political
movement
Sindhi nationalism through the kaleidoscope of history
Zulfiqar Shah traces the history and transformation of nationalist movements in the province and their various forms over the past 170 years
The history of Sindhi nationalism is basically a history of resistance movements and wars fought against foreign invasions across the centuries. Modern Sindhi nationalism, however, begins with the resistance against the British in the mid-nineteenth century. The entire movement can be divided into two parts: pre- and post-Partition.
1842 – 1900: The Talpurs' war and the Hur Guerrilla Movement
The pre-Partition wave begins with the Talpurs' war in 1842. This period, due to its characteristics, can be referred to as the 'early resistance' period (1842-1900), in which Sindh was conquered by Charles Napier at Miani near Hyderabad in March 1943 and annexed with the Bombay presidency. Insurgencies, however, immediately dominated the scene, beginning with uprising of Ranas under Karan Singh on April 15, 1859, in Tharparkar, a south-eastern desert district. Hundreds of fighters lost their lives in this insurgency, which was followed by mutiny in the army in Mirpurkhas and Karachi.

Keeping dogs as pets is hardly a recent trend in Karachi. While it may not be the most popular choice as pets – given the time and attention they require – dogs have inadvertently found their way into the homes (and hearts) of many a Karachiite. Having said that, it must be pointed out that not all dogs can be kept as pets given their temperament (a lot of them are ferocious) and the city's sultry weather which they may or may not be able to survive.

Let's consider the most popular breed in this regard, that is, the German Shepherd. Also known as an Alsatian, it is the most commonly desired pet dog, especially among the residents of Clifton, Defence and PECHS. The dog (or rather the puppy) is usually bought from well-known vets around the city – particularly those based in Defence and Karsaz – and the price starts from Rs20,000. Even though these dogs and their puppies are available in Empress Market, Saddar, most people steer clear of it because they find pets (and word-of-mouth references) to be much more reliable. Also, the conditions in which the dogs in Empress Market at kept are deplorable.

Riazuddin, a shop owner in Empress Market, told Kolachi that the business of selling pets, especially dogs, is on the decline with the onslaught of veterinary clinics in the city, who with the help of their networking skills gather different cats and dogs in their clinic for sale. Interestingly enough, Riazuddin's shop, Butt Point, provides the facility of accommodating various dogs depending on their sizes, and concurred that the German Shepherd is in fact has always been in demand. "The Shepherd's puppies cost Rs3,000 while a fully grown dog costs Rs5,000," he said.

"Generally, four to five pedigree dogs are easily available in the city including the Labrador, German Shepherd, Bull Terrier, Boxer and Poodle," said a resident of Mohammad Ali Society, Ahmad Hasan, who previously had six dogs. Hasan said that these dogs need special care in order to survive in the harsh weather of Karachi. "I have now a big kennel with white plaster for my two dogs, an Afghan Koochi and Alsatian, inside my driveway. They are sustained on a diet of meat and milk mixed with water," he added.

But why Alsatians? The answer is simple – they are mainly kept because they serve as good guard dogs (they are used as police dogs for search and rescue missions) because they are ferocious and fearless, and are extremely loyal.

These dogs will go to any lengths to protect their den (its home) and pack (its human family). Also, they are quite intelligent, much more than some of the other breeds out there. "If a puppy's parents are local, then it is bound to survive in the harsh environment of Karachi," explained Hasan, giving an example of the two dogs he once had that were brought from Alaska. "They were not able to survive without air conditioning and ultimately I had no choice but to give them back," he told Kolachi.

Meanwhile, a renowned vet in the city lamented that several dog owners neglect their pet's well-being and health, overlooking the importance of vaccinations and routine check-ups. "Many dogs come with diseases and infections," he said. "The most common infections in the summer are flu and rabies. Flu can be taken care of with the use of some standard medicines whereas for rabies, antibiotics are required."

Unfortunately, most dog owners are either unaware of the vaccines that must be administered to the dogs. Others are disinclined to spend that much money on visits to the vet (the cost adds up eventually). As a result of this, many of these pet dogs die an untimely, painful death, leaving one to wonder why people keep dogs as pets here in the first place.

