Thursday, February 17, 2011

Miracle of being active!



This story has been contributed by one of our Active Citizens Mr. M. Moosa Rind. He tells us of the time when his village was hit by the floods (the disastrous last Summer's floods in Pakistan) and how he and his fellow Active Citizens struggled to save their village instead of simply deserting it. Read the story as he tells us:

The Irrigation Department Sindh breached the Johi Canal at Kali Mori to drain the floodwater, gushing from Tori Bund breaches, in the Manchar Lake. Due to the breach, floodwater was rapidly advancing towards Johi town and adjoining villages. Instead of making arrangements for transport to shift the people to safer places and strengthen protective embankment (ring bund/levee) of Johi City where people of surrounding areas had taken refuge after being inundated, District Coordinator Officer and Federal Minister MNA Rafiq Jamali announced that the city should be evacuated right away. This situation created a huge panic among citizens as they didn’t know what to do at such a short notice.


The Johi is about 320 kilometres north of main southern port city Karachi.

With help of local water experts and irrigation officials, I assessed the situation and based on that decided to remain in the city and to strengthen the ring bund. I formed a group of friends - Qurban Khokhar, Ghulam Qadir Lighari and Dr. Ibrahim Rind - and started making announcements from the loud speakers in the mosques and on rickshaws. We mobilized citizens to come out of their homes and support us in making the bund strong.

Luckily, people responded to our appeal very positively and all kinds of help started pouring in from everyone; people donated materials, labourers, money, food, etc, and they all volunteered and gathered at different points of the bund. The ring levee spanned over 10-11 km square feet, and there were mainly 12 points where citizens were monitoring the water level 24 hours and were raising the bund accordingly. This situation continued for a month and we kept strong vigilance over the water; we ate, slept and even offered Eid prayer at the bund!!


Of course, there were moments of desperation but people’s trust and encouragement helped us in overcoming it. When local government threatened us and moved away all heavy machinery and left us to fend for ourselves, we were a bit nervous and anxious, but when a blacksmith who deals with iron tools for farmers donated 60 spades available in his shop and asked us to continue working, we really felt our spirit uplifted!!

Thus, our long and strenuous struggle paid off and we successfully saved the city from floodwater just by being active, and we now believe that we can change the fate our citizens if we continue to remain active!

Now, more than dozens national and international news papers like English, Urdu and Sindhi wrote detail stories about our struggle with details about my leadership role too.

26 comments:

  1. Really these were halks and great days like place and ground of Movie "TRY" war! when all city wake up! through our moblization and day and night worked on RING BUND JOHI to strong Bund and more than 20000 twenty thousands peoples a month worked there and i think its great case study to flood hit areas around world flood hitting areas.

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  2. The great Moosa, always motivated and usually I found him thinking to do something about the people of Sindh! He remained loyal ever to the land of Sindh with full of all his commitments and love.
    In the flood time, he was the only friend who kept calling during my visit to Pakistan and asking for the help in kind and moral mobiliztion. He got really a countable confidence to face the any challenge as he did in flood time.
    I salute Moosa for his remarkable contribution to save his home town from heavy flood and he is really a role model to combat undeclared emergencis and urgencies.
    May Allah bless you ever Moosa !
    Love you, love your committment, your sincereties and sympathies for human beings :)

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  3. گھڻن کنئين ڇپر کڄيو وڃي (پهاڪو) ـ
    سنڌين کي اهڙي ريت تنظيم وڌائي هر ڳالھ ۾ ڳڏجي اڳتي وڌڻو پوندو

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  4. hats off...
    Great work, indeed very inspiring.. i feel my soul safe in this province after years...

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  5. سائين محمد موسيٰ رند جھڙو مرد مجاهد اڳواڻ هجي، ۽ سائين قربان کوکر، سائين غلام قادر لغاري، ۽ سائين ڊاڪٽر محمد ابراهيم رند جھڙا مخلص معاون هجن، ۽ جوهيءَ جي رهاڪن جھڙا، دلبر جوڌا جوان هجن ته ٻوڏ جو پاڻي، پاڻيهي پيرا مٽائيندو. الله سائين شال سڀني سنڌين کي اهڙي ساڃھ نصيب ڪري، سڄي سنڌ شال شاد ۽ آباد رهي. آمين ثم آمين.
    علي بروهي

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  6. Its really A SUCCESSFUL story for all of Us and mostly foe a large section of our society who rely on others or waiting for someone.
    GREAT JOB.
    Salute
    Saeed Baloch

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  7. u r right saeed baloach.they done a great job.organised and collective efforts must be appreciated

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  8. O God, we live by your Will. we shall die when you desire; Save us because you can do everything that is why lord put the animating force of endeavours in the minds of people of Johi and they got incredible achievement with leadership quality of young man M.Moosa and others. A.R.FARHAD

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  9. Great, actually that is spiritually effort for any nation, If any one doing like this, then its proof that we are not dead nation, its being always feelings from my heart that why we are still surviving in this atmosphere, it’s because of peoples are in our society like Mr. Moosa Rind, due to this thinking God is helping us for more and more............
    This is not because we are working in same Company but its truth from my heart.
    Engineer Muhammad Farooq Memon, Shikarpur

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  10. It's amazing to read the above article, the way Mr.Muhammed Moosa who has helped all the suffering people at the time of flash floods in sindh area of pakistan.

