Younis Iqbal
member since March 23, 2010, last login March 23, 2010
- Name
- Younis Iqbal
- Location
- Punjab,Pakistan
- Projects
- none
- Member home
- http://openfsm.net/people/younisiqbal
- Website
- About
- Introduction Anjuman Muzareen Punjab is a movement of 1 million landless tenants based in villages stretching over 10 districts of the Punjab (Okara, Khanewal, Multan, Lahore, Vihari, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Pakpattan and Sheikhupura and so on). In these districts of Punjab landless tenants settled this uncultivated land with their hard labour and they have tilled the soil for over a century. In other words these tenants have been cultivating the land for four generations. The official documents state that the land belongs to the Government of Punjab. However, on these lands companies and military agencies such as the RVFC, Military Seed Corporation, Livestock Agricultural Department, and Dairy Farm, Seed Research Farm and so on are operating. These companies have been collecting revenue from the Muzareen both in kind and in money terms. According to Government of Punjab Board of Revenue the payments from the tenants to these Departments and companies are unlawful since these organizations have no legal claim over ownership or revenue generated from this land. In the past the tenants of these areas have voiced their concern but despite several proclamations they have been unable to obtain ownership rights over land that should belong to the tenants. In July 2000 a new piece-rate and a yearly lease agreement was introduced in these farms. This new system and agreement represented a severe loss in the social and economic position of tenant farmers. In fact, it was widely felt that this new system and agreement was deliberately harsh in order to impoverish the tenants thereby forcing them to abandon their lands. In other words, this new system and agreement was designed to evict these tenants from their lands. Given this situation the tenants of the area mobilized under the slogan "Maliki Ya Maut" (Ownership or Death) and rejected the new system of piece-rate and yearly agreements. The movement organized under the title of Anjuman Muzareen Punjab(AMP). The movement grew rapidly to encompass hundreds of thousands of tenants all over Punjab. During this period the movement attempted to negotiate with the district and provincial administrations, the farm management, the Revenue Board, and even the governor of Punjab. However, the authorities were unwilling to negotiate and began a campaign of intimidation, coercion and cruelty towards the movement. On several occasions unprovoked violence erupted when the authorities sent armed police and paramilitary Rangers forces to terrorize the tenant farmers. Consequently 11 tenants lost their lives, hundreds including women and children sustained terrible injuries and hardships. Hundreds were arrested and went to jail. Today, 4 tenants are still in Central Jail Sahiwal and behind prison but they stay defiant in the call for "Ownership or Death". The government has also applied severe economic pressure by dismissing over 350 government employees because they were relatives of these tenants. Here is a brief list of the abuses inflicted by the Rangers and Police on the Muzareen: · Telephones, electricity and canal water was stopped by the Administration and Rangers for over 3 month period. · Relatives and children of the tenants were badly beaten by Rangers and Police. Tenants faced these bad situations bravely and they are ready to face any trouble and suffering. · The Police and Rangers have also applied pressure on families to divorce young men and women who come from these villages. · 45 tenants (men, women and children) died due to the lack of medical treatment during the siege of these villages by the Rangers and the Police. It is important to note that in 1997, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, promised even before he was elected as Prime Minister, that the ownership of residential and agricultural land be given to the tenants of Military Farm, Okara. He ordered the Chief Secretary Punjab to give the residential and agricultural Land to tenants. The authorities put the decision in log back and did not implement the orders. However, the tenant farmers have taken up their own cause under the slogan ‘Malki Ya Maut’ (Ownership or Death). The Objectives of AMP are as follows: · To legally struggle for the right of ownership of Muzareen’s agricultural and residential land. · To enlighten the children with educational and social development. · To guide the tenants so that they can cultivate using new sustainable technologies. · To arrange entertaining, traditional and sports programs in the areas of the tenants. · To provide events for the development and prosperity of women. · To struggle for the elimination of poverty, sickness and illiteracy.
- Interests
- human rights in pakistan, labour,peasants,tenants,farmers and women rights