Press Conference by the Representatives of Siraiki Cultural & Literary Organizations and Political Workers.

Respectable Press and Electronic Media journalists,

We, the representatives of Siraiki cultural & literary organizations, students and political workers, pronounce for you and for the Government of the Democratic Alliance through you few out of the large list of the problems and the demands of the Siraiki people of CC:WINDOWShinhem.screntral Pakistan. Our first request is not to dub these voices of the weak as anti-Pakistan etc.

1.Constitutional Rights of the Siraiki People;

In the best interest of the nation, we perceive that it is time to take few constitutional steps leading to peaceful formation of the Siraiki province which remains longtime demand of Siraiki people and the people of all the provinces except Punjab:
Thus we demand equal representation of Siraikis in the Senate, the IRSA as well as our due share in the NFC Award. We also demand holding of a separate session of the Siraiki members of the Punjab Assembly in Multan twice a year. And we demand immediate establishment of an Administrative Region of the Siraiki Districts leading to formation the Siraiki province.

2.The Linguistic and Cultural Rights

The Education Policy written by the previous government and published by the present governments’ Ministry of Education offers a trilingual formula at primary level which is English, Urdu and one regional language. We demand that the early education should be imparted in mother tongue, a principle followed by Japanese, Chinese, Russians and all the developed nations of the world. We demand Siraiki as compulsory subject at school and college levels, start of the Siraiki and Pashto Departments in the Gomal University, commencement of the approved Department of Linguistics in Quaid-e Azam University , Departments of Pakistani languages in all the Universities and appointment of lecturers of Siraiki language in Pakistan Study Centers in all universities.

We demand fool proof survey of languages in the coming Population Census.
About Press and Electronic Media;


The only national paper the 60 million Siraikis have today is the small venture “Daily Jhok” (Multan), which is being published despite the countless pressures and want of resources.

The numerous Siraiki TV Channels work under non-Siraiki control which turns them eventually anti-Siraiki. The upper hierarchy of these channels consists of non Siraikis and the Siraiki speaking workers are subjected to lowest subordination, discrimination and job insecurity. Language distortion and anti-majority political propaganda are the irritants now commonly perceived by the conscious viewers.

We still have good hopes with these TV Channels, and want to convey to them that opening of these channels has resulted from decades’ long struggle of Siraiki people. Please do not shatter our dreams.

We remind these media channels not to exploit the large business and human resource of the Siraiki region against of Siraiki peoples.

4.About Existing Political Situation;

We request the civil society not to pitch itself against popular electoral mandate and verdict of the majority, or the civil society will become a derogatory misnomer like the Establishment. The people of Pakistan have not yet forgotten how the civil society was co-opted by military regime immediately after the Martial Law of October 1999.

Unluckily, the street power of the urban centers always worked against the interests of the native and the poor. Let loose again, this time such a street power will uproot the very foundation of the country.


We also condemn intervention of the right wing political parties in the colleges and the universities aimed at reemergence of the wave of fascism among students.

6.Some Facts about Siraiki;

We, the Siraiki speaking people of Pakistan are known as the Siraikis. We did never perceive ourselves as Punjabi. And we love Punjabis as good neighbors and a great culture. We call our region ‘Wasaib’. A common Siraiki remains totally unfamiliar with the term ‘ South Punjab ’. The Siraiki area lies in the middle of Pakistan territory. In other words, we are Pakistan-locked and thereby compelled to better this country in our own interests and survival. By no logic we can be labeled as anti-Pakistan. In fact, no Pakistani deserves being denounced with such labels.

The over emphasized national ‘oneness’ was at purpose: it paved way for disproportionate share in political power, opportunities and resources for a few language groups. Similarly, people’s assertion today on cultural identities is also at purpose: in addition to undo threat of elimination, they want proportionate share in political power, opportunities and resources
Mushtaq Gaadi
======================================================
Friends,

As you read in the circular Email by Mushtaq, the ‘Draft Press Release’ which was discussed by Jhok-Mela friends on 19th of May, and was pronounced in the Demo on 20th, included a demand for immediate formation of Siraiki Administrative region which would lead to formation of Siraiki province. The same was carried on by some News papers (see attachment). Please come to know that ‘Administrative region’ and ‘Autonomous region’ are the notions used for the regions on their way to achieving status of a ‘province’ or a ‘state’.

