Sehto’s hunger strike: A guarantee, a spoonful of yoghurt, and it’s over

Farmer ended strike when Senator promised to end water pilferage, ghost schools and out-of-order tube wells.

ISLAMABAD:

Ghulam Rasool Sehto’s 122-day hunger strike ended on Saturday. He broke his fast after personal assurances from Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and Pakistan Baitul Mal Chairperson Zamurd Khan that Sehto’s demands for an end to water pilferage, ghost schools and out-of-order tube wells in Sindh will be addressed.

Ahsan and Khan fed Sehto yogurt with a spoon in the hospital room. Both of the leading ruling party figures visited Sehto at Polyclinic Hospital on Saturday after much lobbying by leaders of the Awami Party Pakistan and Workers Party Pakistan. Sehto’s health had begun deteriorating rapidly.

Sindh Hari Committee President Sehto was admitted to the hospital on September 16 after he fell unconscious at his protest camp outside the National Press Club. At the hospital, he had refused intravenous feeding and doctors were concerned Sehto’s severe weight loss, profuse vomiting and reduced immunity might prove fatal. “You have brought the water issues to the fore and registered a brave protest,” Ahsan told Sehto. “The government will take steps to address these issues.”

Sehto says that influential feudal lords and elected representatives are depriving poor farmers in Khairpur District of irrigation water by using around 30 illegal canals.

He started the hunger strike in Khairpur around four months ago and moved to the federal capital on Eidul Fitr in August after local officials continued ignoring his protest. Sehto, who could barely speak due to exhaustion, took Ahsan’s hands in his own and spoke in a frail voice, “Please get us the water that is Sindh’s right.”

Ahsan said he has been informed that the Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice of water pilferage in Sindh and that the case was also in the Sindh government’s notice.

“I will speak to the chief minister as a colleague and take up Sehto’s demands,” Ahsan said, “No citizen should be denied his rights.”

Sehto also told Ahsan about the almost 41,000 ghost schools that exist in Sindh.

Ahsan offered his assurances that the provincial and federal governments will take action against any teachers who get paid by the state but do not show up for work.

Speaking to the media afterward, Khan said Baitul Mal would fund the education of 100 poor children referred to them by Sehto. “Aitzaz Ahsan will plead Sehto’s case in the national assembly and the senate,” he added.

Earlier, Fanoos Gujjar, central president of the Awami Party Pakistan, and Ayub Malik, the party’s Punjab convener, convinced Sehto to call off the strike on Ahsan and Khan’s assurances.

“Right now, it’s our priority to save Sehto’s life,” Gujjar said. “We have told him that if the promises made by Aitezaz Ahsan are not fulfilled, the Awami Party Pakistan will launch a nationwide movement in support of Sehto’s demands.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2012.