User:ZahidKhaleelSoomro Boriri/sandbox

Village & DEH: BORIRI, Taluka: Khairpur Nathan Shah, District: Dadu, Sindh

Villages in Sindh are comprised of different “Paras/Muhallas”-several households of the same caste separated off from each other by a brush wood fence, or mud wall, or burnt brick wall. Each Para may consist of between 1 to 20 households, living as joint, nuclear or extended families. Usually each Para comprises both hari and wage laborer households.

Boriri is located in Taluka: Khairpur Nathan Shah, District: Dadu, Sindh. Village Boriri is situated on the link road between Khairpur Nathan shah and Piaro Goth. This is a big village in Taluka K.N.Shah. Total population of this village is approximately 10,000. Total Houses are more than 1000. This village is the 3rd largest village in Taluka-K.N.Shah. This village is at the distance of 12 kilo meters on the south of K.N.Shah, in the jurisdiction of UC Kakar. Mix houses are built with local building materials. Mostly sun dried bricks and burnt bricks are used with mud mortar or cement mortar. Village consists of big or narrow streets and cul-de-sac streets.Facilities of Basic Health Unit, Post Office, Police Station, one Government Boys High School, 2 Government Primary Boys School, 1 Government Girls Middle School and 1 Government Girls High School is available in this village.

Apart from landholding, the most visible sign of status difference with the village is house construction. Village houses can be categories as following:

Super Class (Bungalows/Pucca house): These symbolize a very different style from middle or lower class. Most of the people have “Autaque’s” or sitting place which functions as meeting place for men and use as guest house also for male visitors. Autaques normally build and furnished from their own funds.

Middle Class (Mix Pucca/Katcha houses):

Low Class (Katcha/Wattle & Daub) houses:

Following are the main forms of houses in which they live are: Chhappar, Pakho, Manahun or Landhi, Animal Shed, Fodder store shed etc.

Life in this village is quieter and calm. Villagers are simple, homely and peaceful. People have close relationship with each other. But now lot of disputes and conflicts arises between Junejas and Chandias. There are tea hotels in this village where villagers came for tea and meet with each other and make gupshup. They enjoy watching T.V Programmaes and listen music i.e. local songs. There is lot of shops from which villagers purchased things of their daily use. 50% people are educated and other do different jobs, like: Farming, laboring, Government servants. Some have their own agricultural land for cultivation. They always meet with natural forces and defend themselves bravely. Women are working in the houses not outside.

History: This is very old village but no history is found in books. However as per discussions with old men of this village, they said that long time ago an old woman named “Buriri” came to live here and built shelter for her and her animals called “Wathaan” (Living place for animals). Sindhu River was flowing near to this village on east side. Then name Buriri was modified and now this village is famous as “Boriri Sharif”. As Sindhu river was flowing near to this village, therefore, Mirbhurs also came to live here because there source of income was “Fishing and Boating”. They leaved this village some 30 years ago and settled elsewhere surrounding this village. Now there is no any Mirbhur or Mallah is living in this village.

Then, Mian Muhammad Mureed Abbasi, who belongs to the family of Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro, came to this village with their followers and settled in this village. Dargah of Mian Muhammad Mureed is still standing in this village. This holy saint is famous as “Pakhey Waaro Sain”

After that Khan Bahadur (Abdul Nabi) Muhammad Mureed, who belongs to Juneja tribe, settled in this village with their family and relatives. Changja also converted in Junejas. Khan Bahadur Muhammad Mureed was servant in police department. This family was shifted from Village Vaijee to this village. Village Vaijee is located on North-East of this village. He purchased lot of agricultural land surrounding to this village. To ploughing this land, he brought other persons to this village who serve for him and those were Changja tribe. At present there is no any single person living in this village and they all are settled in big cities of Sindh for business or serving in government departments. But randomly they visit this village to look after their agricultural land and for accounts etc. They met their comdaars (Clerks) and got information related to their land and crops and their progress and accounts. With the passage of time population of this village increased and other families also settled in this village. They got jobs in this village, because there were more job opportunities and agricultural related works in this village. Soomra, Channa, Mangi, Hingora and Bughia came to this village for the purpose mentioned above.

Then Bughia tribe exiled their Murshid (Religious Leader) “Syed Bhudhal Shah” from Lakky Shah Saddar to this village. Syed Bhudhal shah established Maddaressa and started teaching religious education to the villagers. Syed Bhudhal Shah got married with Bughia woman and permanently settled in this village. Dargah Bhudhal Shah is still witness of his existence. His successors are still living in this village. Nephew of Syed Bhudhal Shah, Haji Ashraf Shah continued his teachings and running Maddaressa. Haji Ashraf Shah died on ---. Now his younger brother Syed Ghulam Nabi Shah took charge.

