Dr Qadir Magsi

The problem of campus violence, administrative corruption and the insecurity of teachers were discussed at a conference organised by Strengthening Participatory Organisation.

2012-01-16T23:58:00.000-08:00

While there was a general consensus among the students, teachers and political workers over the removal of the current vice chancellor of Sindh University (SU), Dr Nazir A Mughal, the speakers, however, differed on the approaches to address other structural problems.

The chairman of the Sindh Tarraqi Pasand Party (STPP), Dr Qadir Magsi, alleged that Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad promoted the agenda of a particular political party in the educational institutions of the province.

“Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Punjab have already devolved the education authority to the provincial governments according to the 18th Amendment,” said Magsi. “Then why is the Sindh government indulging the wishes of its allies at the cost of Sindhis?” He also called for complete freedom of politics at university campuses.

Sindh in need of paradigm shift, say intellectuals

2012-01-16T04:47:00.000-08:00

Sindh is in need of a paradigm shift in mindset and it cannot happen unless its middle class changes its way of thinking, according to intellectuals, writers and leaders of nationalist parties.

At a reception hosted here on Wednesday by the Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party (STPP) for the leaders of Sindhi Association of North America (Sana), speakers said there were several misperceptions among people which needed to be cleared first to bring about a structural change in Sindhi society.

The speakers included Dr Waleed Sheikh, the chief of Sana, STPP chairman Dr Qadir Magsi, Dr Rajab Memon, writer Agha Saleem, Dr Manzoor Ejaz, Ghulam Nabi Mughal, Jami Chandio, Zulfikar Halepoto and Abdul Hameed Sindhi.

Dr Sheikh expressed sadness over the state of affairs in Sindh. “Nothing has changed in LMC [Liaquat Medical College] over the years. Only a huge complex [Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences] has been built in its place.

“But why such a huge structure….are they making a nuclear bomb? Universities are for research, but we are told that universities will give jobs to Sindhis,” he said.

He asked the audience to tell him who was responsible for this depressing picture, wondering where was the conspiracy. “A teacher is killed merely because he wants discipline,” he said.

He bemoaned that neither students wanted to study nor did teachers want to impart education. “Nations are not built in this manner. People will again vote for feudals and will blame them again. I remember how people cried when Benazir Bhutto returned after Z.A. Bhutto’s hanging,” he said.

“People’s approach to questions of their survival has not changed,” he observed, likening it to insanity, which he defined as repeating of a mistake but hoping for a miracle every time. “Our middle class has to grow. Otherwise we will be sliding into a morass.”

Agha Saleem disagreed with the view that Sindh was ready for change and termed it a wishful thinking. “Don’t get excited because nothing has changed. Nothing can be changed unless feudal mindset is changed.

“There was a feudal even inside the late Pir Pagara and Nawab Akbar Bugti, although they had studied abroad,” he said. He recalled an observation by Karl Marx that the French revolution was not brought about by Rousseau or Voltaire but by the middle class.

Dr Manzoor Ejaz, a Sana leader, said Sindhis needed to look for their enemy within.

Dr Ejaz, who spoke in Punjabi, dispelled an impression that Sindhis were biased and advised people not to blame external factors for their failure. “Middle class intellectuals often get carried away by overblown nationalism instead of doing their bit for raising awareness.”

Ejaz Turk, another Sana leader, emphasised the need for keeping Sindhi alive, saying it was pathetic that children were unable to read Bhittai because of poor skills in the language.

“Parents and teachers are responsible for it because no Jewish or Punjabi conspiracy can be blamed for this inadequacy.”

Abdul Hameed Sindhi said love of literature and language were vital to reformation of a society. “The present struggle is an economic war. The plight of Sindh and its people are pitiable.”

Zulfikar Halepoto said Sindh was ripe for change. The crisis had its roots in differences between middle class intellectuals and those writers who were “ideologically confused and hostage to vested interests”, he said. “Participation of all groups is a must before any struggle for change can succeed.”