    No words and praises will match the selfless timely help extended by him.

    He made the actions through actions not just in actions of just paper advertisements>

    Even because of good hearted people like him are there in this universe, still, we are able to survive all bad elements surrounding us.

    I am sure that, Mr.Moosa will continue this for ever for the upliftment of our society.

    HATS OFF TO YOU MR.MUHAMMED MOOSA FOR YOUR SELFLESS SERVICE TO THE SOCIETY.

    MAY GOD BE WITH YOU FOR EVER FOR YOUR LIFE TO FLOURISH

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  11. Unconditional service of the peoples of sindh, its really a great job you have done man, In this era without receiving any title and We are proud of that character, and the peoples who were happy over sinking of Dadu like a pearl harbour received titles but after all we are in a position to say that you are the one who has saved not only johi but also dadu city.

    foj barhy ya andhi aae dia jalae rakhna hai,
    ghar k khatir so dukh jhaly, ghar to akhir apna hai.......

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  12. The efforts of Mohammad Moosa Rind are countable and remarkable. He did great job with great zeals regarding to save his native place Johi with other citizens.

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  13. Great work.Sindh people should learn from Johi people. I will salute Johi people. I am proud to be from Johi.

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  14. Great work done by Mr. Moosa Rind its was a great courage and hardwork during that massive flood hit johi. Moosa Left his job and other works from his busy ruitine and saved Johi from flood he had given the lesson of Dignity, Honesty and his great affection with the people of Johi. I appreciate his work and hope that he will be doing best ahead in other activities to build up the nation with his motivational and ideological thoughts.

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  15. Dear Moosa! Great efforts ! umed hai k hamari society main se aap jaisy log aur bhi aagy aaen ta k is society ko aur aik step advance le aayen...
    really aap k is kaam ne mujhy bht hi inspire kya hai... hope k future main bhi isi tarhaa kam krte rhen gy! youth ko active krne k liye aap jaisy insaan dost insaano ki bht ziyaadah zaroort hai...
    once again great work an dkeep it up...
    Regards
    Mukesh Meghwar

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  16. This is a very good demonstration of famous saying "BADHI MAIN TAQAT AA". I wish our leaders learn from this. However, I did not like the last sentence of self praise.

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  17. great symbol of dare. its really a lesson for all those who leave every thing on the pace of destiny. Moosa Rind and his team showed that we can change our destiny, it is we who write our deem.
    Moosa sb you really deserve applaud Superfluous feat of dare.

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  18. Great efforts, I also belongs to Johi Town and proud of my little town. And i am proud of my dear Moosa Rind, Qurban Khokhar, Qurban Baloch, Imadad Soomro and All others who struggle to save our homeland.

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  19. Dear Moosa,

    It was a great effort saving poor people of Johi from flash flood, I still remember those days when I use to call you several times a day just to make sure that my dear friend was alright and you use to give me all the feed back on how the people are trying to save their land from flood. Its your efforts that makes us and the people of johi so proud that Moosa Rind was born in the land of Johi.

    Amber, Mamoon, Maria & Zeeshan

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  20. I also reside at Johi where this flood came and demolished entire surrounding of our City Johi Town.But our city remained safe due to personal efforts of its dwellers who dedicated their health and wealth to save Johi. But at that time there was a need of motivation not to escape but to save our beloved city and in this regard my best friend came from Karachi and played vital role to motivate the dwellers of City and in result all fought against heavy flood and successfully we all won and saved our city. So dear MUHAMMAD MOOSA I am proud of you that at that time all were trying to escape and you came from Karachi to flood spot and played sincere job and your these efforts would be remembered to every one.

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  21. Yes moosa you done a great job to collect all peoples or youth in one unit point, I really appreciate your effort, God bless you and those who with you at that time. And always doing these things to awake us for noble cause. People of Johi are always proud of you.

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  22. Great work Moosa rind. Please keep it up if any other disaster comes again.

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  23. Love you and proud on your work, contribution and efforts bro. really your real Hero and leader of world

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