or struggle to save the Indus. Tarla is a broad coalition of non-government organisations that believes in non-violent actions to stop sufferings by river engineering.

The participants said all mega projects of irrigation and drainage were economically unjust, politically oppressive, socially fragmentary and environmentally disastrous.

The moot condemned the World Bank and the Punjab Irrigation Department for allegedly creating problems for people in Muzaffargarh,

Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur by closing water supply to canals.

The World Bank has funded a Taunsa Barrage Emergency Rehabilitation and Modernisation Project, which has resulted in closure of canals being taken out from the barrage.

The participants said that hundreds of thousands farmers in the three districts had not been compensated for their damages.

They accused both the bank and the department of misusing resettlement funds.

The Sindhu Bachao organised a cultural night in which scores of artistes, including singers, dancers and poets performed. The Sindhu Bachao Tarla and the Dadu-based Awaz Development Organisation presented three theatrical performances on the occasion.

Hundreds of people paid tribute to the Indus River by showering rice and gurr into the river. They prayed for the emancipation of the river, fish and people from the violence of development inflicted through the unjust laws.