Another February 24

By Amar Sindu

Today is February 24. Last year, on the same date, Rinkle was picked up from her house. Her house was left in a state that suggested that a burglary had occurred and valuables were stolen. Her dupatta and her chappals were left lying on the doorstep.

When she was first presented in a court in Mirpur Mathelo, she requested to be returned to her parents. The court, instead of listening to her, replied that she ‘was confused’ and therefore, should spend time reconsidering the predicament and handed her back to her abductors. It was as if the court was confused itself.

She was presented in court again on Feb 28, where, in her statement, she recited the kalma and became ‘Faryal Bibi’ from Rinkle. The entire process took less than 10 minutes. Her conversion to Islam was greeted by aerial firing by her captors who had brought her to court surrounded by armed guards. This was a new victory for them.

‘Faryal Bibi’ was then taken to Dargah Bharchondi’s seat-bearer and PPP’s Mian Mithu, while the gunfire echoed across the town. She was his guest and was taken to and from court surrounded by his guards. Actually, this victory was not the only feather in the dargah’s cap. The dargah’s deeds, ranging from the Manzalgah mosque that became famous for its role during the pre-Partition communal riots in Sindh to the assassination of the singer Bhagat Kunwar Ram of the Hindu faith, were oft repeated. The dargah commonly converted non-Muslims to Islam before the Partition and this exercise continues steadily today.

BHAGAT KANWAR RAM : A SUFI SAINT OF SINDH

– YouTube link

-/-/-/-/-/

Ruk Station and Sufi Saint singer and musician of Sindh, martyr (Shaheed) Bhaggat Kanwarram are synonyms. Ruk station is the place where this legend and icon of religious harmony, Ahansa and peace was murdered in November 1-2, 1939. His voice was very melodious and ranged over a very wide scale. His recordings of devotional songs were famous all over Sindh.  His songs broadcast regularly over radio Ceylon (Hindi Service) during 1950s & 60s. Sufi mystic Saint Bhaggat Kanwarram and master chander’s songs were also broadcast from Radio Hyderabad, Sindh but dictator Ayoub Khan put ban on both legend singers of Sindh. The songs of both singer were banned up to dictator Zia’s rule. Their songs came back again to Radio Pakistan Hyderabad, when Benazir Bhutto’s elected democratic government came in power after the long “Movement for Restoration of Democracy” (MRD – 1983 and 1986).

Ghost Schools In Sindh : Childern of Sindh have no luck

The documentary shows several ghost village schools in Mirpur Mathelo, Dadu, Obaro, and Badin, where the school buildings that are serving other purposes and for education. It is said there are now 5,000 such ghost schools. These schools exist on paper only as supposedly all teachers and other staff are receiving their salaries; the repair budget is being regularly spent in maintaining buildings; and students are being shown to be receiving education. But, in fact, no student is receiving any education at such schools.

The irony is that some of the schools reviewed in documentary are said to be in the villages where once families of many current and past ministers lived. The documentary mentions a school in the village of Pir Illahi Bux, who is the grandfather of current Sindh education Minister that has been closed for last nine yeas. A school village in the village of former Minister converted to a warehouse, and yet another school in the arae is in personal use of a wadera (feudal).

We have just become helpless bystanders watching this tragedy that unfolds in front of our eyes. Something has to be done, something must be done before generations of Sindhi boys and girls go without education. – (Khalid Hashmani, McLean, Virginia)

Courtesy: GEO

Source – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCmREbwNN6s&feature=player_embedded

via – http://www.siasat.pk/forum/showthread.php?35015-Ghost-Schools-In-Sindh