Mai Bakhtawar who was not known by many before a tragic incident happened in colonial India just before the partition of the subcontinent. Prior to this, the British Indian government granted large portions of agricultural land to those influencial tribal chiefs who had been thier loyal. British Colonial government came with the policy of permanent and private land ownership.
It introduced the policy of permanent settlement in subcontinent, first, it implemented Permanent Settlement Act of 1793 in Bengal then gradually in entire subcontinent. However, during Mughal era, there was ‘Mansabdari System’. Mansabdar had given a position or rank in civil or military services by King. In agricultural terms each Mansabdar had been granted estates (Jagirs) by King for a specific time period. He was responsible for land revenue and military assistance on that specific estate. Unlike, British Indian government introduced different land arrangements on the basis of permanent and private ownership.
In case of today’s Pakistan the influencial chief lords of Western Punjab and Sindh granted large estates and agricultural land under the policy of Permanent Settlement. This policy created a Semi-Feudal or Feudal class in subcontinent. The peasants (Hari) only had to work for landlords but without substantial gain. This uneven distribution of land had left profound impact on the socio-economic conditions of the peasants (Haris). Haris had been deprived for land ownership. Consequently, ‘Sindh Hari Committee’ formed in 1930 by G. M Syed with the aim of land ownership for tenants. Later on, Haidar Bakhash Jatoi a veteran Hari leader became its President. In Punjab there was ‘Punjab Kisan Committee’ struggling for land ownership of dispossessed peasants (Muzaarain).
During partition, the land arrangements were more than uneven. According to K. K Aziz, who had mentioned some of facts and figures about land distribution in Punjab in his book “Party Politics in Pakistan 1947-1958” were thought provoking. “Of the total land of about 3 crore (30 million) acres, 60 percent is in the hands of 3 percent owners and 34 percent in the hands of 97 percent.” Similar, facts and figures also presented in detail by Syed Akbar Hussain Zaidi (Director IBA Karachi) in his book “Issues in Pakistan’s Economy: A Political Economy Perspective.” However, it had become inevitable for peasants to struggle for their land ownership. All Indian Muslim League also promised for land reforms in her manifesto before the election of 1945-46.
However, for this purpose, ‘Sindh Hari Committee’ had been struggling under the leadership of Haidar Bakhsh Jatoi. On 22 June 1947, when all male members of Hari Committee of village of Dodo khan, town of Tando Bago, district Badin went for joining the Hari Conference while in the absence of male members of the village, the owner of estate Choudhry Saeedullah ( nephew of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Choudhry Zafarullah Khan) attacked on village along with his men. There was clash over “Batai System” crop sharing, Haris of villagers were not ready to gave more than half of the crops. Saeedullah and his men wanted to take more than half forcefully. It led confrontation between women of village and landlord. Mai Bakhtawar shot down and she died at the spot.
Mai Bakhtawar was from Lashari Baloch tribe and first woman martyr of peasants up rising in Sindh. This led, the government of Pakistan to form a working committee for land reforms right after partition. On August 1949, working committee propose land reforms. Besides this, in Sindh, a “Hari Inquiry Commission” was formed in 1947. The report was published on December 1948 with the recommendations of ineffective land reforms. Masud Khadarposh, a veteran civil serant, who was also the member of commission wrote his dissent notes which created uncertainty among peasants. Even strong public pressure government published his dissenting notes on June 1949.
However, a strong opposition from landlords and clergy who made religious rulings (Fatwas) that land reforms were contrary to Shariat. In this process, Maulana Abdul Hamid along with sixteen other mullas issued religious ruling on a pamphlet. But, Masud’s dissenting notes compelled government to implement Tenancy Act which did so in 1950. Mai Bakhtawar’s sacrifice was a turning point for Hari struggle in British Indian government and later on in Pakistan.
Moreover, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto and first woman Prime Minister of Islamic wolrd inspired by Mai Bakhrawar Lashari. This is interesting from which our today’s youth is not familiar, Benazir Bhutto named her elder daughter Bakhtawar. Thar International Airport given the name of Mai Bakhtawar International Airport in Tharparkar district. A girls cadet college in Nawab Shah also dedicated to her name. A short film “Mai Bakhtawar” also produced by department of Culture of Sindh government which is written and directed by Shah Nawaz Bhatti. An ordinary Baloch woman from Sindh changed the history of millions of peasants (Haris) and she is alive today.
Also Read: Colonial Mindset of Mainstream Political Parties and Masses
