MULTAN: Lok Sanjh, an organisation devoted to reviving and reclaiming the long-absent space for the cultural and political rights of Seraiki people and Seraiki region in the national politics, on Sunday deliberated upon the plethora of issues plaguing the region and the role of the organization in their redressal.

A meeting of the general body of the organisation was held here in which one of the important moot points was the modality with which to collaborate and engage with the mainstream political parties without losing the regional and local identity of the organization.

The meeting passed resolutions demanding that the Seraiki region that has characteristically been a peaceful region must not be robbed of its peace by depriving it of its fair share of resources; inorganic electoral engineering and manoeuvring be stopped immediately; formation of the government in Punjab be freed from the element of selectivity; primary schools of the region adopt Seraiki as the language of instruction, and the exploitation and plundering of the region of its water and agricultural resources must be halted immediately.

The body also condemned the recent capture of the building in Bahawalpur owned by the Seraiki Literary Majlis and demanded the immediate restoration of it to the Majlis.

Questions were also raised with regards to the honesty and ingenuity of the mainstream political parties that make Saraiki province the main agenda of their election campaign only to renege on it after wielding power.

Members also noted that even though all the major political parties across the country have recognized the Saraikis as a distinct national group worthy of a separate province, the materialization of independence from Lahore was still a far cry.

As a stopgap measure, Lok Sanjh through a raise of hand also approved an ad hoc committee whose task was the preparation of a digital library, and archaeology of resources till the formation of a new committee through the election.

At the end of the session, participants wore slogans on their bodies and marched on the press club where they recorded their protest against and vowed emancipation from ‘Takht Lahore’.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2021