Two months ago, Dr Shalla Hayat and Dr Zufliqar Otho, vets at the Karachi Animal Hospital, saw a crowd on an empty plot near Abdullah Shah Ghazi's Mazar in Clifton. When they got closer, Dr Hayat and Dr Otho saw a heart-rending sight before them – four dead, mutilated dogs that were slowly rotting. Clearly, whoever had put them to sleep did not think it was important to dispose the carcasses properly. Rather they were left to be gnawed by creepy crawly insects and eventually becomes a spectacle for bystanders.

"Killing stray dogs is inhumane," said both doctors, while talking to Kolachi about the treatment meted out to stray dogs in the city. "These animals have the very right to live. People tend to forget that stray dogs are important to balance our ecological system and they will always come back, regardless of the efforts made to eliminate them."

A Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) member, Aziz Suharwardi, confirmed that shooting and poisoning are the techniques used by the Sanitation Department to kill dogs in the city. "We are forced by residents to kill stray dogs. Only 10 per cent of the people in the city are dog lovers. Owing to the presence of stray dogs in the area, some people are afraid to leave home because they think they will be bitten or chased by a stray dog, while others are fed up of their constant barking. So killing them is the only option," he said.

The District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sanitation Department, Jamshed Town, Muhammad Iqbal concurred with this. "We eliminate dogs by poisoning them. A poisonous capsule is either kept in a Gulab Jamun or in a piece of meat, which is then fed to the dogs. By this method, the department eliminates around 200 to 250 dogs," explained Iqbal, adding that about 600 capsules are used every two months for this purpose.

Even worse is the fact that the dog dies a painful death after consuming the poison -- Strychnine (used to kill rats), said Dr Otho, which is administered orally to the victim. The poison causes muscle stiffness and violent convulsions.

Another method used to eliminate dogs is by shooting them, which can also cause them pain since they are shot at from odd angles, resulting in a slow death. If a canine receives a bullet in his frontal sinus, it experiences a quick death, but most 'dog catchers' don't do that causing more agony and suffering to the dog, said Dr Otho.

But then how should one deal with the menace of stray dogs, especially when the aforementioned techniques have not really made a difference? The co-founders of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Maheen Zia and Mahera Omar, who have been and are actively working for the implementation of The World Health Organisation (WHO)'s programme Animal Birth Control (ABC), have a solution. As per the ABC programme, street dogs are captured, sterilised, vaccinated against rabies and released back into the area from where they were captured. In this programme the dogs are spayed, after which they are unable to reproduce and as a resuly are prevented from having offsprings. "The dog after sterilisation is taken back to the place from where it was first brought. It completes its life cycle there and does no harm to society," said Zia.

Meanwhile, sometimes pet dogs are mistaken for strays and killed by the dog catchers. To prevent this, the CBC has issued dog licenses to pet owners so that no legal action is taken against them.

The process is simple – one needs to fill an application along with proof of vaccination to get one's dog registered. All said and done, the killing of stray dogs remains a controversial issue. While authorities are pressured by residents to take swift action against the canines, others condemn their mistreatment. "We can't really go forward if we consider stray dogs to be a menace. They need to be treated with love and care," added Zia.

In a city like Karachi, owning and taking care of a dog is not a child's play. Dogs require time, attention and the various hygiene issues that need to be kept in mind when one has a dog. For starters, the owner should be willing to take the responsibility, as failure to do so not only puts himself at risk but also those around him.

In Karachi, people keep dogs as pets for three main reasons: as a hobby, as a security blanket (to ward off strangers and unsavoury characters) and for monitoring the livestock (in the suburbs).  

It is an undeniable fact that most owners neglect the hygiene of their dogs – while in some of the upscale neighbourhoods, the owners rely on their servants to look after the dog, those who don't have hired help are often so caught up in the humdrum of their existence that they overlook the well-being of their pet dogs.

Whether it's a servant or the owner who is walking the dog, both of them are oblivious to the dangers that dog feces pose to human health. Often, dogs are allowed to 'take care of their business' on streets and playgrounds without properly disposing it (as done in most other countries). As a result, the roundworms in dog feces – if allowed to come in contact with humans – can cause fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea.  

