Jaal ki raani
We are more water than clay
As a city by the sea, we are home and shelter to many; some in the city’s centre where infrastructure is heavy and resources are held captive. And the others are close to the jetty called the Mahigeer; our fisherfolk community.
Water has memories. It remembers where it comes from and what it carries. Water is also life-giving, nurturing, and free. Much like our mothers. Her soft embrace can cure a whimpering child’s exhaustive cries as she lulls one to sleep. Likewise, water can also be a force of destruction. Much like our mothers. Exploited by systems beyond what she can bear, our mothers are tired, fierce, and angry. Just like water.
The coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan are populated by small islands, wetlands, and creeks which share territories with India and Iran borders. Full of natural resources like mangrove forests, this area is fertile for the vegetation and migratory birds. For the fisher community, the sea serves sustenance and stories. However, the massive shifts in ecological terrains and the changes in climate have left a disproportionate responsibility for securing food, clean water, and fuel on this community.
From the city centre, as soon as the Muslimabad Colony bridge ends, you witness an opening; a land barren and home. A big hovering circle of birds flying above confirm that they have spotted gold (food).
Sughra Bibi along with her family of 7 siblings moved from an island called Paithiani to Karachi’s oldest fisherfolk community in Karachi called Rehri Goth. They arrived with a similar sentiment; hope for clean water, easy access to healthcare, and fuel. However, on her arrival, she realised that Rehri Goth may be the oldest fisherfolk community, but its distance from the main city has kept it under the shadows. Neglected by authorities, it was socially, politically, and economically fragile and infected with conflict.
Quite naive (buddho) and young, Sughra Bibi learned how to fish – Mangarh, Sowa, Paplet - from her father and her brothers. She learned to craft fishing nets, to pray and to sing from her mother and her maternal aunt. Her husband Mohammad worked at the fishery and was at the sea for prolonged periods of time. Behind, Sughra was left to care for her two young daughters and her son. Bibi worked too, to provide a more secure shelter than just an itinerant would for her family. However, the conditions of Rehri Goth kept deteriorating, and violence seeped into the cracks of the land.
The rules of the land are different from the rules of the water.
Fear painted the everyday life at Rehri Goth, but Sughra Bibi was not one to stick around and let fate steer her boat. The fisherfolk organisation encouraged Bibi to organise for her rights. Bibi, along with twenty other women from Rehri Goth, established an organisation to advocate for their rights registered under the name of ‘Sitar-e-Tareekiyaat-e-Tanzeem’.
She was unanimously voted as the president of the group. Baagi was voted as the general secretary, Fatima became the treasurer, Mariam became the joint secretary, and Shareefa was their first vice president. Together, the women decided to take ownership of their situation.
First, they advocated for gas to reach their homes, followed by electricity, and eventually a petition for the construction of proper roads. Sughra became the beacon of hope for the 26 families in Dabla Mohalla, Bin Qasim Town, Rehri Goth. Her work ethic, coupled with her fearless friendship with the unknown, attracted different organisations to help further their cause. She became the focal person for all communications, and her husband supported her feats. One such organisation was HANDS (Health and Nutrition Development Society), which provided her with training in gender and development matters that helped broaden her horizons even further.
“Yeh choti wali (kashti) jayegi na, Iski lehrain ayengi. Humse mil kar. Pher jayeingein.” (As this small boat moves, it creates ripples. These ripples will create waves that will come to meet us before they leave again).
Sughra’s children suffered the consequences of her traveling for work and petitioning for her community. Her daughters were not able to manage school as they cared for home when Sughra was away. She speaks not with regret but with great pride at the sacrifices she has made for her land. Those ripples have helped in developing the area and creating the possibility for more, for better. Today, as a grandmother to three, Sughra encourages her grandchildren to educate themselves and expects more of them. Her daughter-in-law plans to shift her daughter from the neighborhood school to the well-equipped trust-funded school nearby.
Reminiscent of her younger days when Bibi worked at the fishery to help her family, she has now channeled her skills to the needs of the land. Sughra Bibi learned the art of sewing and stitching from observing one of her employers. During the Eid season, she earns 700 rupees for stitching Kurta Shalwar for her clients. Due to her health concerns, she quit her day job at a nearby jeans factory. To earn money regularly, she sells potato fries and ground red chili powder in the main market.
One wonders where Sughra Bibi’s unwavering belief to challenge the system comes from. The answer lies in her faith and her community of women. Sughra Bibi believes that in doing good for others, she will be blessed and rewarded for it. Her strength comes from surrendering to her faith. Today, she has resigned from her position as president of the party. However, she says that what she has gained will keep her rich for years to come: her service to her people.
The women from the party are now tied to personal commitments, but when they do meet, Sughra Bibi is quick to bond with them through music and conversation. Together, they sing to their mystic guide, Peer Qadir Jillani, and to the sea, which they love and cherish.
It is said that one cannot survive without water for more than three days. After that, our body starts to deteriorate. This indicates that water holds wisdom: it can heal, nourish, and rejuvenate us, much like our mothers.
“Jaal Ki Raani” was declared one of the winning photo essays of the Her Story Competition - Women Who Dare - a collaboration between Dawn Images and Shirkat Gah - Women’s Resource Centre.