Tradition of getting education in this village is very old. Government Boys Primary School was established in this village in 1882. Government Girls Primary school was established in 1932. Now there is separate Schools and High Schools for boys and girls.

TRD also opened two English medium schools for children and one separate school for old women to get education. Lot of students passed from the schools of Boriri, are now working at high level of positions in the government or private institutions of Sindh/Pakistan. They are getting higher educations from country’s reputable universities and professional colleges/Universities.

Villagers of Boriri: Following multiple castes is living in this village: Soomra, Syed (Shah), Abbasi, Juneja, Bughia, Hingora, Mangi, Channa, Manganhaar, Changja. These people live in pure and natural atmosphere, which cannot find in cities. More curtsey can be found in these villagers. They respect their elders and love their Youngers. They know each other and share each other’s happiness and woes. In few words I can say that village life in this village is best from all other places, because, it is free from hypocrisy and artificiality. Shabnam Nasir said that ants have all the virtues that are needed by any society to function effectively. May be human beings can benefit from these tiny creatures whose fascinating accomplishments should not be taken lightly. Qualities such as dedication, unity, and commitment are something that every member of the human race can learn from these members of the insect community.

Language of Village Boriri’s People: Village Boriri’s main language is Sindhi. The Sindhi language is the most valuable cultural heritage that the Boriri possesses. Boriri is the oldest village of Taluka: Khairpur Nathan shah. Sindhi language is spoken by all the population. Sindhi is spoken in remarkable purity and with complete grammatically and un educated alike.

Household equipment’s and facilities: Some villagers also own other items of household equipment, such as a bicycle, fan, radio or T.V; but these items are owned by very few villagers. Basic household facilities are less common, some villagers have an hand pump. Most of the villagers have possessed a Pucca Houses/Latrines.

Livestock and Livelihood Resources: Majority of villagers kept animals like: Cows, Buffalos, Goats, and Donkeys, as source of draught power and as a supplement to crop income. Oxen are usually kept in pair, for ploughing purposes. But now-a-days machinery has taken this task. Buffalos, Cows and Goats are kept by the majority of people, being used as a source of meat and milk production.

Farm Inventories: Some farmers possess an Ox plough, some own an Ox cart & some a hand operated fodder chopper. Few other items of agricultural equipment’s are borrowed by farmers.

Food and Drink: Boririans have always attributed their good health to the intake of milk products in large quantities. They thrived on such products as milk, cream, butter and ghee unmindful of the risks of gaining bulk, and the ill effects it may have on their physiques and the distortions it may cause to their figures. They regarded ghee as the supreme source of energy and not as a probable cause of heart attacks. They believed in the saying that” Jo Kheerpiay so veer thiay” In Punjabi, there is famous saying that ”Jo karegheo, nakaremaantenakarepeo” (No mother or father can do for your health what ghee does). In summer, Lassie (Buttermilk) is a staple drink at both breakfast and lunch.

Dresses: Men wear course & thick clothes, especially Shalwar and Qameez in winter and Goad & Pehraan in summer season. Women wear mix clothes locally made like: Ghaghaas, Cholas, readymade and cotton dresses. Women are generally strong and healthy.

Source of earning: Mostly people cultivate the fertile soil of their area and produce a lot of food grains. Their work is not same through the year. But it goes on changing with the change of season. They eat simple food, but it is pure from the mixture of harmful things.

Boriri’s Religious, Cultural Customs and Traditions:

The ceremonies connected with the epoch of human life, birth, marriage, and death amongst Muslims, are essentially the same. The ceremonies connected with entrance into life and the Muslim faiths are three, viz, Naming, Shaving the head (Akiko), and circumcision (Khutno or Tuhar Sunnat).

Naming: (At the time of Chhatti Ceremony):

As soon as possible after the birth of a child, the father or in his absence an uncle or other elderly relation, repeats in his or her ear call to prayer, “Allah is Great”, in order that the name of Allah may be the first sound that it hears in this world. After the seven days of the birth of a child, at “Chhatti Ceremony” father gives it its name. Giving good name to a child is the first gift from a father to a child.

Shaving: (Shaving of Jhand):

On the 7th, 14th, 21st, or on the 40th day, the child’s head is shaved with curious ceremonies which appear to be be symbolic of a sacrifice of atonement.

