DERA GHAZI KHAN: A large number of dancing Seraiki nationalists and activists of student councils from across Wasaib held a protest rally and staged a sit-in in front of the shrine of the revered Seraiki Sufi poet-saint of the Chishti Sufi order, Khwaja Ghulam Farid.

The protest was a response to the holding of a conference at the saint`s shrine and the declaration of Farid as a Punjabi poet by the World Punjabi Conference, allegedly backed by Pilac.

The controversy gained momentum on social media due to the exchange of statements online between activists from both sides after Punjabi intellectuals declared Farid a Punjabi poet, as Seraikis regard the saint as the national poet ofthe Seraikilanguage.

Various Seraiki cultural and political bodies gathered at the shrine in KotMithan, Rajanpur district. The event was led by the shrine`s custodian, Khwaja Ghulam Fareed Koreja, where protesters chanted slogans such as `Don`t call us the inhabitants of the five rivers` and `Jewan da hik mansoba Seraiki Seraiki soba.

The sit-in aimed to advance the Seraiki cause and to protest against the continued misrecognition, humiliation, and exploitation of Seraiki identity and resources.

Protesters condemned the political and cultural dominance of Punjab, which they said had evolved into a systematic attempt to erase Seraiki heritage. During the protest, dancing participants recited kafis of Farid and pledged to resist in a peaceful and democratic way against the imposition of Punjabi culture and the exploitation of Seraiki Wasaib`s resources.

The protesters declared that the creation of a separate Seraiki province is the only solution to protect the economic andcultural resources of the Seraiki people, and it would make the federation strong and robust. They condemned the growing efforts at political manipulation, resource exploitation, and plans to construct additional canals on the Indus River, which they termed acts of colonialism.

Participants strongly opposed the desecration of Farid`s shrine and denounced the World Punjabi Conference scheduled to be held there. They viewed it as an attempt to divert attention from the separate Seraiki province bill currently under discussion in the Senate`s Standing Committee on Law and Justice.

The protesters criticised Pilac (Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture) for its efforts to claim Farid as a Punjabi poet and demanded the confiscation of any literature misrepresenting him.

They called for an end to the exploitation of Farid`s homeland (Rohi) and opposed new canal projects that they described as destructive to the region`s ecologicaland culturalbalance.

The participants demanded an immediate halt to the enclosure of common lands in Seraiki Wasaib and the recognition of the rights of the native people of Cholistan. They also called on the Senate`s Law and Justice Committee to expedite the vote on the proposed Seraiki province bill and to take measures to address economic injustices in the region.

Additionally, they urged the government to form a commission to investigate the alarming spread of cancer in the Damaan region. They rejected any attempts to rename Khawaja Ghulam Farid University in Rajanpur and demanded the immediate release of funds for its completion.

The rally and sit-in sent a clear message about the Seraiki people`s determination to protect their cultural, linguistic, and economic rights and to resist any attempts to undermine their identity.