HYDERABAD: Speakers at a ceremony have paid tribute to Comrade Hyder Bux Jatoi on his 125th birth anniversary, saying that he had pursued nationalist and class-based politics and that they would carry on his legacy. They also vowed to protect Sindh’s resources and its integrity.

The programme was held the other day at the Hyderabad Press Club under the aegis of the Sindh Hari Committee.

Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) Secretary General Dr Safdar Abbasi recalled Jatoi’s historic struggle for peasants’ rights and said there was talk of dividing Sindh these days. He pledged to foil “this conspiracy” everywhere and said the rulers must learn from the eras of Gen Ayub and Gen Zia, which, he said, had harmed the country. He also said the 26th and 27th Amendments had harmed the country and led to a transfer of authority.

Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi described Jatoi as a leader of the downtrodden and said his political stature could be judged from the fact that his peers had declared him “Baba-i-Sindh”. He said people had to choose between two paths in politics: one in which people chose prison for their struggle, and another in which people preferred the privileges they had enjoyed since the British era to stay in power.

He regretted that, despite Jatoi’s struggle, the Communist Party and the socialists had not embraced him. He said feudal politics was another name for “obedience to rulers”, in which his party did not believe, and that it therefore stood with the oppressed. He said Sindh faced an existential threat and vowed to resist its division.

Sindh United Party senior vice president Roshan Buriro called Jatoi a great leader and said people should emulate him today. He said the federation was imposing its decisions on Sindh, and he criticised the PPP government severely.

Awami Workers Party (Marxists) Secretary General Bakhshal Thallu said a conspiracy was being hatched to divide Sindh and that Sindh’s water was being “robbed”. He said class-based tyranny existed in its worst form today and that class oppression could not end unless the system of tyranny was eliminated.

Sindh Hari Committee leader Samar Jatoi said the anniversary had injected new vigour among the people. He said he had inherited Hyder Bux Jatoi’s legacy and vowed to make every sacrifice needed to defend Sindh’s integrity.

Awami Tehreek central organiser Raheel Bhutto, Sindh Sufi Forum’s Dr Badar Channa, Aftab Khanzada, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Party chairman Nawaz Khan Zaur, Inam Sheikh, Sarang Joyo, Hameeda Ghanghro and Comrade Nisar Leghari also spoke.

The gathering adopted resolutions condemning what it called a conspiracy to divide Sindh and separate Karachi from it. It demanded Sindh’s due share of water under the 1991 Water Accord, the closure of the controversial Jalalpur Canal and the withdrawal of the 26th and 27th amendments. It rejected the Green Pakistan Initiative.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2026