Two goats without spot or blemish are sacrificed in the case of boy, one in the case of a girl. Then the flesh of them is cooked and distributed among relations and friends. Hair (Jhand) of a child are preserved and solemnly buried in a selected spot (Sometimes within the house). The hair is first weighed against silver or gold, which is given in charity. The relations present at the ceremony wave money round the child’s head and this (Called “Ghor”) becomes the barber’s fee.

Circumcision: (Khutno or Tuhar Sunnat):

No age is prescribed for circumcision. Rarely it is performed on the 6th day after birth, but generally when the child has grown to boyhood. Poor people are tempted to postpone it on account of the expense. On the day of the ceremony the boy is dressed and garlanded and taken round to town, on the horse back if means permit, to the sound of drums. Then the rite is performed by the barber in the presence of relations and friends. The barber’s fee is placed by the father under the boy’s right foot, in addition to which he gets the boy’s old clothes and the whole, or parts of any money (Ghor) which friends may wave for luck round the boy’s head.

Marriages: The stability of the village population is partly encouraged by the tendency of Sindhi Muslim castes to marry within the caste and within the village. “First Cousin Marriage” is preferred.

When a young man (Musuliman) in Boriri desires a wife he seeks first within the circle of his own family connections or failing, that within his own tribe. Then he goes outside of it, he must marry beneath him, for no self-respecting father will give his daughter to a tribe which is socially below his own. The daughter of syed can marry only a syed and so on down the ladder. But syed man is free to marry anyone outside tribe. Off course the young man cannot act in the matter himself. The go between is usually a woman of good repute; if a syed, so much the better when it has been ascertained through her that the father of the girl in view is well disposed, an offer is made and usually has to be repeated once or twice; for it on an appointed day the bridegroom, with his father and mother and a family party and a band of musicians or Manghanhar, proceed to the house of the bride carrying sweetmeats and presents. When they have seated themselves, the men with the men and the women in the women’s apartment, the barber’s wife is sent to the former with a tray of sweetmeats and a pot of milk. When they have eaten and drunk and established mutual cordiality the fatihah or opening chapter of the Holy Quran is recited, all with raised hands and the betrothal (Mangno/Mangni) is complete.

The nose of bride is pierced for the ring which she will wear at her wedding, unless she belongs to one of the few tribes who do not wear that ornament.

After this it is considered a little dishonorable to break off the match and the two families continue to exchange presents by way of keeping the entente cordiale. But matches are sometimes broken off, especially when the betrothal of boy and girl has been arranged in their infancy, or before their birth. Many law suits spring from this cause. However, early the betrothal may have been, the marriage ceremony is not usually performed among respectable until the girl and boy have arrived at adolescence; it is earlier in the village and is apt to be hastened by the anxiety of a fond mother to see her son “Settled”.


 * The approach of the wedding day is indicted for perhaps a month before hand by pipes and drums ( a group of Manghanhar) and marry making.

A week before the event the beautifying and sweetening of the bride (WanWah) begin. She keeps her own room, wearing a veil “an unleavened cake of wheaten flour made into dough with clarified butter and mixed with brown sugar, a bilious mess, popularly supposed to increase the delicacy of the skin”.

The barber’s wife attends her daily, bathes her, rubs her with wheat flour or oil, blackens her eyes with kajjal (Lamp black), dyes her lips with Musag (Walnut bark)and her palms and soles with mehindi (Henna).


 * Census returns show that the majority of girls of classes taken together are married before the age of ten, but possibly all betrothed are returned as married.

Three days before the wedding the bridegroom is similarly prepared by the barber and then taken round the Boriri Village on show, on horseback if than can afford it. The feasting of the friends and relation begins after this.

On the evening of the wedding day the bridegroom is again groomed by the barber and dressed in clothes presented by the bride’s father, while the bride is appareled and arrayed in the presents of bride groom; the bride groom’s party proceed to the bride’s home, where a Nikah Khawan is present. Three of nearest of kin on the bride groom’s side and three on the bride’s take an official part in the ceremony. One is being termed the “Vakil” and the other witness.

The ceremony is simple and begins with the time worn questions, “Will thou have this woman? And Will thou have this man?” repeated three times and duly responded to in the affirmative. Then the marriage settlements are made and duly recorded by the witnesses, after which the Nikah ceremony is performed.

After the wedding there is the nocturnal procession through the village, and then the party returns to the bride’s home, where amusing ceremonies, not enjoyed by religion but sanctioned by custom, are gone through.

