UMERKOT: Increasing poverty, inflation, lack of livelihood opportunities and chronic droughts have cast a serious impact on the lives of people in Thar, where the trend of suicide is rising.

This was observed by speakers at a public gathering organised by a non-governmental organisation outside the Chachhro Press Club on Wednesday.

Jan Mohammad Samoo, Qamarud­din Rahimoon, Gotam Rathi, Anwar Bajeer, Ravi Shanker and about a dozen other speakers expressed their views at the gathering.

They referred to a recent study showing that over 31 Tharis committed suicide in Tharparkar district this year so far mainly due to poverty.

They also quoted from the study that domestic violence and poor socio-economic conditions were badly affecting women who, in sheer frustration, tended to kill themselves.

The speakers said that due less rainfall in the district, not only lands were turning barren but the survival of human beings and their animals was under serious threat.A large number of livestock of Thari people had already perished, they said.

Qamaruldin Rahimoon observed that land-grabbing was rampant across the district while the issues relating to religion and caste were being exploited. He linked the rising trend of land-grabbing to the increasing economic activity relating to coal exploration. Ravi Shanker told the audience that the reverse osmosis plants being installed in the district could not address the issue of drinking and irrigation water shortage on a permanent basis.

He stressed the need for extending the Indus irrigation network to the populated areas and cultivable lands of Thar to avert chronic droughts.

Fatima Sand said that the number of women in suicide cases appeared to be high. She said the government should seriously look into the Thar people’s socio-economic conditions in order to contain the trend both in men and women.

The other speakers includded Ilyas Rind, Dilawar Rahimoon, Haji Jearo, Nelesh Kumar, Mahesh Khatri, John Poll, Zarina Chandio, Reejho Meghwar and Noorjahan.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2014