HYDERABAD: Scores of civil society activists, along with Sindh United Party (SUP) chief Jalal Mehmood Shah came together on Saturday at a ceremony to scatter the ashes of noted Indian columnist and peace activist Praful Bidwai on the Indus River near Al-Manzar, Jamshoro.

The ceremony for Bidwai was organised by the Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC), the Sindh general secretary and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Zulfiqar Halepoto.

Noted peace activist Karamat Ali said that “Mr Bidwai worked for the people of South Asia and so we have set his soul free and handed over his ashes to Sindhu Darya. We will make full use of his work and launch a movement for peace, elimination of penury, illiteracy, atrocity and injustice in this region.”

Karamat Ali also shared that the noted journalist wrote columns and articles in almost 20 newspapers a week and his columns were based on various issues. He was a writer of books and a champion of peace which is why peace activists gathered to pay rich tributes to him for his tremendous services and vowed to promote his mission.

SUP chief said that Mr Bidwai played an important role in promoting culture and eradicating poverty. He wrote for all people belonging to various religions, lower and upper classes, and believed in ending differences and promoting humanity without any discrimination.

Zulfiqar Halepoto said that it was the will of Mr Bidwai that his ashes be handed over to the Indus River which he called an honour. He said that Mr Bidwai was of the view that climate change was more dangerous than atomic installation. Therefore, he was writing a lot on climate change.

Suleman Abro of Sindh Agriculture and Forestry Workers Coordinating Organisation, peasant leader Punhal Sariyo, and Zulfiqar Shah and Shujauddin Qureshi of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) also spoke on the occasion.

SUP leader Roshan Buriro and representatives from the Hindu community were also present at the ceremony, while SUP activists were seen carrying their party’s flags throughout the programme.

Mr Bidwai died in Amsterdam on June 23, 2015.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2015

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