The most indispensible of these is (Matha-Mer), the knocking together (gently) of the heads of the bride and bridegroom by a married lady of the family as they sit opposite each other, she to the east and he to the west, with a pillow between them.

The ruinous expenses of a marriage, apart from the HaqMahar (Alimony) which the bridegroom is bound by religious law to settle on the bride, consist chiefly in the feasting and the numerous presents which the father of the bridegroom is required to make to relations and friends on peril of losing his character as a gentle man.

The Guests contribute something towards the feasting expenses by the small money presents which they all bring, as they do at a circumcision, and the wealth expended on presents is kept, as far as possible, from going out of the family by the common practice of exchanging brides.

When a girl of one family has married into another, some male relation of hers obtains a wife from her husband’s family in return. So the marriage gifts are mutual and the money spent on them is not quite lost. After her marriage a woman is supposed to visit her parents every Friday till her first child is born. There is no bar to the marriage of divorced women or widows.

Pardah (Veil): The Pardah (Veil) system prevails among respectable families in the village, and sects, the syeds, Kalhoras particularly, are extremely jealous of letting their women be seen; but the working classes go about with perfect freedom.

To settle disputes: Large Zamindar/Wadero is the informal leader of the village and takes responsibility for setting disputes and representing the village to outside agencies.

Deaths: When a Musliman is at the point of death, a few drops of honey are dropped into his mouth and relatives standing round him read appropriate passages from the Holy Quran and repeat the creed and prayers for forgiveness. It is considered a sad thing to die where there is no one competent to do this.

After death the eyes and lips are closed and then the body is carefully and thoroughly washed by a Ghusl or a Mulla whose particular office it is, after it is wrapped in a shroud called “Kaffan”. Rose water and sprinkled over it and it is laid on a bier and covered with a shawl, a copy of the Holy Quran being placed at its head.

The bier is carried to the burying ground by four of the nearest kinsmen of the deceased and followed by the mourners, reciting kalmia. In the grave a hollow is dug, into which, after all present have prayed for the peace of the soul, the body is laid on its side, with the face towards Mecca.

On the 3rd day, “Soyem” feast is given at the house of mourning, after prayers and the reading of the Quran. The same thing is sometimes repeated on the tenth day and other days, but a feast to all relation on the 40th day is usually the conclusion of the period of mourning.

Rich men employ Mullahs to read the Quran at the grave for 40 days and after that sometimes for years. The memory of the departed is kept up by praying and reading on occasion at his tomb/grave, but in any case the “Baarho” or anniversary ceremony, one year after the death, must be observed.

Status of Village Women:

The low status of women is evident from the day of birth; Daies (Birth attendants) are paid more for delivering a boy than a girl. A daughter’s education is deemed less important than a son’s, partly because a boy’s education is seen to equip him for his financial dominant role, partly because the investment in a girl’s education is not seen as “beneficial” to her natal family on marriage, and partly because education is associated with skills which are needed outside the household, in the public world of men. Because, no direction is made between education and health, nutrition, or sanitation, or between the advantages for children of having educated parents, particularly educated mothers, girl’s education is only gradually becoming perceived as a priority.

Amongst landlords/Zamindar households the connection between a girl’s education and her social status is appreciated; however, to what extent this appreciation is inspired principally by the knowledge that educated girls have better marriage prospects was not ascertained.

Women in the village economy:

Women have virtually no say in decision making as far as crops are concerned, but many had a joint say in livestock sales. Because of the prevailing security situation, the amount women and their daughters travel (to wedding and places of prayer and to school outside villages) is more restricted than for men, altering the social setup and level of outside contact. Women are responsible for three different categories: House keeping, Rearing livestock. Men are responsible for the following categories of work: Ploughing and watering the agricultural fields, Transporting the crop to market, With women weeding, harvesting and milking. Women who were trained Daies or teachers had high status for a number of reasons; they were trained/educated; their income was wholly independent of other family members; and they performed a role which was useful to the community.

General State of Health: The general health of the majority of respondents was extremely poor. In this village following diseases are found as common diseases in terms of the frequency in which they were perceived to occur in this village.