This demand is a step forward in the movement for the Siraiki Province. Just like the case of ‘Provincial autonomy’. Provincial autonomy includes many things which will materialize through a set of actions, one being ‘abolishing the Concurrent List’, for instance. Formation of Siraiki province will also be materialized through set of actions, immediate formation of Administrative region can be one.

This we demand both as preemption to the loss Siraikis will face once additional powers are given to the Central Punjab dominated Punjab province and the North dominated NWFP in result of Provincial autonomy, and as a step to enter into the process of formation of the Siraiki province.

Equally strong voices are these days heard from NWFP reflecting concerns of the Siraikis of the ‘Southern part of the Province against increasing domination of the Northern (Pakhtun) part of the province. A standard demand from the Siraiki parts of both the provinces—South of the Punjab Province, and South of the NWFP—seem to agree on the single demand, immediate formation of the Siraiki Administrative regions in Punjab and NWFP.

These can be made part of the Constitutional Package under discussion, or a Fresh ‘Constitutional Package for Siraiki area’ can be materialized by the current democratic set up which have great responsibility of setting the country on path of lasting peace and reconciliation.

This package for Siraikis will mainly benefit from the sub Article (3) of the Article 1 of ‘Part I Introductory’ of the Constition which reads;

[2] [Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)] may by law admit into the Federation new States or areas on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit.]

To incorporate an amendment in the sub article (2) of the same which reads;

The territories of Pakistan shall comprise :- - - - - - The territories would now include:

(1) To include Siraiki Administrative region of the Punjab province and (2) the Siraiki Administrative Region of NWFP (or Pakhtunkhwa), or as the constitutionlist would conclude.

Can this be proper time to remind active politicians, or is this untimely, you may know better.
Ahsan Wagha

Dear Friends,
This brief discussion has brought initial agreement on the Goal and some suggestions for action. The suggestions are:

1.
Writing a brief about Seraiki national issue with some demarcation of the Proposed Seraiki area ---

2.
Preparation of a Comprehensive, consensus based document.
3.
A strong, representative Seraiki delegation to meet and to take up the case with political leaders,
4.
Propagate the Constitutional demands of Seraikis through media by holding Demos. and Press conferences, and
5.
Commemorating a ‘Seraiki-demands-day’ throughout the Wasaib i.e. holding peaceful meetings and activities everywhere on the same day with same demands.

6.
Care be taken to keep away from serving the objectives of the Center, or the Establishment ----------------------------------------------- Muhammad Yar Qaisrani

Please come with more suggestions, or at least participate by commenting on these suggestions.
Dr. Ahsan Wagha

سلام و علیکم !
سب وسیب کو سلام،سچ تا اے ھیں کہ اے سب گالھیں ٹھیک ھن !لیکین کیا اساں صرف گالھیں کریندے رھے ویسوں ؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟

کیا انھاں دا کیوں نتیجہ وی نکلسی یا تساں اساکوں (وسیب سوݨے خواب ڈیکھیدے پیوے!؟

کیا تساں اے میٹینگ کر سگسوں ؟تساڈی وجہ ساگوں اج وسیب دا نا قومی دھارے وڄ کھانی!

لیکن کیوں گال نھیں ! لیکن ھݨر تساں اگوں تھیوں تا پورا وسیب تساڈے پڄھوں ھوسے!

