DADU, April 25: Thousands of followers of Jeay Sindh Tehreek founder G.M. Syed thronged his hometown, Sann, on Thursday to pay homage to the veteran Sindhi nationalist leader on his 18th death anniversary.

Leaders, activists and supporters of all Sindhi nationalist parties and groups coming from across the province paid tribute to their leader and resolved to carry forward his mission.

Family members and relatives of G.M. Syed led by his grandson, Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, visited the veteran leader’s grave, laid wreaths and offered Fateha.

Later, Quran Khwani was held and langar (charity food) was served.

A mystical music programme was also organised at the Syed’s house.

Speaking to the participants in a remembrance session, Mr Shah, who is also chairman of the Sindh United Party, said that G.M. Syed devoted his entire life to the rights of Sindh and the Sindhi nation and through his philosophy also taught people how to achieve their legitimate rights.

Mr Shah told the followers of Mr Syed not to get browbeaten by threats from feudal lords and avail themselves of the opportunity of change by voting for right candidates in the May 11 general elections in order to transform Sindh into their ideal homeland through peaceful means.

He said that leaders of nationalist parties were participating in the election and they would take the case of Sindhi people in the elected houses.

Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), a recently banned outfit, also held a ceremony close to the grave of G.M. Syed where a message of the party chief, Shafi Mohammad Burfat, was read out.

The message condemned the ban on the party and an alleged crackdown on its activists. It claimed that an operation to crush the JSMM was under way forcing most of the JSMM activists to go underground. “JSMM activists are being detained and tortured to death across the province,” it said, adding that this would not, however, deter them from continuing the struggle for the independence of Sindh.

Mr Burfat said JSMM had already announced a boycott of the general elections, and renewed his appeal to the people of Sindhi to not participate in the election. He repeated the demand that Sindh and Balochistan be recognised as independent states, and urged all international organisations to help them win freedom.

JSMM senior vice chairman Lal Aslam Pathan, vice chairman Zain Bhutto, general secretary Sajjad Shar and other leaders spoke at the gathering.

They said that G.M. Syed’s philosophy and ideology had provided a strong base for ‘Sindhu Desh’, which was the destiny of the people of Sindh.

Condemning the ban on the JSMM and the veteran leader’s books, they said that such coercive measures could not crush the independence movement. Rather, they added, it proved to be a boon for the struggle. They told the audience that Mr Syed’s dream would come true soon.

Earlier, JSMM activists and supporters carrying portraits of G.M. Syed, Shafi Burfat and several party leaders who, according to them, laid down their lives for the cause of Sindhu Desh, arrived at the grave of the veteran leader in many small processions. Leaders and activists of many other Sindhi nationalist parties and groups joined them in Sann.

During the course of the ceremony, the participants intermittently raised slogans of ‘Jeay Sindh (Long live Sindh)’, ‘Sindhu Desh is the destiny’ and ‘Azadi ya maut (freedom or death)’.

The launch of a book titled ‘Watan ya kafan, azadi ya maut (Homeland or shroud, freedom or death)’ written by Atta Mohammed Bhambhro was also held on the occasion.

Jeay Sindh Student Federation (JSSF) chairman Hafiz Pirzado and Hafeez Sindhi also paid homage to the veteran leader and highlighted his ideology.

The other parties and groups that organised separate gatherings elsewhere in Sann to mark the occasion included Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Jeay Sindh Tehreek and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (Bashir and Arisar groups).

Jeay Sindh Tehreek acting president Habib Khan Jatoi told a gathering of his party workers that JST would continue its struggle for a separate and independent nation.

JSQM Bashir Qureshi group chairman Sanan Qureshi also expressed the resolve to carry forward his father’s mission of achieving freedom of Sindh and help create ‘Sindhu Desh’.

JSM chairman Riaz Chandio told his party colleagues that Sindh would soon be known as a free state for which the the JSM was continuing its struggle.

JSQM-Arisar leader Abdul Wahid Arisar described G.M. Syed as a great scholar, philosopher and politician. He said time had come to declare Sindh an independent country and Sindhi people a free nation. He resolved to fight for the independence of Sindh till the last breath.