Why it is a big news?

In normal circumstances, the appointment of a Hindu female judge should not have been a subject of opinion or debate. It is and it should have been taken as one of the routine administrative acts that are part of the day-to-day management of state and government affairs. But in Pakistan where governments and non-state actors both, for their own reasons, depend on and exploit perceptions, however contrary to facts these may be, such a happening or act must draw extra attention. So is the case of Suman Pawan Bodani.

Hailing from a rural area of Shahdadkot, Suman is being claimed to be the first-ever Hindu female judge appointed by the government. She stood 54^th in the merit list of candidates selected for the job. She did her LLB from Hyderabad and LLM from Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology in Karachi. Before qualifying for the position of a judge via a competitive examination, she practised law with a private firm in Karachi.

For whatever reasons or interests, Pakistan has been portrayed as a society intolerant of its minorities. Those who subscribe to this opinion refer to the Objectives Resolution and other laws to support their argument. It is always easier to win over people, in and outside the country, while orchestrating these negative perceptions about intolerance towards minorities. But it is really difficult to substantiate these perceptions with facts. Whatever the isolated incidents we see taking place against any member of any religious minority do not enjoy the consent of the state as is commonly propagated. These are mostly acts of individual aberrations and should be judged accordingly.

It is in this background that Suman’s appointment should be seen as a signal of some positive change in society especially with reference to its minorities.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2019.

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