Mr. Altaf Hussain addressing a gathering of Sindhi people, particularly intellectuals, journalists, teachers, students and writers, at Tando Adam, Sindh, Pakistan

PUBLIC ADDRESS OF MR ALTAF HUSSAIN, FOUNDER LEADER OF THE MQM, TO A GATHERING AT TANDO ADAM

London 20 July 2002
Mr Altaf Hussain, Founder Leader of the MQM, said to the people of Sindh that they might vote to any party in the next elections. However, he emphasised the people to ask those parties that if they were really sympathiser and friends of the people of Sindh they should announce that after coming to power they would deploy people from Sindh in the administration and police and would stop importing people from other provinces so that people of Sindh could run the affairs of the Province.

He was addressing on telephone to the Sindhi writers, intellectuals, journalists and a large number of people gathered at the city of Tando Adam, Sindh, Pakistan. Mr Altaf Hussain said that when British occupied India they in order to strengthen their rule gave a carte blanche to the Nawabs, Landlords and feudal lords to keep the people as their slaves. Consequently, feudal system gained perpetual strength. When India and Pakistan got independence the leaders of India had already realised that for maintaining independence, for the betterment of the people and for the strength of the country it was eminent to abolish the feudal system. Therefore, soon after independence, feudal system was abolished in India. As a result India had always been seen a country having true democracy. On the other hand, Pakistan, despite being independent could not come out of the clutches of the feudal system because the establishment always underpinned that system by its support. He said that although civilian governments were also formed but they had been so-called democracies. And because of such medieval feudal system the democracy could never flourish in our country. The biggest proof was that during the past 54 years only feudal, or their children were able to contest and win the elections for the Parliament and provincial assemblies. Mr Hussain asked that if there were true democracy then how many peasants, farmers or common people could reach to such assemblies. He said that all parties chanted slogans for people but people were never allowed to participate in the government. In fact, after having attained votes on the name of people such feudal and powerful people had kept people as slaves. No poor educated farmer or peasant could dare to contest elections with a feudal on the basis of his abilities. If anyone would dare contest the elections against them the feudal with the support of the administration would make a horrible example of such people.

The question was whether it was the God given right of the feudal and their children to govern or was there any rights of people on basis of their abilities and qualifications to participate in the general elections. He pointed out that MQM is the only political party in Pakistan that has sent ordinary people to the parliament on the basis of merit.

He said that, it is because of the feudal system and the injustices in Pakistan that one nation concept has not gained strength in the country. Furthermore, the military generals and the establishment protect the feudal system. In the past 54 years experiments have been carried out on various forms of government and on constitutional amendment etc. but to no avail, because nothing will change unless and until the feudal system is eliminated and the injustices in the society are rid off. Until that happens one nation concept will not develop in the country, nor the democracy will survive. He said that under the circumstances the loyalty of Sindhis, Mohajirs and Baloch was considered doubtful and they were not allowed to run the affairs of their province, their rights were not honoured, then how could one nation concept develop in the country?

In the province of Sindh and Balochistan the officers of Rangers, Police and bureaucrats were brought from other provinces. For how long would the people of Sindh and Balochistan continue to tolerate the colonisation of their provinces? He reminded that the Urdu Speaking prime minister from Sindh was assassinated in Rawalpindi and a Sindhi Speaking prime minister was sent to the gallows but the prime minister belonging to the province of Punjab was sent with all his looted wealth and family out of the country with honour, despite being sentenced by the court. He asked the people of Sindh to vote for any political party they choose but they should listen to him that the party which comes into power should make a firm announcement to the principle that all the officials appointed in Sindh would belong to Sindh province and the import of officials from other provinces would stop.

Mr. Altaf Hussain made a categorical announcement that if MQM would come in power it would appoint people from Sindh Province in the police and other bureaucratic post and would stop import of officials from other provinces. He declared that if MQM would fail to do so, it would resign from such positions. He said that there were many people who were forming alliances and claiming as champions of Sindh. People have a right to ask them what sacrifices had they made and what had they done for Sindh so far? How many of those so-called Sindhi nationalists were sent to jail like Mr Basheer Qureshi and suffered hardship. MQM and JSQM leaders were not only beaten up and tortured but have also suffered the imprisonment. The future of Sindh was with the people of Sindh and not with those who only claimed to be the champion’s of Sindh, he added.

The people have suffered, tortured, sent to imprisonment and even laid their lives and have been sent to the gallows but the political parties they supported did nothing for their families and the people. He said that the people of Sindh supported those who claimed to be the son or daughter of Sindh but had those people done anything for the rights of Sindh.

Mir Murtaza Bhutto was brought into the country on false assurances and during the premier ship of Benazir Bhutto he was callously murdered but Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has not been able to tell the people of Sindh as to who were the killers of Mir Murtaza Bhutto.

Mr. Altaf Hussain pointed out that Sindhi speaking and Urdu speaking people were at each other’s throat because of the conspiracy of the establishment, so they could continue to plunder Sindh. He reminded that the Urdu speaking and the Sindhi-speaking people lived and spent whatever they earn here and were buried in Sindh after their death. In the past a rift was created under a planned conspiracy, the religious parties also played their role in those intrigues. However, the MQM has neutralised those religious parties through democratic process and had struggled to bring Sindhis and Mohajirs together so their differences were eliminated and they were ready to struggle together for the Sindh Cause.

He declared that if the federation was to survive the people of Sindh and Balochistan must be given their due rights and if those rights were not provided to them in due course and the act of colonisation continued then the people would have the right to call on the United Nations for their rights. He clarified that MQM only wants the fundamental rights for the people of Sindh and not a division or dismemberment. However, if demand of fundamental rights would be portrayed as separatists then it would plant such thoughts in the minds of the people and if such seeds grow then only the establishment would be responsible for any adverse consequences. Mr Altaf Hussain reminded that the MQM was facing the military operation for the past ten years. His nephew and brother and thousands of other MQM workers were assassinated. Thousands of workers have been in prison and many thousands were in exile. He pointed out that he himself was living a life in exile but he was not prepared to surrender in front of the forces of suppression. In the past he was imprisoned many times and he was the only student leader of Karachi who was sentenced for nine months imprisonment and five lashes by a summary military court during General Zia Ul Haq regime. He asserted that he did not surrender nor did he apologise for his actions. He said that his people were raising the voice of people throughout the world on all forums and informing the people of the world about the injustices that the people of Sindh had suffered. Mr Altaf Hussain concluded with an appeal to the people of Sindh to spread his message to every corner of Sindh and join their brother Altaf Hussain in the righteous struggle for the rights of Sindh.

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