Ø Common Fever i.e. High temperature

Ø Malaria

Ø Diarrhea

Ø Gynecological Problems

Ø Eye infections

Ø Typhoid

Ø Skin diseases

Ø Cough

Ø Small Pox

Ø Tuberculosis

Ø Diabetes

The prevalence of diarrhea was due to the common practice of drinking directly from the Hand Pump or Well. Such water was not filtered or boiled

Village Activities

§     Animal Racelling

Each pair of bulls was to complete three rounds of the ground. This event is usually organized by village organizers committee that projected the local culture. The event is important because it provided the villagers with an opportunity to spend time together. The winners (the owners of the bulls) wereawarded turbans who secure the top three positions.

Special diet is prepared for the bull so that it could be powerful enough to run along with the carts. A large crowd of people had gathered to watch the bull race.

§     Cock Fighting & Titar Fighting

§     Dog Fighting.

§      MALAH Malaakhro

Work of NGOs-Civil Societies:

There is lot educated people living in this village and doing jobs in various government or private departments of the country. One NGO name “TRD” (Trust for Rural Development) has taken initiative to for the betterment of people of this village.

TRD-Trust for Rural Development:

TRD was created in 1997. It is dedicated to involve all stakeholders for the welfare and development of society. Its focus is individual family, group, community, and nation to make them realize their own potential for self-reliance. TRD takes “Basic needs as Human Rights”-an integral part of the organization structures and programmes.

Legal Status:Registered under Trust Act 1882

Geographical Focus: Urban and Rural Sindh

Area of Operation: District: Dadu, District: Hyderabad, District: Jamshoro, District: Thatta,

Programmes:

1)     Social Empowerment Services:

§ Formation of male, female, youth and children social groups.

§ Trainings, Capacity Building,

§ Saving & Credit

§ Agricultural Services

2)     Quality Education Services:

§ Open Pre-Schools, work with government primary schools.

§ Health & Hygiene activities with mothers and children.

3)     Peoples Continuing Education Peace and Culture Services:

§ Publication of Books, Leaflets, Co-ordination with daily Ibrat for issuing fortnightly civil society page “Jaagharta”;

§ Distribution of Books and arranging of discussions, Seminars, and Workshops.

Partners:

CWS (Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan.

Daily Ibrat, Hyderabad

SarvodayaShramadana Movement, Sri Lanka

Government of Sindh (Education, Health, & Agricultural Departments)

Role of TRD in the community development of Village Boriri:

TRD has made village based organization in village Boriri, which was consist of educated and knowledgeable persons of the village. All village problems and issues were raised on this platform, to solve these problems/issues.

Before this several such organizations were made, but with the passage of time those organizations were dissolved. Details are as follows:

Ø Young Village Association was organized in 1979. Following persons were the members of that organization: Mian Qamaruddin Abbasi, Roshan Hingoro, Roshan Junejo, Muhammad Zaman Junejo, and Ali Muhammad Junejo and other villagers.

Ø Goth Sudhaar Sangat was established in 1984 in village Boriri, and this was registered with “Social Welfare Department-Sindh” and this was also connected with existed “Social Network of Sindh”. Founders of the “Goth Sudhaar Sangat” was Zaffar Junejo, Aatif Ansari, Dr. Haji Khan Mangi, Muhammad SallahBughio, Nisar Ahmed Junejo (Famous as Comrade Aachar Junejo), Gulsher Ahmed Mangi, Sharafuddin Soomro, Ali Nawaz Soomro and other villagers. At that time another organization was existed in this village called “Nojawan Samaji Sangat” (Young Social Welfare organization) and following were the founders of this organization: Abdul Ghaffar Hingoro, Naseer Ahmed Abbasi, Ali Muhammad Junejo and others. Current TRD is the continuation of “Goth Sudhaar Sangat”. TRD was established in 1997.

Ø Previous Literature Review:

1.     At initial stage TRD has published fortnightly paper named as “Jaagharta” in the daily newspaper Ibrat for the awareness of social welfare.

2.     Along with newsletter, following article was public on the following topics. Eg: News, Interviews, Management notes, and Book reviews.

3.     TRD also had printed “Book Series-Muhinji hayati, Muhinjo Niapo” of those personalities who have took part in “Social Welfare Development”

4.     TRD printed leaf letters on the important occasions and dates.

5.     TRD has library named as “Syed Zaffar Hussain Social Center” in which lot of books are kept for the awareness and increase in knowledge of common people. Following type of books are kept in the library:

Literature, Politics, Religion, and social development related books.

Sampling: Wassai Cluster-VillageMuhammad Ali Mallah Trust for Rural Development (TRD) [A] GENERAL Name of the Village Muhammad Ali Mallah DEH Union Council Dhani Bux Bughio Taluka Khairpur Nathan Shah District Dadu Province Sindh Location