KARACHI, Apr 09, 2010: Activists of trade unions, labour organizations and non-governmental organizations on Friday demanded to the introduction of land reforms and distribution of agricultural land among landless peasants to eradicate bondage and food insecurity from Pakistan. They identified big landholdings by feudal and landlessness as major causes of poverty and food insecurity in the country.
They were speaking on the first day of the two-day Consultation on ‘Linkages between Land Rights, Food Security and Bondage’ organized by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) at the PILER Centre, Karachi. Chairman Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) Mohammad Ali Shah, Senior Economist Dr Shahida Wizarat, labour rights leader Mannu Bheel, Pakistan Food Security Coalition Representative Jabbar Bhatti, Executive Director PILER Karamat Ali, Joint Director of PILER Zulfiqar Shah, Dr. Ghulam Haider Malookani of Green Rural Development Organization, Ramazan Memon of Bhandar Hari Sangant and others spoke at the day-long session.
Speaking on the occasion, PILER Executive Director Karamat Ali said people of this country are suffering at the hands of poverty and food insecurity due to the lack of a public distribution system. He recalled that the ration system was effectively providing essential food items to all citizens at affordable prices, but the government abolished this system. “This system is still being effectively practised in India,” he said adding that instead Pakistan government has introduced a faulty system of providing essential items through Utility Stores, which has failed to benefit a major section of the population.
Mr. Ali said that though the colonial system has been condemned, there were many good features of the governance that the colonial rulers introduced, which were abolished after the independence. “During British rule, whoever was cultivating the agricultural land was the owner of the land. Zamindars or feudal were only collecting a portion on behalf of the government. However, following independence, successive governments in Pakistan did not provide land to the poor people. Feudal became stronger, expanding their control over a majority of agricultural land.”
Chairman of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) Mohammad Ali Shah said that without political struggle we cannot achieve food security. “Uneven and unjustified distribution of resources are creating food insecurity.” He said that it is the duty of the state to facilitate the provision of food to its citizens. “We have to move from food security to food sovereignty,” he added.
He observed that feudalism continues to act as an obstacle to the development of the country. “Without the abolition of this system, we cannot achieve food security,” Shah emphasized that land reforms are the key to poverty eradication. “If land reforms are implemented in a systematic and judicious manner, every citizen will have enough land to overcome poverty.” Shah also stressed that a formal movement along the lines of a political movement, to pursue land reforms is critical to achieving the objective of a just and even distribution of land.
Senior Economist Dr. Shahida Wizarat presented a study in progress on food security in Pakistan. She observed that rising inflation that is eroding real wages, water shortage, weak planning and institutional set-up linked to the production and marketing of agricultural products, and pressure from international financial institutions for unconstructive intervention in the agricultural sector have resulted in serious challenges in food security and access to food for the poor. She said that the government is planning to provide uncultivable land to big corporations, which would further deprive the poor peasants of their landholdings.
The other participants of the consultation meeting, who are mainly working for bonded labour pointed out that most of the rights-based organizations are focusing on the release of bonded peasants. However, little effort is being made for their rehabilitation or welfare.
The two-day long consultation on ‘Linkages between Land Rights, Food Security and Bondage’ shall continue till April 10, 2010.
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