Review of Rasool Bux Palijo’s Book Sindh-Punjab Water Dispute (1859–2003)
By Kalavanti Raja
Rasool Bux Palijo’s Sindh-Punjab Water Dispute (1859–2003) is a tour de force—a searing blend of historical scholarship, legal firepower, and revolutionary zeal that lays bare the roots of Pakistan’s water crisis with unmatched clarity and urgency. Far more than a mere chronicle, this book is a battle cry, a meticulously crafted argument, and a living testament to Palijo’s lifelong fight for Sindh’s rightful share of Indus waters. As an activist, jurist, and visionary who led protests, shaped legal challenges, and awakened a province’s consciousness over 35 years, Palijo distilled his struggle into this work, spanning 1859 to 2003. Today, on April 10, 2025, as Pakistan teeters on the edge of ecological collapse amid debates over the Greater Thal Canal, proposed Indus canals, corporate farming, and the ever-looming Kalabagh Dam, this book beckons advocates, learners, and news editors alike to dive into its pages for insight, ammunition, and inspiration.
Palijo’s narrative is a master class in historical excavation, tracing the water conflict back to colonial irrigation policies that favored Punjab’s agrarian might, setting a precedent for inequity that haunts Pakistan still. With surgical precision, he dissects treaties, administrative decisions, and infrastructure projects—like upstream barrages and canals—that progressively choked Sindh’s lifeline, leaving its fields parched, wetlands desolate, and people imperiled. His early warnings against the Kalabagh Dam, backed by flow statistics and ecological data, resonate chillingly as downstream provinces now face the same threats he foresaw. This isn’t dry history; it’s a living thread connecting past injustices to present crises, offering advocates a potent argument: what we see today—shrunken rivers, salinized lands, and provincial unrest—is no accident but the fruit of deliberate, century-long overreach.
For learners and news editors, the book’s accessibility and intellectual richness make it a goldmine. Palijo demystifies complex water agreements and their violations with clarity that invites novices in, while his rigorous evidence—dates, treaties, and impacts—satisfies the most skeptical minds. Yet, it’s his moral urgency that grips the soul. His prose burns with indignation and resolve, framing water not as a technical issue but as identity, survival, and a test of Pakistan’s federal soul. This emotional heft, born from his marches and sit-ins, transforms the book into a manifesto that galvanizes readers—whether students seeking knowledge, journalists chasing truth, or citizens hungry for justice—to care deeply and act boldly.
In 2025, as climate change, mismanagement, and power imbalances shrink the Indus’s bounty, Palijo’s work is a beacon. It arms advocates with a legal and historical arsenal to challenge the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Act’s missteps or oppose projects mirroring the ecological harm he chronicled. His call for equitable federalism over regional dominance speaks directly to Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan’s resistance, while his ecological insights—linking water theft to agricultural ruin and social upheaval—offer editors a narrative that transcends provinces to grip the nation. For learners, it’s an education in how history shapes the present, revealing water as a political battleground where power, not just pipes, dictates who thrives and who withers.
Palijo, who left us in 2018, remains a movement incarnate through this book. It revives suppressed histories, dismantles myths of technical neutrality, and demands critical thought about justice and coexistence. In a time of provincial discord and climate vulnerability, Sindh-Punjab Water Dispute isn’t just relevant—it’s urgent. Advocates will find a roadmap for resistance, learners a gateway to understanding, and editors a story that commands headlines. This is no passive read; it’s a call to wield truth against inequity, making it essential for anyone daring to shape Pakistan’s future. Dive in, and let Palijo’s voice ignite your fight for a just, water-secure tomorrow.
The book can be downloaded for free from the website.
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