KARACHI: Highlighting the voices of the otherwise unheard and invisible peasants, the Hari Welfare Association in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) held the annual Hari Conference, which included the launch of a report titled State of Peasants Rights in Sindh, at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday.

One of the main topics of discussion at the conference was the Tenancy Act of 1950, the primary law that governs the relationship between the peasant and the landlord, which still awaits implementation although it was amended in 2013 to serve the interests of landlords.

Saleh Billoo from Nawabshah pointed out that too much had changed for the peasants since 1950. “Today they want to know how they can get tractors, loans, etc. But these things go to the landlords instead. So what does the poor peasant get in return for his hard work? It is a fact that the peasant is an equal partner in the harvest and profits that come from the land he works on. But he only gets hunger, illness and misery as his part of the share. Pakistan depends on agriculture. Agriculture is what saves Pakistan from sanctions and loans and the peasant is the one really making this possible,” he said.

Ishaq Soomro, a social worker, said there was a need for research on the change in dynamics and paradigms. “The feudal lords have stepped into politics and made connections into the country’s bureaucracy to make themselves rich and richer as the peasants becomes poorer,” he said. “In this scenario, Bhutto’s land reforms are the only thing that can really bring change and turn this country around. But, of course, why will the feudal lord agree to land reforms when according to it you cannot own over 100 acres of land while they own thousands of acres.”

Ejaz Ali, a social science researcher, compared the work peasants do here to slavery. “What else would you call being exploited at the hands of landlords? Today a landlord is happy to take loan on his agriculture land to open lucrative businesses abroad instead of growing anything there and provide opportunities for work to the peasants. But if you are that interested in industrialisation than agriculture, then please tell me what happens when you set up a tomato ketchup factory here and there is no tomato to make the ketchup from?” he said.

Zulfiqar Shah, joint director of Piler, spoke about a few characters affecting agriculture in Sindh. “There is extreme poverty throughout Sindh where 70 per cent of the population is below the poverty line. And these 70pc are not anyone else but peasants. Then most of Sindh’s population remains marginalised. They have no say in any political decisions. And again these marginalised people happen to be the peasants. Their children don’t get to go to school, too. Then there is also widespread corruption in the province, depriving people of their basic rights. The consequences are horrific. We are already experiencing things like religious fundamentalism, intolerance, etc.” he said.

Geoff Brown from Manchester Trade Union Council in the UK said Manchester was the first industrial city in his country where the peasants, who used to work in agriculture lands, digging canals, etc, migrated to some 200 years ago. “They came to the cities to escape famine. Today, in Britain we have farms owned by the rich for the rich. But it is all an unsustainable system. Neither will it protect the environment nor would it save us from climate change,” he said.

Karamat Ali, Piler’s executive director, asked all to look seriously at the indicators. “Feudalism has not weakened but is stronger. If feudalism had weakened, the peasants here would have been in a better position. Since the landlords and feudals are strong, the peasants are weak,” he said. “Sadly,” he continued, “After Partition in 1947, the rights of the people have decreased. The feaudalism we inherited from our British rulers, who wanted all the benefits of agriculture for themselves. The measures carried out for this by the colonial regime should have been undone at the time of Partition, which did not happen.”

Akram Khaskheli, head of the Hari Welfare Association, Ashraf Ali and Zaheer Ahmed of the ILO also spoke.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2016