Action demanded against desecration of graves

Rights activists, writers start signature drive to condemn caste-based discrimination

KARACHI:

Authorities have yet to take any action, besides filing of an FIR against the suspects involved in opening 13 graves of the Mallah community, disinterring the remains and burying them in a mass grave at a distance from graves of Syed's allegedly over some caste issues.

After the inhuman act of desecration of graves belonging to the Mallah family in the Jamshoro district, the rights-activists, writers, intellectuals and civil society members have demanded the authorities to take strict action against the main culprits involved the heinous act and appealed the authorities concerned to re-bury the bodies back in the same cemetery.

Rights activists, in an appeal, expressed dismay over government's delaying tactics to take action against main culprit Syed Zafar Shah on whose orders the graves were allegedly dug up in the historical Haider Sanai Graveyard.

"Soon after the horrific incident of September 9, there was an outcry on the social media which forced police to register an FIR on September 24 at local police stations, but all in vain, as no action has been taken against the culprits nominated in the case which emanates from discrimination harboured on the caste system," said Amar Sindhu, famous columnist and women rights activist.

Soon after the incident a signature campaign was started in the entire country where women and human rights activists, writers, poets, journalists, scholars and academia have widely condemned it with demand of action.

Sindhu, who has been leading the protest, also expressed concern over the malicious campaign against her by certain right wing quarters on social media and said, "this all aims at shift public opinion and kills the real issue of the desecration of the graves of poor family. But we will keep this issue alive till justice is served to the families who have suffered emotional trauma," she said in a statement.

Famous playwright Noorul Huda Shah, Centre for Peace and Civil Society Executive Director Jami Chandio, poets Atiya Dawood and Ahmed Solangi, women rights activists and educationists Uzma Noorani, Arfana Mallah, Nazish Brohi, Shabnam Baloch, Waheeda Mahesar, Dr Seher Gul Bhatti, Tahira Abdullah, Huma Fouladi, Farhat Parveen, Huma Bashir Dar and Benazir Jatio were among the signatories who condemned the act of prejudice.

"We undersigned, express disappointment on silence of most of the political parties and their leadership in response to such inhuman act that is akin to siding with the culprits and buttressing their caste and class-based discrimination," the signature based appeal reads and demand from the intelligentsia and political, social institutions, academic, literary and cultural circles and media organizations that not only they must raise voice against the desecration of graves of poor Mallah community, but they also declare persona non grata to the misogynist individuals who have been causing severe harm to the struggle of women through defamation and character assassination.

"Naming and shaming is important to demoralise such individuals whose acts can be detrimental to the process of women's empowerment in Sindh," they said criticized the social camaign against those activists who have taken lead in the issue advocating the case of Mallah family.

"We demand from the intelligentsia of Sindh to focus on raising their tolerance and intellectual strength to address real issues of Sindh and people, instead of wasting time and energy in fruitless conflicts," the joint statement said.

It may be mentioned here that victim family belonging to Mallah community have also filed a petition for the safety and security of their graves. The next court hearing is scheduled on October 21, 2021.

On the other hand, Syed Zafar Haider Shah, has reportedly tendered an apology to the family. Despite this, no former statement or agreement has come to surface from victim family who are still eyeing for justice.

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2021.