Forced conversions: As leftists protest, ST takes offence

By Sameer Mandhro / Z Ali

KARACHI / HYDERABAD: Supporters of the leftist coalition group, the Sindh Progressive Committee, had a run-in with the Barelvi religious-political party Sunni Tehreek at the Hyderabad Press Club on Tuesday, resulting in the police hauling in almost two dozen activists.

The Sunni Tehreek had been protesting the recent spate of violence in Karachi and had wrapped up the event. The Sindh Progressive Committee (SPC), which comprises the Workers Party, Labour Party, Communist Party, Jeay Sindh Mahaz, National Party, Awami Party and Watan Dost Inquilaabi Party, held a protest outside the press club against forced conversions and religious extremism.

The fight reportedly started as the Sunni Tehreek supporters alleged that attendees at the SPC’s event had beaten up a man who had stopped them from chanting slogans that they alleged were against religion.

Sunni Tehreek’s protestors went back to the press club and the fight forced SPC event attendees to hide inside the club as the Sunni Tehreek men threw stones and chanted slogans against them. While some female SPC leaders including Professor Arfana Mallah and Sindh University lecturer and activist Amar Sindhu managed to escape, the police cordoned off the area around the press club and rescued the rest. While they had assumed the police would release them, they were sent to the Cantonment Police Station.

The Sunni Tehreek’s Abid Qadri alleged that the SPC had “attacked our man first” and “used abusive language”. Arfana Mallah said their protest was peaceful but they had been attacked by the Sunni Tehreek, who brought “weapons, stones and sticks” and “forced us not to chant slogans”.

According to the police, 23 men from the Sindh Progressive Committee were arrested. The Sunni Tehreek’s Hyderabad General Secretary Muhammad Yaseen Qadri registered a First Information Report (FIR) under sections 148, 147 and 149. Even though the FIR mentions 60 people, only three are mentioned by name – Comrade Iqbal, Allah Bux and Bakhshal Thallo. The Sunni Tehreek and SPC have both claimed their supporters were injured.

At the SPC’s protest in Karachi, activists demanded that Rinkle Kumari and Asha Kumari, the two women who have drawn attention to the rise of Hindu conversions in Sindh, be handed over to their parents. They chanted slogans against landlords, clerics, army generals and extremists and asked that the government separate religion from matters of the state.

Speakers included Yousuf Masti Khan, Nasir Mansoor, Jan Muhammad Buledi, Usman Baloch, Mehnaz Rehman, Comrade Iqbal and Abdul Khaliq Junejo. “We don’t support a state that promotes religious extremism and stifles the environment for other religions. Every man is free in this country and has the right to move freely and perform his religious rituals,” said Usman Baloch.

Courtesy: The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2012.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/366193/forced-conversions-as-leftists-protest-st-takes-offence/

What is is Sufism?

By: Amar Jalil

Sufism (Sindhiyat) is neither a religion, nor it is a doctrine, a myth, a cult, or dogma. Sufism can neither be taught, nor it can be explained in concrete terms. Like fragrance Sufism is felt. It surrounds. It overwhelms. It encompasses us in serenity. Sufism Touches inner cords of our existence . It ultimately liberates human to embark upon his/her search for ultimate truth.

Courtesy: adopted from Facebook wall

Amar Jalil’s Program on Sindh TV with Advocate Amar Lal on Rinkal case

The language of the program is Sindhi.

Courtesy: Sindh Tv News (Amar Jalil with Advocate Amar Lal) » YouTube

A tribute to Amar Shaheed Hemu Kalani

Amar Shaheed Hemu Kalani. [امر شهيد هيمون ڪالاڻي], who took active part in the SWARAJ SENA [سوراج سينا] to fight against British Crown and gave his life for self rule [سوراج]. He is our hero, whom we have forgotten and even given up to write on, though he deserves enough to be paid heed and tribute. Martyred Hemu Kalani, who is our hero and freedom fighter. The year 1942 was an era of socio-political upheaval, Quit India Movement was in the torrents and British Raj was very much angry on the freedom fighters for their movements.

Hemu Kalani had executed by British Raj authorities in Sukkur jail on 21 January 1943. On 26 January 1943, Jawaharlal Nehru, who later became Prime Minister of India, paid tribute to Hemu Kalani in these words; “My mind traveled to sindh where a few days ago a young boy Hemo aged 20 was sent to scaffold by a martial law court for the offence of tampering or attempting to tamper with railway lines. This execution struck me as something which will have far reaching consequences all over India , especially among the youth. The blood of Hemu and others will long stand witness.”

After two years, when Jawaharlal Nehru Nehru was came to Karachi, Sindh 1945 he especially visited Sukkur and met with the mother of Amar Shaheed Hemu Kalani and had paid tribute to this hero of Sindh. There is a huge statue of Amar Shaheed Hemu Kalani at Lok Sabha (federal Parliament)  in Delhi in front of deputy speaker chamber. There are several roads, streets and schools in Mumbai, Ullhas Nagar (Sindhu Nagar)  and other cites that are named on Amar Shaheed Hemu Kalani to pay tribute to this hero of Sindh and sub-continent.

Shaikh Ayaz had written his immortal opera in the background of freedom fighters and Bhagat Singh remained the most inspiring man for Ayaz. So for the Hemu Kalani is concerned, we have been hearing the name by the nationalists and especially from the activists of Jeay Sindh. They used to make speeches and deliver the names of the heroes of Sindh.

The role of Jeay Sindh remained active in this regard, the youth followed them and some booklets were also published, when Jeay Sindh was at its peak; the party boosted up their heroes and sang songs for those.

People do not know about Hemu more, they just have heard the name; no concrete material is provided, he should be worked out and published.

“We urge minister of tourism and culture to make his memorial, preserve his home and inscribe a road. Invite Tekchand Kalani to visit Sindh to inaugurate that road and memorial. His brother tekchand’s last wish is to see Sindh before death.”

We would also request to Teckchand, the brother of Hemu should also write his memories and get his memories published not only in a book form but on the internet also.