کیا تساں اج تک وزیراعظم یا اصف زرداری یامولانہ فضل الرحمن یا اے این پی یا الطاف حسین نال کوی گال بات کیتی ھیوے؟

کیا تساں اج تک وزیراعظم یا اصف زرداری یامولانہ فضل الرحمن یا اے این پی یا الطاف حسین نال کوی ملاقات کیتی ھیوے؟

اج دا دور میڈیا دا دور ھے کیا تساں کوی میڈیا سیل قایم کرݨ دی کوشش کیتی ھیوے ؟

کیا تساں صرف زبانی جمع خرڄ کریندے پیوے یا کریندے رھے ویسوں؟

کیا کوی پریس کانفریس کیتی ھیوے ؟

آواز میں شدت کیوں نھیں ھے؟کیا اساں خیریت منگدے پیسے؟ حق کیتے یتیموں والی صورت ڄنڳی نھیں ھوندی؟حق کیتے آواز بلند
کݨی پمندی ھے۔

اگر پاکستان اڄ کوی انقلاب ایا تا او سرائيكی علاقے وڄوں اوسے تے اے انقلاب سب تو پہلے انہاں سردارں دا تݙا ڄیسے انشاالللہ
سرائيكی دانشور تے سرائيكی سیاست داں( جس میں تاج محمد لنگاھ ،مجید کانجو،معین الدین،وغرھ کوی بھرپور احتجاج نھیں کر سگے اج تک۔

اے لوگ ڈردن پتا کانی اے کیوں خوف اڄ ھن؟

بس اے لوگ فوٹو ڄھکوا تے خوش تھیندن باقی الللہ الللہ خیر صلا۔ان سیاست دانوں کو جو فریب ݙیندن کھلے لگن تے گنتی وی پوری نا تھیوے ݙا
تک گݨ تے بھول ونیجے تے وال شروع تھیونیجے ھک کنوں۔

پکستان دی سیاست وڄ ھر پارٹی اپݨے اپݨے مفاد دی خاطر کام کریندے پن۔لیکن سرائيكی پارٹیاں ݙوجھے دی مفاد دی خاطر سرائيكی مفاد قربان کیتی ویندن!
انہاں دی نظر وڄ سرائيكی مفاد دی کوی اہمیت کانی!اے لوگ ڄور ھن،ݙاکو ھن،اے لوگ سرائيكیاں دا قتل کیتی ویندن، سرائيكیاں دا مفاد دا قتل،کیوں کے
اج تک اے لوگ ھک پلیٹ فارم تے کٹھے نھیں تھی سگے کیوں جو انہاں دے مفاد مختلف ھن،اگر انہاں دے مفاد وڄ سرائيكیت ھوے ھا تا اے کٹھے ھووین
ھا۔

ھر سطع تے بھرپور احتجاج کیوں کے اے خوب صورت موقع وال ھت کانہ اوسے ۔اج موقع ھے اساں سرائيكی صوبہ گھن سگدے سے ۔اج والی حالت وال یا اج والا موقح وال کانہ ملسے۔پاکستان دے ھر اخبار دے ھر کالم نویس کو خط لکھݨ دی ضرورت ھے اے اساݙا حق ھے اے کوی جرم کانی۔پاکستان دی سپریم کورٹ وڄ پٹیشن دایر کیتی ونجے کہ سرائيكی صوبہ ھوݨ بݨیاں ونجے۔کیوں کہ سرائيكی صوبہ نہ ھووݨ دی وجہ ساگوں سرائيكی قوم تکلیف وڄ ھے۔


میں سفیر لاشاری دا زکر ضرور کریساں بہوں خوب صورت شاعر ھن۔تے الللہ انہاں کو لمبی عمر ݙیوے

Shikwa Jawab e Shikwa

Post edited by: fmiana, at: 2008/05/31 01:43

KALABAGH

Dear Seraiki friends


It is a great pleasure for me to share with you that Seraiki Social Forum is organizing a seminar on "proposed constitutional package and demands of seraiki nation" in Marriot Hotel Islamabad on June 28,2008 at 3.00pm ,The Duputy speaker of National Assembly Mr. Faisal Kareem Kundi (Name written wrongly in the last email sorry) will be the chief guest of the seminar while many Seraiki MNAs are also participating in the seminar.Keeping in view we are also trying our best to confirm the participation of Mr Asif Ali Zardari in the event and we have already sent him the invitation.

Renowned seraiki intellectuals,writers,political leaders and civil society representatives will speak on this occasion.

You are cordially invited to attend the seminar.

Thanks.

In friendly
G.M.Ghanjera
Convener
Seraiki Social Forum
PH:0322-8384223