Endangered and impoverished

There is little incentive for members of the lower socioeconomic Hindu community to remain in Sindh. Where they once peacefully coexisted with their Muslim compatriots, they are now forced to live in paranoia and fear and their lives are in constant danger. The fact cannot be denied; although wealthy Hindus in Sindh — an infinitesimal proportion — remain unbothered, the majority of Sindh’s Hindus constantly fear persecution. The wealthy ones perhaps have resources and connections to keep safe but the majority of Hindus have been marginalised in Sindh and their obsessive ideations about being harmed are plausible. Forced conversions, especially of adolescent Hindu girls, have begun to garner some attention with a bill only recently passed to specifically prohibit the conversion of minor Hindu girls, known as the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act, 2016. It is a cruel reflection of the collective character of the majority in this country that a people who are native to this land have been pushed out because of discrimination.

The fact that an act was specifically introduced to prevent the underage marriage of Hindus reeks of a desperate situation in which action was needed. Sensibility would tell us, of course, that laws against underage marriage should be implemented for followers of all faiths, especially after relevant bills have been passed, for example the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2014. Although our laws are incipient, implementation must begin now to measure the effectiveness of those laws and determine where amendments need to be made. Where impoverished Hindus are rendered helpless at times, the state must ensure protection and a justice system that works to alleviate their plight. Cases of parents being rejected after requesting help from the police to investigate suspected forced conversions and underage elopement and marriage are unacceptable. Until law enforcement sets valiant examples, the hardships of the Hindu community will continue to grow.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2017.

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