Top story of this week is from the Land of Peacocks (Tharparkar) Sind. Tharparkar is in Sind Province. It is called a land of peacocks.
There is not even a single stream of fresh water in the region. However, in Nagarparkar there are two perennial springs, named Anchlesar and Sardhro. Temporary waterways called Bhatuyani River and Gordhro River flow during the rainy season. There are some hilly tracks called Parkar. Granite Marble has been found there. “Karoonjhar Mountain” is near to Nagarparkar. There are no lakes, glaciers, or grassy plains in the district. This district is mainly a desert area.
When we travel into the heart of Tharparkar we see beautiful peacocks dancing and flying around. Beautiful peacocks spreading their colorful wings can be easily seen on the roads and now, we can see dying and crying children too – due to shortages of food. Around 125 children have died due to starvation and the negligence of rulers.
In deserts, food and water are always scare. People rely on animals such as camels, goats, dry and stored foods, and small stores of water. When there is no rain, there is always shortages of food. In this 21st Century we still find a eight-thousand years old civilization struggling to live on dirty water and dirty food, walking barefoot behind camels and goats. If we go deep inside Tharparker we found ourselves in the ancient culture of Egypt. There is silence, loneliness, heat, sky, stars, animals, bushes, sand and people with dark skins.
One in eight people of the world – do not have enough to eat. But in Sind 124 children died due to hunger in spite of plenty of food in government stores. No writer can adequately tell of the cruel and sadistic attitude of rulers of this country toward poor people who have zero value as citizens.
These rulers spent billions on a Cultural Festival in Mohenjo-daro district, last month, but are not able to provide simple food for poor children dying and crying in the next district. Is it not shaming for Bilawal Bhutto Zardar, chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP – whose party is ruling in Sind) who blames the Taliban for killing children but who is doing lip service and giving lame excuses when poor children are dying of starvation.
Elie of the PPP enjoyed the Cultural Festival but hardly gave any thought or statement on this sad event. Maybe dying with hunger is an incomprehensible phenomena for rich lads born with a silver spoon in their mouths. After making a hue and cry in electronic and print media, the chief minister, Sayed Qaim Ali Shah dismissed a few officials and half-heartedly confessed negligence.
Sind and Punjab are agricultural provinces of Pakistan where plenty of food is produced. There was no question of hunger until cruel feudal landlords were created who simply want to make money. Humans are not the priority of our modern rulers but rather, money.
Finally, Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minster of Pakistan, took notice and order the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority to provide food etc on an urgent basis. Who knows, how many more will lose their lives before receiving aid from this authority?
