Waters unable to dampen spirits

Children accompanied their fathers to mosques, where Eid was celebrated with an air of cheerfulness, despite floods.


Sarfaraz Memon September 13, 2010

SUKKUR: “The red balloon is for me and the green one is for my brother, Ali,” Hina told her father. She had accompanied him to the mosque to offer prayers on the morning of Eidul Fitr, after which she inched her way towards a vendor who was selling balloons down the street, all the while looking expectantly at her father.

Hina’s father, Mohammad Imran, was unable to resist his daughter’s euphoric mood. “She is just three-and-a-half years old but she loves her nine-month-old brother very much. She cradles him in her lap and talks to him for hours at end,” said an indulgent Imran as he bought two balloons for his daughter.

Hina wasn’t the only child out on the streets early morning. Many children accompanied their fathers to mosques in Sukkur, where Eid was celebrated with an air of cheerfulness, despite the floods.

While prayers were offered at many mosques and public spaces, the largest congregations were held at the Gulshan Eid Gah and the Jinnah Municipal Stadium, where thousands of people came together to offer Eid prayers. People also assembled at the Jamia Masjid, Allah Wali Masjid, Yousuf Masjid, Madrassa Hamadia Manzil Gah, Madrassa Anwarul-Uloom and Mir Masoom Shah Minara.

A large number of police officials and Rangers were deployed around the areas where Eid congregations were held.

While the usual air of festivity was lacking this year, Eid arrived as a symbol of hope and anticipation for many people as philanthropists and government officials distributed new clothes, shoes and bangles among flood survivors at relief camps across the city.

At one of the camps, Marvi Jaffery, a flood survivor, told The Express Tribune that her daughter and three sons had been given new clothes, shoes and Eidi, while her daughter was also given henna, bangles and a pair of earrings.  “I am thankful to the people who have done a lot for us,” she said, adding, “Although I did not imagine we would be celebrating Eid at a relief camp, people here are so loving and caring that it feels like home.”

Ten-year-old Husna Pahore also looked very happy as she showed off her new dress and shoes. “Two years back, my father had bought me a new dress for Eid. I got one this year too!” She rummaged through her purse before she extracted a Rs50 note, saying, “This is my Eidi. Now I am going to buy many things!”

However, there were some for whom Eid was no different from the days of the floods. People from the Pahore community were among the many flood survivors who spent Eid fighting starvation. Celebration was the last thing on their minds.

“No one came to see how we are living here,” said Jawed Pahore, who hailed from Jungal, near Thul. “After leaving our flooded village, we have been living under the open skies for more than a month. No government functionary has come to us as yet,” he said, adding, “Sometimes, philanthropists provide us with cooked meals or dry rations but as far as the government is concerned, we’ve been given nothing.”

A visually impaired Hafiz Mohammad Usman Pahore, who hails from the Yar Ali Pahore village near Thul, agreed with Jawed. “Nobody is taking care of us, expect some philanthropists who come to distribute relief goods among us sometimes. However, the food that they give us finishes in two to three days, after which we are forced to approach nearby villages and beg,” he said.

Sindh CM in Naudero on Eid

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah accompanied provincial ministers Muhammad Ayaz Soomro and Agha Siraj Khan Durrani to Garhi Khuda Baksh where the ministers offered Eid prayers with ambassador Khursheed Ahmed Junejo and special assistant to the CM, Muhammad Amin Mengal.

Around seven million people have been displaced in the floods, said Shah, who added that a sum of Rs40 million had been allocated to each of the DCOs across Sindh to help flood survivors.

Shah also said that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) had decided to give Rs20,000 to each flood-affected family. It was decided that Rs10,000 will be given by the federal government - an amount which the provincial government will match before giving the total sum to each family registered with the government under the “Watan Card”. Each family will be able to obtain Rs20,000 from the bank in their area.

Moreover, after sustaining heavy losses with the destruction of the paddy, cotton and sugarcane crops, the government will provide farmers with seeds and fertiliser free of charge during the Rabi season. A survey is also being carried out for the rehabilitation of flood survivors and the construction of their houses, Shah added. The chief minister also distributed gifts among flood survivors in Garhi Khuda Baksh and joined them for a meal on Eid.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM PPI

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2010.

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