As far as the suburbs are concerned, a lot of people grow leafy vegetables like spinach, fenugreek and lettuce as well as fruits in their gardens or farms. Pet dogs have easy access to these gardens and fields and often use it to answer the call of nature. These vegetables are sold in different parts of the city and consumers fall sick by touching and eating these contaminated fruits and vegetables unless properly washed. Not only this but livestock such as sheep and cows can also get infected by grazing on contaminated fodder. Dr Rasheed, General Surgeon at the Sindh Social Security Hospital in Landhi, told Kolachi that dog feces can cause hydatid disease. "The danger to human health is at the peak in suburbs, where dogs are kept for the safeguarding livestock. Here, farm dogs are in contact with human beings, their water supply and food. Being the carriers of worms in the small intestine, these dogs deposit eggs through their feces, which in turn cause the hydatid disease, a parasitic human infection transmitted from animals to humans," he said.

In the small intestine of a human, added Dr Rasheed, larvae hatch from the eggs and travel through the bowel wall, entering the blood. Subsequently, they are carried to the liver where they develop into a hydatid cyst. "It may take an egg anywhere between five to 20 years to develop into a cyst, which puts pressure on organs and blood vessels. Some of these larvae also travel to the lungs and other organs like the brain and kidneys."

Symptoms

Mahnoor had abdominal pain for the last many months along with anorexia (loss of appetite) and malaise (depression). On examination, said Dr Rasheed, there was a palpable swelling in the upper half of the abdomen. "The CT scan revealed a characteristic hydatid cyst attached to the liver," he explained. 

 "The second case was that of a married woman with a persistent cough. Her CT scan revealed a cystic structure with multiple daughter cysts in the right lung," Dr Rasheed told Kolachi.

Prevention

There is a need to educate the people living in the suburbs with regard to the presence of their dogs in the fields. Not only this but they should also be made aware of the importance of vaccinating their dogs and getting them de-wormed. "They should also be told to wash their hands after coming in contact with their dogs," said Dr Rasheed. "They should learn how to be responsible owners."

Waqar, who has had a dog for many years, is a good example of a responsible owner. He said that he takes his dog to the vet for his monthly check-up along with monitoring his diet and walks. "Since ticks insect are most commonly found in pet dogs and are hazardous to human health, dog owners should ensure that their pets are bathed weekly," explained Waqar.

Also, it is important to respect your dog's mealtime or time spent with his/her puppies, if any. "You should not disturb him while he is eating, caring for his/her puppies or appears to be grumpy," said Waqar.

Always keep a first-aid box handy with an antibiotic cream and clean bandages to deal with minor dog bites.

"The best way to prevent rabies in human beings is making sure that the dogs are vaccinated on time," he added.

Furthermore, a proper space should be allocated for the dog outside the house to ensure its well-being and to spend time with your pet.

"It is essential to have a bond with your dog as leaving them at the mercy of servants only means that your dog will neither learn how to behave himself nor will he respect you as the master," said Waqar.

Meanwhile, making sure that your dog eats the right kind of food is also important. Several supermarkets in the city carry dry dog food but it is always a good idea to check their nutritional value before buying them.

Chocolates, coffee and tea and tobacco can be toxic and affect a dog's nervous system, thus leading to their death. 

Ali Mujtaba, 20, student:

• People keep dogs as pets because they want to act cool. It's a way of expressing that they are tough, as they feel that being with a dog will make them tougher and cooler.

• I haven't seen people treating their pet dogs properly. If a dog is sick, they won't take it to a vet.

Samia Saim, 27, housewife:

• Only animal lovers and lonely people keep dogs as pets.

• Pet dogs are treated the way they should be but stray dogs are not."

Huma Iqbal, 24, assistant editor:

• In our part of the world, only rich people can afford to keep dogs as pets.

• The way stray dogs are treated here is very sad. I wish we could come up with workable solutions to get rid of stray dogs.

Arsalan Khan 23, student:

• People keep dogs because they want to…

• Only pet dogs are treated properly.

Faisal Nishat, 30, I.T. Administrator:

• People keep dogs because, as a wise man once rightly said, an average dog is nicer than an average person.

• Only pet owners treat their dogs properly. There should be a pound for stray dogs.

--RA

Zulfiqar Shah traces the history and transformation of nationalist movements in the province and their various forms over the past 170 years

The history of Sindhi nationalism is basically a history of resistance movements and wars fought against foreign invasions across the centuries. Modern Sindhi nationalism, however, begins with the resistance against the British in the mid-nineteenth century. The entire movement can be divided into two parts: pre- and post-Partition.

