Sindh's only Hindu MPA insists on strict implementation of laws to protect minorities

Dr Malani fears exodus of Hindus to other neighbouring countries like India amid sense of fear and insecurity.

ISLAMABAD: He talked about protection of the Hindu Community, the largest religious minority in the country. He stressed upon prompt legislation to stop such a massive migration of this vulnerable community. He is the only Hindu legislature who made his way to the provincial assembly by winning direct elections for the first time from PS-61 Tharparkar, Sindh.

Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani is a Pakistani Hindu Rajasthani Pushkarna Brahamin politician who once served as a member of the National Assembly on reserved seat.

During his tenure as an MNA, he raised the issue of forced conversion of Hindu girls as well as the registration of Hindu marriages. He has been struggling for Hindus’ rights in Pakistan for the last two decades. But now, he fears exodus of Hindus to other neighbouring countries like India amid sense of fear and insecurity.

Malani, who is the only non-Muslim politician to be elected to the Sindh Assembly, said that committees should be constituted at districts levels to implement the already existing laws to protect minorities’ rights in Pakistan.

“The increasing sense of insecurity, caused by issues like forced conversion of Hindu girls to Islam, is compelling the community members to migrate to other places [like India],” said Dr Malani.

He also recalled that leaders of the Hindu community had taken up the issue with the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which ordered implementation of laws to address the concerns of minorities. “The existing laws should be implemented to protect their [minorities’] rights – this was the court’s order,” he added.

He is currently serving as the President of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Minority Wing of Sindh province and president of his party in district Tharparkar. His brothers, late Motiram Malani and late Jagdish Malani, were also elected members of National Assembly of Pakistan and Provincial Assembly of Sindh respectively.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Malani said that though Pakistan is a safe country for non-Muslims and minorities are happy to live here, it’s also true that some big business magnates belonging to the Hindu community are shifting their businesses due to worsening law and order situation in Karachi.

The gap between the poor and rich has widened in Hindu majority areas in Sindh due to discrimination by the local rulers towards the minority, he complained. Better health and educational facilities should be provided by the government to minorities.

In his message to the Hindu community, he called upon promotion of brotherhood. Advising the community, he said that Hindus must be true Pakistanis and believe in democracy which guarantees better rights to everyone across the globe.

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