by Khalid Hashmani, McLean, Virginia, USA
It is the birth right of Sindhis to demand adherence to the 1940 resolution
Today is the birthday of Shaikh Ayaz, one of the greatest Sindhi poet of 20th century. He was born in Shikarpur on March 2, 1923. Shaikh Ayaz revolutionized many aspects of Sindhi poetry and his 46 collections of poetry, short stories, essays, diaries and the translation into Urdu of Shah jo Risalo continue to inspire not only literary circles but also common men and women of Sindh.
Today is also the day when Pakistan celebrates 1940 resolution, whose fundamental tenants continue to be ignored by the Pakistani establishment. It is sad that the promise of autonomous and sovereign provinces continue to be simply a deception. An article about this failed promise circulated on some Sindhi newspapers and Internet lists caught my eye this morning. The article is written by Ms. Shazia Nizamani, who was inspired by the struggle of the local “sons of soil” in Malaysia. I am reproducing a part of that article as some of you may have not received it (with apologies to those who are already recipients). A synopsis of the main message of Ms. Nizamani’s article is as follows:
It is the birth right of Sindhis to demand adherence to the 1940 resolution. It was only because of the promises made in that resolution that Sindhis joined Pakistan. Although Sindhis sometimes face criticism for demanding autonomy of their province on the basis of 1940 resolution, they should be clear and confident about this demand. Sindhis should get this fact accepted that they have the rights over their homeland, its resources, its political decisions, jobs, language, and cities.
Courtesy: Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups, 24 March 2009
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