Dear All,

Regards and this to share that ’Sindh Hari Porhiat Council’ with the support of peasants groups, left political groups, civil society organization has initiated mobilization campaign to create popular demand for ’agrarian / land reforms’ in the country. In this connection a conference was also held in Karachi on November 27 chaired by prominent retired Judget of Supreme Court Justice Rtd Nasir aslam Zahid. Justice Rtd in his speech on the occasion has made it clear that Act of parliament passed in January 1977 in valid and legal that fixes land ceiling 100 acre irrigated and 150 acre non-irrigated per person. The conference was attended by parliamentarians Syed zafar Ali Shah from PPP, Fouzia Aijaz from MQM and Jamila Gilani from ANP.

As part of mobilization campaign to create popular demand to implement land reforms act 1977 and more reforms; Sindh hari Porhiat Council has organized mass Rallies in shahdadkot on december 12 and in Ghotki on December 14. Thousands men and women participated in the Public Rallies and Sit Inn in both cities. Among participants there were peasant men and women in majority. However considerable number of political workers from different progressive political groups and civil scoiety activists also joined the Rallies. Punhal sarion, Qadir Seelro, Urs Seelro, Wahab Pandrani, Mandhal Shar, Rauf Dayo, Badal Malik and other spoke on the occasions.

In this connection Public Rallies and Sit Inn are scheduled on December 16 in Johi, on December 18 in Mirpur Khas and on December 20 in Hyderabad.

Regards

Adam Malik

The demands for the campaign are included in below declaration for agrarian reforms.

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People’s Declaration on Agrarian Reforms

Prevailing agricultural system does not ensure food for millions of people in the country, nor does it guarantee prosperity of millions of workers involved in agriculture production. This system is only for increasing the capital of feudals, military and civil bureaucracy, national and multinational agriculture industrialists and traders and provides a means to uphold their social and political domination. Feudal system of land ownership rooted in the colonial period has enslaved a majority of peasants and agriculture workers throughout the country. It has contributed to destabilizing democracy, marginalization and subjugation of women and inert faith disagreement and intolerance. Thus, in the presence of existing colonial agriculture system, it is impossible to institute a moderate progressive democratic society.

Agrarian Reforms assure distribution of land among peasants and agriculture workers including men and women, reorganize agricultural production practices assuring inexpensive and adequate food for people, enhance land fertility and reduce superfluous expenses on agriculture inputs and environmental pollution by promoting native and traditional knowledge, experiences and information of farmers. It will ensure prosperity for peasants, agriculture workers, rural population and entire society by freeing the peasants, agriculture workers, bonded labor and rural population especially women and children. There is need to establish direct marketing system among producers and consumers. Agrarian Reforms will purge inhuman and vicious feudal system and lead the society towards democracy as well as to promote the values of human rights, tolerance and social justice.

Agriculture Land Management

· Implement Land Reforms and introduce more land reforms in letter and spirit and proclaim maximum ceiling of land holding 50 Acres irrigated and 100 Acres Barani per family without any exception.

· Prevent decision of parallel judicial system during the period of unrepresentative fundamentalist authoritarian government making the Land Reforms ineffective and make necessary legislation to discard eighth amendment and other authoritarian amendments that protect such kind of anti-people decisions.

· Put an end to all colonial laws on land, establish a mechanism to resolve conflicts over land through an autonomous Land Utilization Commission that also will ensure the use of land only for production whereby apprehending all forms of commercialization.

· Allot maximum 8 acre land per family to local peasants and agriculture workers preferably to women already inhabitant of the same or adjacent land.

· Reclaim the land allotted to government agencies including military farms and distribute among local peasants and agriculture workers preferably to women.

· Cancel the allotment of land under Auction, Reward and Claim except to those who cultivate themselves.

· Check and stop Illegal occupation of influential over peasant’s land which they obtained through Land Reforms in past and handover again among rightful owners.

· Stop the conspiracy to uphold the new form of feudalism as well as existing land holding system in the name of corporate farming.

· Cancel the allotment of forest land to influential persons and allot the same, to local peasant and agriculture workers preferably to women, with condition of planting forests.

