The first phase was completed unsystematically, while the second phase experienced violations in process, depriving the beneficiaries of their rights. Now, he said, the peasant rights activists and networks should take up the matter effectively with the government to initiate the third phase transparently with assuring provision of irrigation waters, seed and other facilities to the beneficiary women farmers.
“If we want to have legislation for the protecting rights of farmers, then the peasant movement should be strengthen at grassroots level at all districts and initiate the meetings with political and media peoples to form major alliance,” Sario said.
Zeenia Shaukat of PILER briefed about the network working for struggling to protect rights of rural people. The network was formed three years back during the flood 2011 while the activists realized that the landless people are vulnerable at the face of disasters and they pay more price of negligence by the government.
She also shared the verdict of appellate court, which declared the land reforms as un-Islamic after the suggestions of the provincial governments, saying “since these assemblies are dominated by the landlords, who always are hostile against the poor peasants.”
However, she accredited the SLRM initiative, whose struggle had sensitized the Sindh government to take up the matter and distribute the lands among landless women under ‘Land Reforms’ scheme. She argued that the movement should be made broader and bringing the people together to achieve the rights of oppressed people.
Zulfiqar Halepoto suggested making the linkages with the saner elements of urban and rural societies, as there are several ‘models who have contributed a lot in this regards, specially raising the voice of oppressed people in the rural areas.
All the networks and activists should be involved at meetings and designing strategy so makes the movement success.
He said urban people should own the Indus River, which feed the Karachi people. This approach may support the struggle of peasants’ rights.
The participants decided to celebrate the ‘world peasants day’ jointly with participation of all the groups and networks following the meetings for designing strategy to work together.