Floods devastation in Pakistan - a system in decay aggravates human disaster

The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign has launched Revolutionary
Flood Relief and Protest Committees across Pakistan, especially in the
intensely affected areas, to conduct an efficient and effective rescue
and relief effort. Fifty seven camps from this campaign have been set up
in various regions and the PTUDC is appealing for help.

Photo by Vicki Francis / UKaid / Department for International Development.The
recent heavy rain and the worst ever floods in Pakistan in 80 years
have brought even greater misery for the millions of oppressed masses
already ravaged by unprecedented levels of terrorism, brutality of the
state, poverty, hunger, exorbitant prices, unemployment and suffering.
It has been declared by the UNO to be a greater human disaster than the
Asian tsunami of 2004, the Kashmir earthquake in 2005 and the disaster
in Haiti, in terms of the number of people affected.

More than 20 million people have been displaced and affected by this
calamity. About 2000 have perished and thousands are suffering from
disease and hunger. Their dwellings have been swept away and their crops
have been destroyed. They have no shelter and have been out in the open
in agony and pain without food or water for more than a week.

The already crumbling economy will be shattered by this disaster and
the rulers will further increase the exploitation and misery of the
working masses. The response of the present regime has been disgraceful.
The Prime Minister has already declared the government has not enough
resources or the machinery to conduct effective relief and supply of
food to the millions of victims who belong to the oppressed classes.

Leaflet issued by PTUDC and BNT (Unemployed Youth Movement)Instead,
the official message for the victims has been to recite verses from the
Quran and say prayers. In reality, this “natural disaster” is more
manmade than anything that the so-called “wrath of God” could unleash
for the so-called “sins” of these impoverished souls. What “sin” have
they committed, unless being poor is a sin?

In the last sixty three years of its existence the ruling classes of
Pakistan have failed to build a reasonable infrastructure. This
situation has been aggravated in the last few years with 80% of the
official revenues going to imperialist institutions in debt servicing
and extravagant spending on the military.

It has been reported adding to the miseries provoked by the
crumbling and rotten infrastructure that some feudal landlordss and
government officials in South Punjab conspired to direct the flood
waters to the city of Kot Addu to save their crops. At Taunsa Barrage
armed goons of the local feudal landlords and MPs were present to make
sure the flood waters were kept away from their crops, which eventually
resulted in the catastrophe of drowning the whole city of Kot Addu.
Similar incidents have been reported near Jampur and other areas.

The imperialists and the subservient ruling elite in Pakistan have
plundered the state and society. The rich have become richer and the
oppressed have been continually pushed into the bottomless pit of
poverty and deprivation. None of the victims belong to the ruling
classes. It is not accidental that even natural disasters like floods,
droughts and earthquakes hit only the poor.

Photo: UNICEF/mogwanja.It
is a commonly held opinion among the impoverished masses that much of
the relief funds will not get to their destination because of the
corrupt nature of the state and many of the western sponsored NGOs. The
so-called “world community”, i.e. the dominant classes and politicians
of the capitalist world, are themselves facing severe economic crisis.
Hence their capacity to donate has been dented. In any case, so blatant
is the corruption of the Pakistani rulers that the imperialists do not
even trust their own stooges to spend the donations properly on relief
efforts. The historical experience of such disasters and the relief
efforts proves that it is the poor who donate and sacrifice more for the
impoverished victims of such catastrophes.

The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC) has launched
Revolutionary Flood Relief and Protest Committees across Pakistan,
especially in the intensely affected areas, to conduct an efficient and
effective rescue and relief effort. Fifty seven camps of this campaign
have been set up in various regions. Hundreds of PTUDC activists are
actually among the victims. And they are also participating in this
relief effort and organising protests to demand relief aid from the
government.

Through this report the PTUDC is appealing to the workers and people
around the world to support the PTUDC in this struggle in such atrocious
conditions. These are testing times for us in this tragic society. But
it is our firm belief that we shall overcome these hardships and all
obstacles to help these oppressed masses. They have inflicted insult
upon injury with the callous and indifferent attitude of the ruling
elite.

PTUDC medical reliefThe
immediate task now is to get aid where it is needed. However, once the
masses understand the political and socio-economic causes of this
tyranny, they will rise up against this system and with the support of
the working classes across the planet shall transform society. The
exploitation, looting and plunder must be brought to an end. All the
resources need to be dedicated to the survival and prosperity of
ordinary working people and of the whole of the human race.

If we simply limit ourselves to aid today, but do not also step up
the struggle to radically transform society, such disasters will happen
again and again. A socialist transformation of society is therefore what
is required. The PTUDC vows to carry this struggle to the end. With
your solidarity and support we shall provide immediate aid where we have
bases of support and then go on to accomplish the enormous tasks posed
by history.

Programme and demands

Leaflet issued by PTUDC and BNT (Unemployed Youth Movement)To make certain that all flood victims receive food and medicines along with other basic necessities.
All those people whose homes have been destroyed by the flood to be given financial aid to rebuild their homes.
All those peasants whose crops have been damaged to receive compensation.
To protest against the government’s failure and brutality in relief efforts and its incapacity to cope with this disaster.
To form Flood Relief & Protest Committees in all areas to organize relief and protest activities.
Leaflet issued by PTUDC and BNT (Unemployed Youth Movement)We
demand severe action against those feudal landlords who directed the
flood towards cities to save their crops. Also, severe action
against any officials involved.
To step up the struggle for the socialist transformation of society
because this capitalist system cannot repair this decaying
infrastructure and will only lead to more deaths.