[Reader-list] Harri Conference, Bhitt Shah

[Zulfiqar Shah]

Harri Conference, Bhitt Shah
 
Thousands of male and female peasants and agriculture workers participated the Harri Conference on April 8, 2007 at Bhitt Shah organized by South Asia Partnership Pakistan - Sindh Office & Bhitt Shah Deceleration Coordination Council, Sindh.  
 
Tableaus, stage theatre, folk and cultural music, sharing by peasants from various crop pattern areas, talk by civil society actors on Sindh Tenancy Act and a walk for wachan from conference hall to the tomb of Bhitt Dhani were the contents of the congregation. 
 
The civil society representatives who participated the conference include Mr. Mohammad Tahseen, SAP – PK, Mr. Rochi Ram, veteran lawyer, Mr. Salman G. Abro, SWAFCO, Avocate Ayaz Lateef Palejo, Ms. Sassui Palejo, MPA, PPP, Zulfiqar Shah, SAP – PK, Sindh Office, Lala Arshad Khaskhelly, BDCC, Mr. Nazeer Memon, Mr. Mustafa Baloch, SPO, Mr. Adam Malik, Action Aid, Mr. Punhal Saryo, SNC, Mr. Mohammad Yaqoob, Takhleeq Foundation, Mr. Ghaffar Malik, SDS, Mr. Zain Daudpotto, IDO / JAC, Mr. Ramzan Memon, BHS, Dr. Haider Malookani, Mr. Ashique Solangi, writer, Mr. Badar Soomro, HRCP, Mr. Illyas Khokhar and others. 
 
Following resolution were passed by the participants of conference:  
 
Resolutions of the Harri Conference
 
This conference demands the constitution of new Sindh Tenancy Act, according to the contemporary socio-economic situation and scenario of agriculture in Sindh.  Through, hitherto, process of consultation by civil society organizations with peasants, lawyers and other stakeholders, bellow suggestion have developed for new tenancy act: [However, the consultation needs to processed out further]:  
 
-          The Consent of the landlord should not be necessary for transferring the right of tenancy at some other piece or parcel pf land of the same landlord 
-          In case of death of tenant, the tenancy rights should be devolved to his heir, irrespectively of his religion.
-          The nomination of family member by Tribunal for managing the tenancy in case of mental incapacity of the tenant should be valid even after the lifetime of the tenant as laid down in Chapter 2, Para 10 (1) and (2) of the act. Besides, the nomination of family member for managing the tenancy due to mental incapacity of the tenant should be made first of all by the family of the tenant. I case of dispute on nomination among the family members, than the matter should be taken to the Tribunal. 
-          In case of tenant’s absence from cultivation for over 1 year under appropriate arrangement, his right to cultivation shall remain effective. The consent of landlord for selecting any person to work in place of the tenant during his absence should not be necessary.
-          If the government acquires or requisites such land for the said reason, than the effected tenant should be compensated with alternate land for cultivation employment or cash amount.
-          In case of landlord taking his land back from for the reason of personal mechanized cultivation or gardening he shall give the compensation to tenant in form of alternate land cultivation or cash amount.
-          The Landlord should pay either as compensation against eviction Rs. 10000 per acre to the evicted tenant or the value of the share of tenant in the most production crop value of the land from which he has been evicted or any one of these which has the highest value. 
-          The Hari should b represented for hearing of the case either by himself or by some other harri of the same Deh or by some hari rights worker or activist. If legal practitioner is necessary, than the government should arrange it free of cost for the harri.
-          The fine money as punishment should be abolished however, the court must grant the effected party with compensation in kind of cash or redress the loss.
-          Some clause of existing tenancy act [Chapter II, Para 13 – f, g, i, and Section II 1-d] should not be included in the new draft. 
 
·         The role and responsibilities of Kamdar / Munshi should also be defined in the act, keeping in views hid influence as a representative of landlord on the tenant.
·         Tenant should be provided social security, old age benefits, education and health facilities as they area provided to industrial / urban labor. Zakat fund and land tax should be utilized, if necessary, to implement the provision of said facilities to tenants.
·         In areas of Kacho, Kohistan and Thar, the situation of tenants is different from other parts of Sindh province Therefore, many clauses should particularly be explained also in accordance with these areas.
·         Millions of acres of Land in Kacho area are un-surveyed. These lands should be surveyed and distributed among haris of the area.  
·         In case of wage cropper, the industrial Relation Ordinance should be applicable with minimum wage rule.
·         Corporate farming should be stopped
·         Harri Courts should be established /opened 
·         Provision of fertilizer, seed, fuel on low process to peasants
·         Bonded labor should be stopped 
 
 
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Zulfiqar Shah
Provincial Coordinator
South Asia Partnership Pakistan - Sindh Office
Hyderabad

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