
SUKKUR:
At a time when forced conversions are happening all-too frequently, hundreds of political and social activists in Ghotki expressed their solidarity with Hindus by organising a rally on Sunday.
Led by the chairman of the Sindh National Movement, Ali Hassan Chandio, and chief of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Dr Niaz Kalani, hundreds of people carrying placards and banners marched through the main streets of Ghotki. They shouted slogans against the establishment, sardars and waderas. The protesters made their way to Main Chowk, where a two-hour sit-in was staged.
Chandio vociferously condemned atrocities against Hindus and placed the blame squarely on the influential people of Sindh. “The kidnapping of Hindus is on the rise because the general elections are just around the corner and sardars as well as waderas need money to run their campaigns,” he alleged. Chandio also voiced his anger at the kidnapping and forced conversions of Hindu girls. According to him, such incidents are part of a conspiracy to make Hindus flee from Pakistan.
“The establishment was scared of the brave sons of this soil, including Bashir Khan Qureshi and Muzaffar Bhutto. That is why they eliminated these people,” added Chandio. He contended that Sindh is producing natural gas which is mostly consumed by Punjab. “The industries of Punjab will come to a grinding halt if we stop the gas supply from Sindh,” he said. “Sindhis constitute a brave nation and nobody will stop them when they unite.” He cited the shelving of the Kalabagh dam project as an example of the power wielded by Sindhis when they came together.
“We are all Sindhis regardless of our caste or religion,” Dr Niaz Kalani told the protesters. “Ghotki is blessed with natural resources and there are many multinational companies here. It is sad that Sindhis are denied jobs in these organisations, but all others are more than welcome,” he said. Dr Kalani urged Sindhis to join hands and struggle for their rights.
The president of the Sindh Hari Committee, Mandhal Shar, expressed his anxiety over the deteriorating law and order situation in Sindh. “The police themselves are kidnapping Sindhis, especially Hindus, for ransom,” he said. “The province is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, but its people are leading miserable life. They are being treated like strangers in Karachi and denied jobs in Thar, which is enriched with coal.”
Others who spoke on the occasion include the Ghotki president of the Hindu Panchayat, Mukhi Keka Ram, Dilbar Mahar of Sindh United Party, Shabbir Rajput of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz and Ghulam Sarwar of Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 30th, 2012.
COMMENTS (11)
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@unbeliever: May I know the source of your information regarding the MOSSAD comment?
@Aditya Karamchand: you miss the most important aspect of the article.....the trend is being opposed by Muslims who are raising their voices against atrocities towards Hindus. you should appreciate and encourage such voices instead you are trying to antagonize them.
@afzaalkhan: Don't forget DPC and their threats of having thousands of trained and armed people ready to act if the government doesn't comply with them.
if all land belong to allah why there were fighting in kashmir? The same theory not applicable to kashmir.
@pakistani hindu
if u pick arms against state then you are a terrorist just like TTP
almost always most of the things in pakistan are blamed on RAW...but here, in this case where RAW certainly could have it's hand in abduction of hindus, not even a single person is raising the point...
afterall, RAW has got multiple benefits by doing it:
-- they get to defame pakistan, which indian govt. would relish at such times when pakistan is not cooperating in mumabi investigation..
--hindus would leave sindh, though some lives are lost in such petty abductions, or forced conversions, yet the general members of community would leave pakistan, and a great majority of them would be safe in other countries....
also MOSSAD was infamous, for carrying out such FALSE FLAG operations in countries, where jews were living, and were reluctant to leave the parent country for ISREAL..they directly helped in terrorising the local jews, and thus, they would leave for israel en-mass.
Sindhyani Mai
Hindus don't 'own' any land. All land belongs to Allah. We really need to get out of the narrow mindset that says this land belongs to this group or that.
My Hinduism practicing brothers and sisters of Sindh, this is your land and your grand father's land and your great grand father's land. Please don't leave your land because we love you.
You know who are behind this but we Sindhi nationalists will fight for you but please do not leave now because your grand fathers did not leave their motherland when the same people made it difficult to stay in Sindh in 1948. Fight for your rights.
Your Sindhi sister
What'd you call me if I took up arms against these tyrannies, injustices and the state??