HYDERABAD: The scheduled caste Hindu communities along with some other religiously oppressed castes in Sindh have chalked out a detailed programme aimed at attaining their due status in society and work for their rights and welfare.

Commonly known as Dalits, the Kolhi, Bheel, Meghwar, Oad and Bhagri communities supported by like-minded activists belonging to the Christian, Sikh and Muslim communities have been running a campaign from the platform of the Dalit Sujag Tehreek (DST) for their constitutional rights and due status.

On Monday, the DST formed a number of committees, comprising a convener and three other members, and assigned different task to them. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the DST’s core committee held on Sunday evening.

The core committee comprises 21 members drawn from all major Dalit communities and included some like-minded activists.

The tasks assigned to various committees included organising demonstrations and rallies, ensuring intra-Dalit uplift, setting up schools and organising study circles, dealing with media and disseminating information, setting up a Dalit women wing and organising Dalits awareness publications unit. Regional coordinators at all districts of Sindh were also nominated.

The core committee meeting decided to set up Dalit schools in all divisions of Sindh and holding of lectures by intellectuals for students. The schools would serve as an academic institution where interactive community-based sessions on Dalit politics, culture and society would be held in an organised manner.

The meeting resolved to effective apprise civil society of Dalit politics.

It was attended by Vesakhi Mal Baghri, Sahib Oad, Radha Bheel, Kumari Pushpa, Dr Sono Khanghrani, Lalchand Parwani, Mahesh Bheel, Meghwal Malji, Amar Sindhu, Sher Mohammad Solangi, Sufi Hussain, Noor Junejo, Lajpat Rai Bheel and others.

GDA criticised for inviting military coup

Criticising the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) chief’s call for an army takeover, leaders of the Awami Jamhoori Party (AJP) have urged the alliance’s component parties to clarify their respective positions if they support the call.

The AJP expressed its belief that inviting the army to take over the country was an act of treachery.

In a statement issued here on Monday, AJP president Abrar Kazi and other office-bearers including Khadim Talpur and Sadruddin Panhwar said the people of Sindh had always supported rule of law and democracy.

There was no denying of the fact that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) governments had not delivered, even then inviting the army to take over the country was regrettable, they said.

They alleged that the federal and Sindh governments subjected Sindh to excesses. The PML-N government was not doing justice with the province over the issues of oil, gas, water and electricity while the PPP representatives were busy in corruption, they said, adding that practically no government existed in Sindh.

They said that the people of Sindh would have to come out on roads for their rights. Those sitting in the provincial government were incompetent Waderas, Mirs, Pirs, they said.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2016