HYDERABAD, May 21: Nationalist and peasant leaders of the province have called upon the Sindhi nation to unite on one platform to launch a struggle for their rights.

They were speaking at the 34th death anniversary of peasant leader Haider Bux Jatoi, popularly known as Baba-i-Sindh, in Kalhoro Colony here on Friday.

In his speech, Azhar Jatoi, president of the Sindh Hari Committee, which had organized the anniversary function, said that the late Haider Bux's name was synonymous with struggle for oppressed people.

Paying tribute to the Baba-i-Sindh, he said that he had devoted his life for the cause of peasants. He demanded that Sindh should be given rights in accordance with the 1940 Pakistan Resolution.

He alleged that landlords had been compromising on interests of people of Sindh just to remain in power. The peasants' leader accused Punjab of usurping resources of Sindh. He claimed that only peasants, workers and students were sincere with Sindh and they were working for interests of the province.

He warned that if geographical frontiers of Sindh were tampered with, consequences would be disastrous. He called upon the people of Sindh to differentiate between enemies and friends of the province and support the nationalists in their struggle for rights of the province and its people.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi, who is also the provincial president of the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement, said that the very survival of Sindh was at stake.

He paid tribute to the late Jatoi and called upon the people of Sindh to emulate him. He said that it was an irony that Sindh generated Rs600 billion per annum but its people were starving and forced to commit suicides.

Dr Magsi also criticized the role of landlords in the province. About the water issue, he called for a movement to ensure that Sindh got its water share. The others who spoke on the occasion included Sindh National Front leader Ayub Shar, Mir Haider Ali Khan Talpur, Rochi Ram, Maulana Azizullah Bohio, Maulana Ubaidullah Bhutto, Seraiki National Party leader M. M. Bhutta and Nazir Memon.

RESOLUTIONS: The meeting adopted several resolutions, demanding shelving of Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal projects and construction of small dams in Sindh. It demanded compensation to Sindh for losses it had suffered due to the alleged water theft by Punjab.

It also demanded removal of the federal minister for water and power, grant of provincial autonomy to Sindh and renaming the Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam, as Comrade Haider Bux Jatoi University.

The gathering called upon the government to take notice of the release of poisonous water into the River Indus. It said that the authorities concerned should implement the announcement by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali about the grant of agricultural loans. He urged the government to create more employment opportunities.

The meeting called upon the Sindh government to announce free education up to matriculation on the pattern of Punjab. It strongly opposed corporate farming and demanded punishment to those involved in tribal clashes.

SU EXAMS: The controller of examinations, University of Sindh, has announced the schedule for B.Ed and M.Ed non-formal annual examination of 2003. According to announcement, the B.Ed and M.Ed non-formal annual examination 2003 will be conducted from May 26 while admit cards of candidates will be provided by the respective area officers.