· Document the survey or non-survey land possessed by influential individual or institutions all over the country including the areas of Kacha (river banks) Kachho, Kohistan, Kachh, Belpat, Dasht, Thar, Thal & hilly areas and distribute among local peasants and agriculture workers preferably women formerly inhabitant of the same or adjacent land.

· Reclaim the infertile or degraded land due to water logging, salinity or any other reason and distribute among landless peasants and agriculture workers preferably women already inhabitant of the same or adjacent land.

· Regularize the villages and rural settlements all over the country by documenting the ownership rights to all citizens living there and provide them basic facilities including safe drinking water, sanitation, education, health, electricity, gas etc.

· Discourage the use of agriculture land for non-agriculture purpose; where ever necessary, include rehabilitation of peasants in the proposed project as an important component.

· Computerize all the record of agriculture and non-agriculture land and ensure citizens’ access to it via website.

Judicious use and distribution of irrigation water

· Ensure judicious water distribution in the country at all levels such as rivers, canals, minors and water courses; particularly access of water at tail areas.

· Ensure judicious water distribution and implementation of water related agreements among federating units.

· Stop all controversial water projects including Kalabagh Dam and ensure access to water for deltaic areas.

· Provide free electricity and energy for drawing under ground water as well as lifting irrigation water upper level agriculture lands.

· Pave concrete lining of irrigation system from water courses to canals to stop water wastage and protect the land from water logging and salinity.

· Stop profit making projects of International Financial Institutions in the name of irrigation reforms.

· Stop privatization of irrigation water and other agriculture related units.

· Undertake plans for complete rehabilitation of peasants, farmers and rural population affected from mega water projects especially in Indus Delta and Taunsa.

Mode of agriculture production

· Consult peasants, agriculture workers, small growers and agriculture scientist in the process of agricultural policy-making.

· Prevent underground and surface resources from all kinds of pollution by means of necessary legislation.

· Revoke anti-peasant and anti-agriculture policies as well as conditions of IFIs and WTO.

· Improve organic farming and stop unnecessary use of chemicals, pesticides, non-traditional seeds and agriculture machinery through legislation. Set up laboratories and research institutions to promote natural fertilizers, Bull ploughing and organic pest control methods. Provide resources and training to peasants and farmers to customize these methods.

· Resolve as state responsibility to provide necessary machinery and energy required for agriculture.

· Put into operation the crop insurance as state responsibility.

· Make effective, extended and easier government network for credit to farmers and peasants as well as to promulgate necessary legislation aiming to regulate huge mark up collection by private lenders.

· Constitute autonomous monitoring councils comprising of peasants and farmers to implement effectively the useful and favourable research and practices as well as to supervise the distribution of energy, irrigation water and machinery required for cultivation.

Marketing of agriculture production

· Announce support price of crops before harvesting and establish government purchase centres also to ensure purchase of all agriculture produce on support price.

· Develop necessary infrastructure required for ‘farm to market’ access including roads and means of transport.

· Depose the role of ‘middleman’ in sale or purchase of agriculture production and constitute cooperatives of peasants, small growers and agriculture consumers for creating direct sale and purchase system through necessary legislation.

· Build stockrooms and cold storages for preservation of crop production at local level.

· Set up purchase centres and agro-based industries according to the crop production at local level. In this connection provide resources, training and incentives for processing and packing to preserve the agriculture produce for maximum period.

Social protection for peasants and agriculture workers

· Undertake adult education programs for men and women peasants and agriculture workers and provide trainings to enhance their understanding and knowledge of agriculture.

· Apart from basic education, stipulate reserved quota for children peasants and agriculture workers in proportion to their population for jobs in agro-based technical institution and other social sector services. Provide jobs on priority basis to educated youth, sons and daughters of peasants and agriculture workers in all agriculture related institutions.

· Ensure and declare essential health and education facilities for peasants, agriculture workers and rural population particularly for women.

· Resolve as state responsibility, health and life insurance for families of peasants and agriculture workers.

· Provide basic rights to peasants and agriculture workers like industrial workers, including union forming, social securities and old age benefits through necessary legislation.

· Ensure proper implementation of tenancy act, bonded labour (abolition) act and other human rights laws, to safeguard peasants and agriculture workers from inhuman treatment. Take effective measures to stop the incidents of violence and harassment against women and children.

