Pakistan: Neglected Flood Victims protest against the Government

Report (with Photo) of the Revolutionary Workers Organization (RCIT-Section in Pakistan), 19.11.2014, www.thecommunists.net

The recent flood catastrophe in Pakistan – one of the worst floods the country has ever seen – had terrible consequences for the popular masses. 500 to 600 people died, more than 700,000 people have lost their homes. All in all about more than 3 million people are affected.

Many of the flood victims are forced to stay in camps with no toilets or clean water. As a result there are increasing numbers of people who have fallen ill. Children are suffering from skin rashes and infections. At the same time charity medical centers are overwhelmed because they are ill-equipped. The situation threatens now to become even worse because of the approaching winter.

The reason for this is the appalling incompetence of the state institutions and their bureaucratic neglect of the victims. The public administrations only care to support owners of industrial enterprises or big agricultural land. For them, the rural workers and peasants don’t count.

The flood victims demand compensation and state support to rebuild their homes. But many have not received anything until now. As a result protests are increasing. There have been mass demonstrations and street blockades in the affected areas.

Supporters of the Revolutionary Workers Organization (RCIT-Section in Pakistan) supported the flood victims in the Hafizabad district to bring a delegation of 12 persons to Lahore on 16 November in order to meet representatives of the regional administration. Before the negotiations they staged a small protest action in Lahore. (See the photo below)

It is necessary to force the trade unions and other popular organization to support the flood victims and to organize national mass actions. This is the only way how the victims can receive their justified compensations!

However as long as capitalism exists the state administration will always serve the capitalists and rich land owners and not the workers and peasants. Only a socialist revolution and a workers’ and peasants’ republic which eliminates the capitalist exploiter system can eradicate the misery our people are suffering!

Photo of the protest in Lahore: http://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/asia/pakistan-flood-victims/