MIRPUR KHAS: Members of the civil society and non-governmental organisations have demanded the government to implement bonded labours laws in its letter and spirit. In this connection, a two-day drive to highlight the plight of bonded labourers began on Wednesday. The campaign would be launched in other parts of the country with the help of welfare bodies, while a ‘free bonded labour’ festival would be held on October 15 at Jhlori. Activists of the civil society, trade unionists, media persons, lawyers, human rights activists and other stakeholders would participate in the campaign. Speaking on the occasion, rights activists demanded the government to provide land to liberated bonded labours and skilled workers enabling them to earn livelihood. They urged rulers to implement the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1992 and establish a parliamentary committee to review the existing laws. “In the light of Supreme Court’s directives of October 20, 2006 to the provincial chief secretaries as a short term measure, standard operating procedure should be adopted by respective provincial governments for introducing a mechanism through the Labour Department for registration of brick kilns,” they said. “The access to bonded labour funds should be simplified and institution of district vigilance committees should be activated by linking it to provincial legal aid cells.” They called upon government to implement international conventions and minimum wages in different sectors of economy, including informal sector. “Tens of thousands of labours in the country, particularly in southern Sindh and Punjab were living in miserable condition at agriculture farms and brick kilns. So far 9,000 bonded labours had been liberated through courts.” They appealed to the print and electronic media to expose causes of bonded labour. They said that several non-governmental organisations were successfully running bonded labour projects in Mirpur Khas and Umerkot districts in Sindh and providing free of cost legal aid to the families of bonded labours. Meanwhile, addressing an event organised by the Arks Welfare Organisation, Kashif Bashir, president Rotary Club Mirpur Khas, said that there were at least 1.7 million bonded labours in agriculture sector in Pakistan. “This is in addition to the bonded labourers working in brick kilns, carpet weaving, and other informal sector,” he said, adding: “We can only eliminate bonded labour if we accept that it exists.” Hindus celebrate Navratri: The Hindu community is celebrating a 10-day religious festival Navratri, twice a year in Mirpurkhas and other parts of interior Sindh with religious fervour. Pakistan Hindu Welfare Panchayat President Lachman Das Perwani said that Nav in Sanskrit means nine and Ratri means nights which starts from September 21 and concludes on September 30. He said during the festival, Hindus pray to their mother goddess. Hindu Welfare Panchayat Press Secretary Mukesh Kumar said bhajans would be played in Lal Mandir and Shiv Mandir during celebrations. Pakistan Hindu Welfare Panchyat Vice President Mangha Ram said fasting on all nine days accompanied with prayers. Published in Daily Times, September 28th 2017.