Participants demand food sovereignty, climate justice

International Rivers Day

HYDERABAD: The 14-day caravan to mark International Day of Action for Rivers and Against Dams ended on Monday at the bank of the Indus River at the famous picnic resort, Al-Manzar, Jamshoro.

The caravan participants demanded the government to stop exporting wheat to other countries and instead give it to the needy in marginalised areas like Thar to stop innocent children from dying.

The country, where people are dying of hunger and malnutrition should not export wheat and should use it to save the lives of its own people, said Muhammad Ali Shah, chairperson Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF).

Shah led the caravan, which started from Karachi on March 1 and travelled through Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Mithi, Umerkot, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Noshehro Feroz, Dadu, Jamshoro, and  Hyderabad districts .

Shah sharing observations while visiting and talking with the people of Thar Desert, said, “There is no shortage of food in Sindh as well as the country and only bad governance and unequal distribution of food are the major causes of deaths in Thar."

The event attracted a large number of women from fishermen and farmers communities, who travelled from revrine areas of Jamshoro, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Sanghar and Umerkot districts as well as from the coastal areas of Karachi.

Shah accredited all the participants, men and women who despite facing difficulties during the travel in scorching heat, continued the march.

He said, "We have launched this unique initiative to mobilise the people at a time when country, especially Sindh is experiencing political instability and social and economical crisis. We have travelled to 11 districts and met with people in more than 30 small towns, cities and major entrances on our way to reach the final destinations."

The purpose of the caravan was to highlight the livelihood issues of fisher folk and peasants, who are extremely vulnerable to food insecurity and climate change.

Shah demanded to stop proposed mega water projects on the Indus River, like dams and diversions. He asked to modify the previous projects to restore the natural flow of the river to ensure it reaches the Indus Delta, he said, adding that the people living in the tail end areas have rights to this water.

Prof Ismail Kumbhar of Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam supported the demand of the PFF caravan and said, "When these people demand ensuring the flow of the Indus River to its ultimate destination, Indus Delta it is to save the fertile lands and livelihoods of the people there and to stop sea erosion."

He also said Pakistan produces around 25 million tons of wheat, more than the exact need of 24 million tons in the country. This demand should be supported to stop the export of wheat to avoid deaths in the marginalised areas like Thar.

PFF Vice Chairperson Fatima Majeed, Mustafa Meerani, Ishaq Mangrio, Mustafa Gurgaiz, Mir Hassan Mari, and others also spoke on the occasion.

It was the last activity as the 14-day Sindh Peoples caravan under the demand of ensuring food sovereignty and climate justice concluded at the riverbank.

The banners held by the participants were inscribed with slogans demanding food sovereignty, climate justice, to stop deforestation, to restore mangroves and riverine forests, and to save the fresh water bodies.