WEEKS after locals blocked off major arteries in Sindh to protest a proposal to build new canals on the Indus, eventually forcing the government to suspend its plans, trouble is still simmering. Last Tuesday, there was a violent confrontation between workers of a nationalist party and police in Moro, Naushahro Feroze, where the two came face to face during a demonstration. The protesters, who had gathered to air their grievances against enforced disappearances of political activists, corporate farming and the aforementioned canals, were asked by local police to stop obstructing traffic and disperse peacefully. When they refused, the police resorted to force. In the ensuing chaos, one protester was killed and around a dozen policemen and protesters injured, one of them critically. The provincial home minister’s residence in the area was torched by a mob. The Sindh government has since described the incident as ‘terrorism’.

The Moro protest had followed one in Hyderabad on Sunday on the same issues, albeit the violence was limited in scale. Following that protest, police had booked the family members of a prominent Sindhi intellectual, along with others, on sedition charges and made some arrests. This triggered considerable consternation among the public. The Moro incident, too, was followed by criminal charges being filed against large numbers of locals and arrests of protesters. But while violence in any form cannot be condoned, the provincial authorities would do well to exercise restraint. Although the canal movement has largely cooled off following the announcement from the federal government, there is still considerable discontent within Sindh over state overreach. The conversations have started turning to corporate farming, and locals are worried about how the land allocated to corporate projects will be irrigated. It is important that the Sindh government listens to its constituents and addresses their concerns. Arrests and crackdowns will only stir more trouble.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2025