Jami Chandio, a writer, disagreed with Zulfikar Halepoto’s views about middle class intellectuals, contending that Sindhis were awake. “We need to convert this crisis into a one-time opportunity because people are losing their emotional attachment with PPP this time,” he observed.

Dr Qadir Magsi, the chief of Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party, disagreed with most of the speakers in their indictment of nationalists, asserting that nationalists had played an important role in bringing about an awakening among Sindhis.

“We have seen 60 years of despair, but hope is in the air now,” he said.

Dr Magsi said people living in posh areas did not represent Sindh’s thinking. “If you want to meet a real Sindhi you will have to meet those hit by floods and rains in Kharocchan and Badin who were left in the lurch by the government. We stepped in to take care of them.”

The STPP chief was dismissive about the perception that democracy was in danger. “It’s a fake democracy in the first place. It is in danger because of one man. There has never been democracy in the country.”

The student unions should be restored: Dr Qadir Magsi

2012-01-16T04:45:00.000-08:00

Leaders of political parties, civil society, teachers and thinkers declared here on Sunday that mafias had taken over control of almost all universities in the province and turned the institutions into virtual slaughterhouses.
The best way to resist the mafia was restoration of student unions, they said at two seminars held here. The first seminar on `Mismanagement and lawlessness in Sindh University and other educational institutions, causes and solutions` was organised by Islami Jamiat-i-Tuleba and the other by an NGO, Strengthening Participatory Organisation.

Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi said that the student unions should be restored and practical steps should be taken to solve problems of teachers and students.

He criticised what he called the handing over education sector to Sindh governor. Instead of solving problems, he said, students were being rusticated. He demanded that police and Rangers should be withdrawn from educational institutions.

He said the vice chancellor of Sindh University could not be absolved of the responsibility for the murder of Prof Channar.

Universities can`t be run by mafias.

He urged teachers and parents to realise their responsibilities in this regard.

Judiciary has prevented martial law: Magsi

2012-01-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi has said the judiciary has raised a bulwark against any unconstitutional and dictatorial step.

He said martial law would have been imposed in the country if Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry had not prevented it.

He was addressing a gathering of STP activists held on Friday evening to mark the 17th death anniversary of Saheb Khan Chandio, Abdul Aziz Jatoi, Riaz Rind, Fazal Jan Sarhandi, Iqbal Vighio and Aurangzeb Mughal. They were killed in police firing in Karachi on Jan 13, 1995.

Dr Magsi alleged that the rulers were trying to hoodwink people to hide their corruption, inefficiency and failure. He warned that if they did not change their attitude and stop confrontation with the judiciary, and failed to ensure the rule of law in the country, they would have to go packing and the people would once again be subjected to an authoritarian rule.

He said the judiciary had remained subservient to army and civilian dictators for 60 years but it had become independent because of the sacrifices of lawyers, civil society, democratic forces and people at large.

He, however, said that the present rulers had a feudal mindset and they were not prepared to accept independence of the judiciary.

The rulers would be held accountable for what they had done to Pakistan, and particularly Sindh, Dr Magsi said.

He said the PPP government had harmed the cause of Sindh and it would have to pay for it.

He said the rulers had betrayed the Sindhi people by allowing construction of Greater Thal Canal, Bhasha dam, Akhori dam and Zulfiqarabad city. Now they are auctioning the coal of Sindh.

He said that an ethnic group had been imposed on Sindh, alleging that by raising the issue of new provinces, ground was being levelled to divide Sindh.

He asked the people of Sindh to reject corrupt people in the next general elections.

He said the people of Sindh had been reposing confidence in the PPP for 40 years but the party had always betrayed Sindh and Sindhi people.

Qadir Channa, Hote Khan Gadhi, Muzaffar Kalhoro and Dr Abdul Hameed Memon also spoke on the occasion.