Roadblok
19.01.2009
Sometimes justice is done in Pakistan to the bonded labourers.
As the sun set, another baby of a peasant farm labouring family was buried from Mojar village. Mojar is in Badin parish, Sindh province, situated near the mighty Indus River.
Later that evening we were about to pray the Mass in the village, under the stars when Roupshi arrived agitated. Premchand, the catechist requested Roupshi to relax and tell us clearly what was the problem.
"My family are being sold from one landlord to another. They are on the back of the truck now," he said.
We walked across the field to where about 40 peasant farm workers had gathered. Some "big" landlords were also there. The women and children were already in a truck with their few belongings.
Large numbers of the Parkari Kholi Tribal people work for landlords in bonded labour. Because of poverty and injustice they are captured into debt and so 'bound' by the terrible unjust feudal system.
There was much tension, fear and anger in the air.
The truck drove out of the village with the people in it with a car driven at high speed close behind. The dust rising up captured our feelings of helplessness and broken-heartedness. Why had the people not taken more action? The villagers replied, "The landlords have guns. We are for non-violence. If we did violence we would be stuck in more trouble."
A couple of days later I met Dharmo, Roupshi's father at court where he was putting a case against the landlords for kidnapping his son and family. The next day I received a phone call to say that Dharmo had died suddenly. He was at a village tea shop drinking tea with friends when the landlord called him a derogatory name. Dharmo was told that his family were captives in a private jail. If Dharmo paid up 4 lakhs rupees (US$7,000) they could be released.
On hearing this Dharmo was so heart-shocked he died.
The landlord then would not allow Roupshi's family to go for the funeral as he did not believe that Dharmo had died and described the situation as a "drama." Funeral arrangements were made and prayers were prayed in Mojar village lead by catechist Tony Kajou and Columban Fr Tony Cavanagh.
Dharmo was to be buried about 80kms away but as the landlord would not release Roupshi and family to attend the funeral, the people decided to "roadblok."
They took the dead body on the charpoi (string and wooden bed) and placed it on a bridge on the busy National Highway linking Badin to Karachi. The women sat on the bridge around the body and a few hundred people gathered as "people power" in securing the "roadblok." Christian, Hindus and Muslims were in solidarity in this non-violent action. Meanwhile a long line of traffic built up on either side of the bridge.
Many police, ranger soldiers and press reporters arrived. The police had tear-gas canisters and guns at the ready. Some big leaders pleaded with hands joined and said that they would co-operate with the peasant farmers who also had their own leaders involved in the negotiations.
At last the District Superintendent of Police stated that the offending landlords would be arrested, Roupshi and family would be set free. When the women and those close by were told of the outcome of the discussions they hesitated at first but when assured that this would happen gave up their positions. We felt God's help and Dharmo had "done his job," so we carried his body off the bridge.
The offending landlords were arrested and locked up in the police jail. Two days later the two parties gathered at the police station with the police chiefs. In the lockup there was no electricity, so no fans. The landlords found it hot and were fanning themselves with their loose clothes. "We did wrong and we ask for forgiveness," they confessed. Noting the landlords were "feeling the heat" the peasant farm labourers grasped the opportunity and successfully requested that Roupshi's brother and family be also set free with his debt cancelled.
A couple of days later Roupshi arrived at the church. He was in ripped clothes and barefoot. "I have been like this since I was captured," he explained. We made arrangements for the memorial Mass for his father, Dharmo.
I assisted fellow Columban Tony Cavanagh who celebrated the Mass. We prayed, sang, read the Bible and shared the Body and Blood of Christ.
With the stars glittering in the heavens, the candles glowing, the wind blowing gently, we remembered God and Dharmo and with hope in our hearts that "the meek will soon inherit the earth."
Fr Daniel O’Connor first went to Pakistan in 1983.
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