· Stipulate minimum wages for agriculture workers and undertake effective measures for implementation.

We, representatives of peasants, workers, students’ organization, democratic, nationalist and progressive parties as well as civil society organizations resolve for joint struggle to organize and empower the peasants and men & women agriculture workers for acceptance and implementation of this declaration.

Note: This declaration has been prepared through a consultative process all over Pakistan. Peasants, farmers, lawyers as well as social and political activists contributed in the consultations. ActionAid Pakistan and Bhandar Hari Sangat coordinated the consultative process all over Pakistan.

Contact: adam.malik actionaid.org & bhandarsangat yahoo.com

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Dear All,

Conference on land reforms from different civil society actors in collaboration with UNDP was held on November 27, 2008 in Karachi aiming to review the present legal and constitutional status as well as the possibilities. Title of the conference “Land Reforms: Status and Possibilities”. Prominent Judge popular for his judgements on Human Rights issues Justice Rtd Nasir Aslam Zahid chaired the concluding session. However veteran PPP leader and writer Taj Haider chaired first session of the conference.

During First session of the conference delibrations of the speakaers and participants specifically focused on Sindh Tenancy Act and recently announced Land Distribution Scheme by the government of Sindh. Punhal Sario peasants’ activist and president Sindh Hari Porhiat Council gave a presentation on need and significance of amendments in Sindh Tenancy Act. The presentation included the suggestions for amendment and positive response from the organizations of land lords that reflect the consensus among stake holders on the amendment issue. The amendments were initiated by the then government of Sindh in compliance of a Judgement by Hyderabad division bench of Sindh High Court on July 17, 2002. Zulfiqar Halepoto gave presentation on Land Distribution Scheme recently announced by the government of Sindh. The presentation included key features of the scheme as well as issues, challenges and bureaucratic hurdles in effective and transparent implementation of the scheme. Participants including Fouzia Aijaz MNA of MQM, Marvi Sirmed of UNDP, Taj Haider, and others participants demanded to amend Sindh Tenancy Act as well as to implement Land Distribution Scheme properly along with support to peasants especially women peasants in cultivation of allotted land.

Speakers of second session discussed the constitutional status and possibilities to implement land reforms in Pakistan. Former Judge Supreme Court of Pakistan Justice (rtd) Nasir Aslam Zahid chaired the session. In his brief and comprehensive speech he contended that the Land Reforms Act passed by the National Assembly in January 1977 as well as prior to that in 1974 are intact and it has not been rendered ineffective due to any measure - legislative or otherwise. (that means land holding by individuals more than 100 acre irrigated and 250 acre non-irrigated is illegal). He further said it was the responsibility of the political parties ruling over the country to implement these reforms. He said all political parties, including PPP, PML N and MQM, instead of making claims, should come forward to implement these reforms. He said democracy cannot flourish in the presence of feudalism. PPP MNA and senior parliamentarian Syed Zafar Ali Shah given a call for across the board distribution of wealth - whether it is land owned by rural elite or wealth in any form accumulated by urban elite. In this regard he proposed to set up “truth & reconciliation commission” to resolve the source and mean of wealth accumulation. He said he supported land reforms in 70s but simultaneously the wealth and properties accumulated by the individuals as well as the organizations like Defence Housing Authority in the cities should also be re-distributed. ANP MNA Jamila Gilani said that ANP manifesto contains the promise to introduce land reforms. She said her party would support any such move. MQM MPA Nisar Panhwar referred his party manifesto and Party leader’s statements on reapedly demanding to implement complete land reforms.

Before that prominent activists and professionals discussed the issue from different aspects. Ramzan Memon peasant leader discussed the need and importance of land reforms for democratic and prosperous society. Aqsa Khan discussed the gender perspective of land reforms. Fateh Marri presented on Asian and Pakistan case of land reform. He discussed the issue of land reform from right based approach and efficiency perspective. Aajiz Jamali, journalist reviewed the role of political parties for land reforms since 1947. Fikre Zewdie of ActionAid Pakistan thanked all participants including parliamentarians and speakers. He signified the importance of consultation and engagement among different stake holders with commitment towards resolution of issue.

Adam Malik