1842 – 1900: The Talpurs' war and the Hur Guerrilla Movement

The pre-Partition wave begins with the Talpurs' war in 1842. This period, due to its characteristics, can be referred to as the 'early resistance' period (1842-1900), in which Sindh was conquered by Charles Napier at Miani near Hyderabad in March 1943 and annexed with the Bombay presidency. Insurgencies, however, immediately dominated the scene, beginning with uprising of Ranas under Karan Singh on April 15, 1859, in Tharparkar, a south-eastern desert district. Hundreds of fighters lost their lives in this insurgency, which was followed by mutiny in the army in Mirpurkhas and Karachi.

A severe blow to the British rule in Sindh, however, was given by first Hur Guerrilla Movement in 1890 under the leadership of Syed Mardan Shah, the grandfather of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) chief Pir Pagaro. Hundreds of fighters took part in this war, which continued for no less than a decade. Three main participants of this phase of the movement, however, caught the public eye. They were Bachu Badshah, Peeru Vazir and Gulu Government.

1900 – 1940: Socio-economic transformations and the rise of feudalism7

The British, after conquering Sindh, patronised feudalism by offering an enormous number of fertile agriculture lands to individuals who pledged loyalty to the new Colonial rulers. A new phase of socio-economic development began, which can be identified as a transitional period (1900-1940).

Three quarters of the population comprised Muslims, while the remaining were Hindu. The majority of Hindus, traditionally, were shopkeepers, traders and professionals living in the urban hubs, while the Muslims remained landowners, tillers and herdsmen living in small villages, hamlets and remote huts. At the time of the British conquest only one million acres of land were irrigated. The population of Sindh was about 1.4 million, with about 25 per cent Hindus.

The British transformed Sindh from medieval to modern through changes in the infrastructure, communication, education and the system of governance. Sindh was separated from Bombay and the Sindh Legislative Assembly was established in Karachi later in the 1930s. During this, Sindh supported the formation process of the Indian National Army under Subhash Chandra Bose and some young Sindhis also carried out some militant activities, which included blasts at several railway tracks. They were also involved in well-known bomb blasts in Delhi at the time.

1941 – 1943: The Hurs re-emerge

The second Hur Guerrilla Warfare period began in early 1941, under Sibghatullah Shah, the father of PML-F chief, Pir Pagaro. An area of about 25,000 square kilometres was converted into a battleground between the guerrillas and the British forces. To counter this, some 35,000 troops from the Baloch and Punjab regiments were installed in Sindh. Heavy artillery was also used, and eventually the first Martial Law in the history of the subcontinent was imposed in Sindh.

Post-Partition: Exodus of the middle class and the emergence of 'cultural nationalism'

Sindh fought for its liberation for a hundred years, from 1843 to 1943. The partition of United India and the creation of Pakistan, however, was partially the result of the G.M Syed-led polity in Sindh from 1943 to 1947. Syed later disowned this.

The creation of Pakistan, in its very beginning proved to be initiation of a new devastation in the social and national tranquillity of Sindh. An exodus of Sindhi Hindus from the province created a vacuum in society because they formed the sole petty-bourgeois and bourgeois classes of Sindh. The space left by them was occupied by immigrants from India who had a different culture and language and could not merge with Sindhi society as perfectly as was aspired by the leadership of the Muslim League Sindh. Besides, Karachi was separated from Sindh and was given to the federal government as the capital of the country.

In 1954, the One Unit scheme was introduced to counter the numerical majority of East Pakistan. This laid the foundation of the destruction of Sindhi culture and gave Punjab the authority over the natural resources of the province. Between 1947 and 1970, Sindhi nationalism, sans the middle class, adopted the form of cultural nationalism.

1970 - 1990s: Z.A Bhutto, MRD, and nationalist resistance to military rule

It was Z.A Bhutto, the founder and first chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), who began transformation of Sindhi society by developing its middle class, this laying the foundations for social transition in Sindh. This undoubtedly influenced the Sindhi nationalist movement in form as well as content. After Bhutto's execution, Sindh entered a decade-long resistance against the military; causing hundreds of civil and military causalities. In its essence, the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) in Sindh was a nationalist resistance rather than a movement for democracy.

