On March 4, 1967, the university students, irked by the transfer of SU vice-chancellor Hassan Ali Abdul Rehman and appointment of then commissioner of Hyderabad Masroor Ahsan in his place, took out a procession from the campus to Hyderabad. While the procession was on the Jamshoro-Hyderabad road, police unleashed brutal force against the protesters.

Mr Talpur said that the students struggle launched on March 4 (of which he was a leading figure) was for the rights of Sindh and was continuing. He urged the “oppressed nations” to cooperate with one another to protect their rights.

JTI leader Hafiz Saadullah Sindhi warned the students of Sindh and Mehran universities that they were being pitted against one another under a deep-rooted conspiracy.

JUI-F leader Moulana Abdul Karim Abid, Dr Dodo Maheri of the Sindh United, Party PPP-SB leader Younus Bhan and others also spoke on the occasion.

The seminar adopted a resolution demanding the construction of a monument near Rajputana Hospital to mark the student struggle of March 4, 1967.

Another gathering was held in Technical College under the banner of the Jeay Sindh Students Federation (organising committee) mark the struggle.

Speaking on the occasion, chief organiser of the JSSF organising committee, Sooriah Sindhi, said the student organisation with the help of writers and intellectuals of Sindh and Sajjada Nasheens of different shrines would try to bring about reconciliation between feuding groups of students.

Participants adopted several resolutions demanding revival of students unions, abolition of self-financing schemes, removal of security forces from educational institutions, removal of retired bureaucrats from the higher seats of learning.

A resolution urged the Sindh government to abandon a plan to privatise 180 technical and vocational institutes of the province.