HYDERABAD: The role of peasant leader Comrade Hyder Bux Jatoi in his sustained struggle for the rights of peasants and farmers was described as ‘historic’ by political and hari leaders speaking at a programme held to observe his 49th death anniversary here on Tuesday.

They said Comrade Jatoi introduced people-oriented politics in the subcontinent.

The programme was organised by the Sindh Hari Committee (SHC).

Speaking to the audience, SHC leader Azhar Jatoi said Comrade Jatoi stood for peo­ple and for the under­privileged class of the soci­ety. His struggle for haris’rights was exemplary and he was the nucleus of Sindh’s politics, he said.

Comrade Jatoi, he said, had revolted against his own class to get the Sindh Tenancy Act passed and struggled against the One Unit. He said Jatoi had also faced false edicts. He said his philosophy still offered guidelines for the people of Sindh. The ruling Pakistan People Party (PPP) had given only hepatitis to the people of Sindh, he said, adding that Pakistan was facing a havoc of price hike.

Prof Imdad Chandio said Jatoi had for the first time challenged feudal lords in Sindh and also participated in elections. He observed that without the practical struggle introduced by Jatoi, feudalist politics could not be put to an end. He said Jatoi had given the slogan of ‘Jeay Sindh’ and worked for the autonomy of the province.

Prof Idris Jatoi said comrade Jatoi had ensured 50-50 share of haris in crops through his struggle and also got Sindh Tenancy Act pas­sed while leading a protest outside Sindh Assem­bly. He said Jatoi’s struggle must be resurrected.

National party leader Taj Mari said that today people were talking about separa­ting Karachi from Sindh and those were conditions witnes­sed at the time of sub­con­tinent’s partition. Like­wise, he said, haris’ issues rem­ain­ed unresolved to date. He said Pakistan nee­d­ed some fundamental chan­ges and this state should be run in accordance with the spirit of 1940 Resolution.

Several resolutions were also adopted on the occas­ion, condemning price hike in the country and calling for restoration of real democracy. It said that bad governance had led to poverty and price hike in the country due to undemo­cratic regimes since 1947.

They said that due to continuous rule of feudal lords in Sindh, the province had been destroyed and facing lawlessness. They called for better governance in Sindh. They called for recovery of missing persons whose cases continued to be reported unendingly. Polit­ics in Sindh should be allowed to work freely and without any pressure.

The resolutions also called for controlling AIDS and hepatitis in the prov­ince. They said that 70 per cent population of Sindh was getting polluted water, therefore they should be provided safe drinking water. They demanded an end to influx of outsiders in Sindh and those from other provinces should be repatri­ated to their native homes.

They demanded an end to water theft and provision of basic amenities for people. They called for naming Dokri agriculture college after Comrade Hyder Bux Jatoi and it should be upgra­ded to the status of a university.

They urged political, literary and other national organisations of Sindh to work for social democracy system instead of wadera shahi in Sindh. It said that water should be provided to the tail-end areas of Sindh.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2019