Soon after General Ziaul Haq's death, the PPP came into power again, opening the corridors of opportunities for the people of Sindh, including the recently-born middle class, political cadres, and others. Thus, nationalist tendencies in Sindhi society become relatively milder than earlier. Contrary to this, the picture changed entirely during the regime of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

December 27, 2007: The tide turns

After the murder of PPP Chairperson (and daughter of PPP founder Z.A Bhutto) Benazir Bhutto, nationalist tendencies in Sindh achieved mass outlook. A manifestation of this was witnessed during the first three days of her murder (she was assassinated in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007).

As soon as the current PPP government completes its tenure, the new boom in Sindhi nationalism will become more visible. In the future course, it may take the Urdu-speaking community as a major ally. In fact, a new definition of contemporary Sindhi nationalism by cobbling together two linguistic parts -- Sindhi and Urdu -- can provide the foundation of a new form of Sindhi nationalism.

--The writer is the Provincial Coordinator of South Asia Partnership Pakistan and can be reached at shahzulf@yahoo.com

Identity and identity politics have remained a quandary in Pakistani political history and societal evolution. Perhaps the fortunes of all regional nationalisms, Sindhi included, lie in the basis of how the Pakistani state has been structured – the constant effort, and inability, on the part of the State to construct a nation-state out of a state-nation has naturally given birth to newer contradictions. The response of different nationalisms, especially Sindhi nationalism, to the matter of internal displacement of those migrating from Swat and adjoining areas is an acerbic manifestation of years of suppressed sentiments of alienation and exploitation.

Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Nazim of Baldia Town Union Council-6 and member of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP)-backed Awam Dost panel in the Karachi City Council, recently narrated the tale of a group of internally displaced persons (IDPs) trying to reach safer destinations. According to Khan, the IDPs were told "Pakistan Aagay Hai" (Pakistan lies ahead) at the Punjab border. If Punjabi chauvinism's response was hypocritical, Sindhi nationalists reacted with their own hawkish interpretation of internal migration by roundly rejecting the influx of IDPs into Sindh.

The distrust of Sindhi nationalists is easy to understand – Sindhis are grieved at their historical persecution, certainly during the era of modern day Pakistan. This persecution, they believe, stems from cultural and linguistic marginalisation, often by the Punjabi chauvinism of the establishment. More importantly though, the demand and importance attached to smaller cities in the rest of Sindh pales in relation to that of Karachi, allowing the residual culture of feudalism and of patron-client relationships in interior Sindh to act in favour of those with political clout. In mainstream politics, the basis for much of the PPP support in rural Sindh depends on these relationships. The struggle of different Sindhi nationalists groups to challenge the hold of the PPP in interior Sindh essentially translates into a failure to challenge the basis of social relationships in Sindh.

However, bearing the burden of history in mind, expecting too much from a political segment under persistent persecution and the gaze of the State is ostensibly unreasonable. Similarly, lumping together all Sindhi nationalists would be a crass assumption.

Even the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaaz (JSQM) has fractured into a number of parties, with varying degrees of radicalism imbibed in their political ideologies. The admitted persecution and witch-hunt faced by many Sindhi nationalist groups in the past has forced some political lines to even border upon an inversion of oppression today, yet he fundamental question for Sindhi nationalism today is whether it can survive in isolation, or would it have to collaborate and accommodate other nationalisms to make a sustained effort at redressing historical discrimination of oppressed nations?

The "problem" of the IDPs will define the polarities that Sindhi nationalisms will broadly be based upon in future.

If anything, the partition of the Indian sub-continent had many leaders, including Jinnah and Gandhi, declaring that they under-estimated the impact of communalism. While G.M Syed castigated "Punjabi imperialism", the conditions of the day underline US imperialism as the greater enemy – with imperialisms of the comprador bourgeoisie in Pakistan working to protect their own interests within the parameters defined by US imperialism.

Under G.M Syed's ideology, accommodation and understanding with other oppressed nationalities and persons is imperative, as his mission held peace and goodwill of humanity as the guiding principle.

Clearly, the IDPs have been forced to migrate due to conditions they found themselves in.

Last time such migration was forced upon the people of the country, it was also a result of a US-led war. The influx of refugees and the subsequent burden on society and economy is well-documented.

The influx today is equally problematic, yet US imperial interests in north-western Pakistan should not be discounted.While much of Sindhi nationalists' politics have been that of defiance till now, perhaps a strategic change in terms of becoming part of the mainstream is becoming necessary.

It is only in the mainstream that nationalists can argue the need for a new state-citizen contract, one that is based on the principle of people's democracy and egalitarianism.