HYDERABAD, May 5: Rich tributes were paid to late Ms Nirmala Deshpande for her services to the cause of peace and downtrodden masses duirng a condolence meeting held on Monday. The function was jointly organised by the South Asia Partnership, Pakistan, and Sindh Democratic Forum.

Sharafat Ali, a social activist, said Ms Deshpande played a key role for restoration of peace in the region and bringing the two neighbouring countries closer. He said in furtherance of this object, she led a women’s long march from Delhi to Wagah comprising of thousands of participants. He stressed the need for completing the peace mission of late Deshpande.

Hussain Bux Thebo, a noted intellectual, said she was instrumental in retrieving five million acres of land from feudal lords and distributing it among landless haris.

He said she was made the target of criticism for her efforts to restore peace between the two neighbouring countries but did not give up her mission.Thebo said she was nominated for the Nobel Prize but was ignored due to political reasons. He said she was not only a member of the upper house of India but also a novelist, adding she wrote mystic novels based on peace.

Others who spoke on the occasion included Nazeer Qureshi, Dr Tipu Sultan, Waqar Malik, Zulfiqar Shah and Zulfiqar Halepoto.