20 or more Hindu girls are abducted and converted every month.
KARACHI: Forced conversions of Hindu girls in Sindh are appalling. The latest case comes from Thar, which is a remote district in Sindh.
A 16-year-old Hindu girl was allegedly kidnapped, forcibly converted and then married to one of her abductors. Although the minor had later given a statement saying that she eloped and consented to conversion and marriage, the incident has caused anger and frustration among the Hindu community.
According to the former vice-chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 20 or more Hindu girls are abducted and converted every month. Despite this, no effective measures have been taken by the provincial government to stop this even though over 7 per cent of Sindh’s population comprises Hindus. Last year, the Sindh Assembly passed a bill against forced religious conversions, The Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Act 30, but only to be returned two months later by former governor Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, allegedly due to pressure from influential, conservative and extremist Muslims.
Hindu underage girl 'forcibly converted and married off' in Tharparkar
These pressures only go on to show the unfortunate state the Hindu community is made to live in. Perhaps, even for a minute, we believe the underage Hindu girl converted and married of her will, which is indeed her right, why hasn’t the police arrested the groom for marrying a minor. The Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013 and Hindu Marriage Bill 2017, both prohibit child marriages with strict penalties imposed on perpetrators.
The Sindh government’s silence on this matter speaks volumes of their inability to impose actions of bills they themselves have passed. Instead of spending their time beautifying Karachi, the government should facilitate its marginalised communities.
Javeria Akmal
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2017.
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