Daily Times

Historical documents show that tribal culture predates most cultures. Since time immemorial, people have been living in tribes under a tribal chief to have control over their respective region.The interior Sindh houses a huge number of tribes, which include Solangi, Brohi, Mahar, Jatoi, Jagirani, Bhaya, Bijarani, Teghani, Magsi, Nareja and many others.For last three decades, the tribal situation has worsened in the region. A colossal number of tribal feuds among many tribes have occurred, which ruthlessly have devoured an astronomical number of lives to date. Recently, the bloody clash has resurfaced in the interior Sindh’s Kashmore and Shikarpur districts.

On March 5, 2019, Teghani tribe’s around 10 persons laced with sophisticated weapons attacked on village Jan Muhammad Bijarani at district Kashmore and killed Wali Muhammad Bijarani, a son of influential person. The murder was in retaliation for the recent killing of a Teghani tribe’s person, who was murdered after the dispute between the tribes was settled by a jirga (tribal court).

The hostility between these tribes, which live in the bordering areas of Shikarpur and Kashmore districts, had started in 2014 over the ownership of a piece of land and theft of cattle heads.Many a time the deadly attacks and counter-attacks with rockets and guns have occurred between them since. Embarked upon the petty issue, the devastating war has claimed around 38 lives of people of the both tribes to date.

In January 2019, a jirga was held in Shikarpur to settle the deadly clash that had claimed at least 36 lives of villagers and left around 260 injured. The jirga was attended by a number of tribal chieftains, influential land lords, sardars, notables and some of the feudal politicians of the interior Sindh. The tribal court hearing both sides’ statements had found that 19 people of Teghani and 17 persons of Bijarani were killed in the dispute. The jirga fixed Rs.1 million compensation for each murder and ordered the both tribes to pay fine to each other.The matter of fixing and paying the fine money for injured people was left undecided, which resulted in resurfacing the dispute.

Amidst many other factors, the significant factor responsible for the resurfacing and long lasting brutal tribal clashes is that the compensation money fixed by jirgas is not given to the bereaved families for the killing of their family members

It has been observed that in this part of Pakistan the clashes initiated on inconsequential issues, which include land disputes, waterways, honour killings, theft of livestock,and matrimonial relations etc, culminate in the deadly wars which devour an astronomical number of lives. The so-called superiority complex intensively prevailing among tribes further aggravate the situation.Hundreds of such tribal clashes have occurred in this region. Some of them have been resolved and several have not yet been settled. In 1987, violent feuds between Jatoi and Mahar started over the ownership claim to a piece of agriculture land in Shikarpur, which continued for around twenty long years, claimed over one hundred innocent lives. In Ghotki, bloody war between the Kosh and Solangi tribes lasted for six years and took the toll of 90 lives. Sawand and Sabzoi tribes in Kandhkot-Kashmore fought the fatal dispute, which continued for five years and killed 65 innocent people. The deadly warfare had taken place between Saad Khananis and Badanis-sub-tribes of Jatoi tribe, which devoured 25 lives. In 2002, after two women of Nareja were abducted, a clash had started between the Jagirani and Nareja tribes in Khairpur district. However, the women were returned to their parents, the tension between the tribes still exists.

Amidst many other factors, the significant factor responsible for the resurfacing and long lasting brutal tribal clashes is that the compensation money fixed by jirgas is not given to the bereaved families for the killing of their family members. As per established tradition of tribal disputes in Sindh, murder is compensated with murder and remaining amount of money goes into the pockets of tribal chieftains. Now, if jirga is held again to settle the Teghani-Bijarani conflict, killings of18 peoples of Bijarani will be compensated with 18 murders of Teghani. For the remaining two murders, the former tribe will pay Rs.2 million to the later tribe.

According to Bhittai Social Watch and Advocacy (BSWA), a local NGO, within five years from 2010 to 2014 around 2301 people including 160 women and 45 children were killed brutally and 3697 injured in 1566 tribal clashes reported from 22 districts of the interior Sindh. This means that every year 313 tribal conflicts occur, and 460 people are killed. Of the overall 22 affected districts, eight districts such as Khairpur, Shikarpur, Larkana, Kashmore, Sukkur, Qamber-Shahdadkot, Ghotki and Jacobabad have been the most affected districts.

In Sindh, it often happens in tribal wars that people of the warring tribes are killed indiscriminately, regardless of whether they are involved in any murder or not.In the race of killing in vengeance for killing, each party tries utmost to equalize the number of casualties. Thus,the most sufferers in these clashes are the weak and the peaceful people because the target killers of the rival tribes kill them with an ease in retaliation to murders of their people.

The fact is that education, health, economy and culture in the conflict zones are badly affected. During the clashes, the conflict-hit regions remain no-go-areas not only for the people of each disputing tribe but also for police and outsiders. Normal day to day business in those areas remains suspended because of the prevailing uncertain atmosphere. Schools and health facilities-basic health units and rural health units-remain are closed due to the precarious law and order situation in these war-torn-areas. Children miss out on the opportunity to get education. Thus, the overall literacy rate in these villages is very low. People are unable to get medical treatment. Women have to experience reproductive health issues and polio campaigns are affected adversely.

As weapons culture prevails over culture of peace and harmony, therefore the terrified people of conflict-stricken areas stop to hold and attend all sorts of social gatherings such as local festivals, marriage ceremonies in traditional manner. For many years, the people of fighting tribes remain isolated from the world as they cannot go out of their areas.

Once dispute is initiated, no member of the warring tribe can move freely to look after his crops or carry on his job at another village, town or city because of the fear of getting killed by the adversaries.Thus, personal properties are destroyed, jobs are lost and many of the livestock are died. The situation results in financial crisis for people of conflicting tribes. To feed their hungry family members, they become criminals, outlaws and commit crimes including theft, robbery, murders for money, and kidnapping for ransom. The gangster Ghulam Rasool Mazari alias Chotuand his gang members, who had killed seven policemen, injured 18 and took 25 hostages in an island in Indus River area between Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan districts in Southern Punjab bordering the district Kashmore. The notorious ringleader Nazro Narejoand his gang members in Khairpur district have been involved in a great number of murders, and kidnappings across the interior Sindh.Among many others, they are the creation of tribal wars.

It is high time that the Sindh government should shoulder the task of putting an end to all the ongoing tribal conflicts including this Teghani-Bijarani warfare by taking stringent legal measures.

The writer is an academician

Published in Daily Times, March 23^rd 2019.