Young Sindhi Adult Retreat: India Tribune Report

[Gul Agha <agha@CS.UIUC.EDU>]

Young Sindhi Adults (YSA) set new attendance record

India Tribune Aug. 28, 2004
http://www.indiatribune.com/community.aspx

Washington, DC: "I have never experienced an event like this that has
transformed and touched me physically and spiritually. Many of us were
in tears," says 22-year-old Raj from Australia. Those sentiments were
echoed by many who traveled from every corner of the globe to take
part in the Third Annual YSA Retreat here recently.

This year's event drew over 200 people from approximately 13
countries. Participants came from London, New York, Los Angeles,
Sindh, Japan, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Saskat-chewan, Hong Kong,
Surinam, Spain, Philippines, Miami, Atlanta, Singapore, Puerto Rico,
Jamaica, Texas, and many more. In addition to Sindhis, the event also
attracted Punjabis and Gujaratis from Europe and Americans and
Kashmiris.

This year's theme was "World Citizen" and appropriately so. The YSA
Retreat festivities ran the course of an entire weekend. Membership to
the YSA (www.YoungSindhiAdults.org) is free. A global youth
organization founded and the brainchild of Anil and Amar Vaswani from
Atlanta, Georgia, YSA focuses on Sindhi culture, heritage, and issues
that face today's Sindhi youngsters. Some of the morning and daytime
sessions of the YSA Retreat included an entrepreneurial workshop, the
survival of the Sindhi language, the evolution of religious thought in
Sindh, Yoga for beginners, readings related to India's Partition in
1947, Sindhis in politics, and several others.

These seminars drew experts from all fields who were featured guest
speakers such as Dr. Gul Agha, a prominent historian of Sindh and a
professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Jennifer
Cole, an associate professor of linguistics at the University of
Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Shilpa Hart-Alimchandani, who
specializes in cross-cultural communication courses at American
University. Learning about historical contributions, Sindhis have made
to humanity since the start of time was a source of pride. Some truths
include the characteristics of non-violence and tolerance in Ancient
Sindh, Greco Roman Wrestling's roots having been traced to Sindh, and
the writing of the Vedas on the banks of the Indus River (which is
located in Sindh). These are a mere sampling.

However, learning that action and justice were desperate calls in
Sindh today was painful. The Indus River, the lifeblood of Sindh, has
had its flow impeded by the building of massive dams by the Pakistani
government leaving little or no water supply, killing agriculture and
numerous animal species. The people of Sindh don't have access to
water so they can't grow their crops. It's an easy way to commit
genocide. Modern-day slavery of Hindu and Christian Sindhis as bonded
laborers, the destruction of Hindu and Christian places of worship by
Islamic fundamentalists, the systematic elimination of the Sindhi
language by the Pakistani government, and the intolerable abuse of
Sindhi women whose rights have been taken away are all tragic
realities in Sindh in 2004.

With the world distracted by events in Iraq and Afghanistan, the
Pakistani government has had free rein to commit numerous human rights
violations. There is a sharp increase in sectarian violence in the
second half of the year, particularly in the provinces of
Sindh. Pakistan has imposed strict sanctions against women denying
them the right to choose marriage partners. A majority of Sindhi girls
do not receive even basic schooling and remain illiterate. It also
condones "honor killings." In Pakistan, a woman who is raped must
produce at least four Muslim eye-witnesses to prove her case. If she
is impregnated by a rapist but cannot prove it, she is charged with
adultery punishable by death.

The evening events focused on networking and socializing. Many of the
attendees realized how the world has indeed become a village as many
discovered mutual friends and acquaintances. Others re-connected with
long lost relatives. A nightly celebration then began with a bang at
the retreat as the crowd moved from mingling to dancing the night
away. The following night's main attraction was the YSA Formal and
Banquet where the members decked out in their finest Indian and
western threads. A play titled Muhnji Vadi Thuli Sindhi Shaadi (My Big
Fat Sindhi Wedding) was the highlight of the night leaving everyone
laughing and culminating in a standing ovation for the talented Sindhi
cast members.

The retreat was a perfect blend of light-hearted and deep sessions
with a couple of hearty brunches in between that gave all a respite to
share a meal and bond. At the start of the retreat the participants
walked in as strangers and shook hands but on the concluding day, they
left as families embracing with tears on their faces.

YSA (www.YoungSindhi Adults.org) runs as a not for profit. The next
YSA event will be a new year's eve celebration which will be very
social, include satsang (prayer service), and run a full weekend as
well. Check YSA website for updated details. Donations in any amount
are graciously welcomed. Make checks payable to YSA or Young Sindhi
Adults.