Sindh marches for freedom

About five million Sindhis marched in Karachi and demanded United Nations and the world community for their intervention for the freedom of Sindh.

Numbers matter. Opinions matter more. If combined together, they determine a vast arena of matters. This is what one can say about the South Asia's populist and the peaceful most freedom movement on-going in Sindh. No doubt, the movement has been giving the sparkly glitz since last a few years.

On March 23, 2014, millions of Sindhi people from across the Sindh province held a 'Freedom March for Sindh' on the call of Jeay Sindh Quami Mahaz (JSQM) in Karachi city. They demanded "Independence of Sindh" by appealing the World community especially the United Nations, USA, UK, Russia, France and China for their 'support and intervention" for the freedom of Sindh to attain its sovereign and independent country. It is worth mentioning here that JSQM is one of secular most political parties in Pakistan.

The march was held on the Republic Day of Pakistan on March 23, 2014. It was also held on the same day in 2012 and was attended by at least two million people. The popular most Sindhi nationalist leader of the last two decades, Bashir Qureshi who was Chairman of Jeay Sindh Quami Mahaz (JSQM) was poisoned to death by Pakistan’s military establishment and died within a couple of week in April 2012 after holding the freedom march.

After his death, his son Sanan Qureshi, who is in his twenties, was elected as Chairperson of JSQM. Bashir Qureshi?s younger brother Maqsood Qureshi was already a member of GMist Council, the higher most forum of the organization.

A few months ago, when JSQM announced holding the Freedom March again on March 23, 2014 in Karachi, according to the Sindhi newspapers, Sanan Qureshi, Dr. Niaz Kalani and other leaders were quoted as saying, "JSQM remained under pressure of ISI and the establishment for the cancellation of the march". A couple of days before the event, the JSQM leader Maqsood Qureshi and activist Salman Wadhu were kidnapped, tortured and killed and later on their corps were burnt. The murder of the nationalist leaders infuriated the people of Sindh. The province voluntarily observed strike and violence reined the Sindh.

Sindh Freedom March was given inappropriate coverage by Pakistan's puppet and racist pro-establishment Urdu and English media. The South Asian so-called (un) free media found no single column space in their international pages. Indian newspapers were silent. Nepali newspapers did not mention about it. Even Bangladeshi media kept mum. Some Afghanistan print media portions covered it to certain extent.

Either Sindhi print, electronic, and online media or some portions of Arab and US media gave appropriate coverage to such high scale news. CNN in its breaking news mentioned that about '5 million Sindhis demanded independence for Sindh' through holding a freedom march in Karachi. Sindhi newspapers numbered the participants nearly 8 million; however Pakistan based Urdu and English print and electronic media that is notorious among Sindhi, Baloch and Pashtuns people of Pakistan as ISI and MI?s under-cover cells felt compelled to mention the words "hundreds of thousands".

Sindh apart from being strategically important federating province in Pakistan, houses the largest oil reservoirs of South Asia, the second largest coal reservoirs of the world and abundance of other natural resources. She historically has remained an independent and sovereign country for more than a thousand years and has remained centre of Indus Civilization, whose symbolic icon Mohen-Jo-Daro is located in Larako district. Many Sindhi leaders Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Shahnawaz Bhutto, Mir Murteza Bhutto, Bashir Qureshi, Fazil Rahu, Nazir Abasi, Maqsood Qureshi, Muzaffar Bhutto and others have been killed either directly by Pakistan’s military or on its orders.

The recent upsurge in Sindh for the freedom is of high importance. Unlike Crimea, Sindh like previously has once again has vociferously gave its referendum for secession from Pakistan. The coming time would be the best judge to verdict the impacts of Sindh's historical demand for the country-hood in South Asia and around the concerned world.

Report by Krishna Y.

http://www.merinews.com/article/sindh-marches-for-freedom/15896177.shtml