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Water protests Unrestrained police firing on rallies and public gatherings is a measure of last resort. Police around the world are trained to deal with angry mobs in a professional manner. Words of warnings, water cannons, teargas and, if needed, rubber bullets are often enough to disperse protesters. In Pakistan, however, trigger-happy policemen deem it an obligation to start shooting as soon as they see a host of people chanting slogans and making a noise. At least, that is what had happened last Sunday in Sukhur. A group of citizens suffering from an acute and long-running water shortage in several parts of the province had gathered to register their genuine problem with the authorities and seek relief from their misery. From all accounts available, it was a peaceful rally. But the police force and other paramilitaries deployed to tackle them opened fire. As a result, two workers of the the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) died and many were injured. The Muttahida Qaumi Mahaz (MQM) and the JSQM have called for a province-wide strike today to protest the killings. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has also condemned the police action against a peaceful demonstration. Whereas the overall water situation in the country is getting worse, the case of Sindh is a complex one and has many sides to it. As is evident from the agreement of the MQM and the JSQM--two parties considered poles apart on most other political issues--water is becoming a rallying point for the political parties that have otherwise been pushed to the margins by the present government's ban on political activities. This suffocated atmosphere aggravates when the people find it hard to have access to even the most basic amenities of life, such as water. And when they confront a police force that reaches for its guns on the slightest pretext, things can get out of hand. Indeed, both the MQM and JSQM are describing the unfortunate incident in ethnic terms and have raised slogans of 'Punjabi domination.' The government must pay heed to the cries of the people who are not allowed to even vent their anger and make a protest. Severely hit by the depleting water supply for domestic and agricultural use, the last thing they want is a police reaching for their firearms to shoot them down. In addition to taking steps to ameliorate the water crisis and make its distribution more equitable, the government must also restrain its troops from further alienating these underprivileged citizens. An appropriate starting point should be severe punitive action against those responsible for the Sunday killings. |
