Community leaders decry kidnappings, temple attacks

HYDERABAD: The recurring incidents of kidnappings of Hindu traders and attacks on their places of worship have resulted in a sense of despondency among the community. At a press conference on Sunday, representatives of the district Hindu Panchayat of Hyderabad claimed they had no hope that the provincial government could provide them security.

“Time and again, we have asked the government to provide us security and to curb the kidnappings of Hindu traders,” said advocate M Prakash, the panchayat’s chairperson. “The most we get in response from the government are placating measures that disappear after a few days.”

The abduction of a Hindu jeweller of Umerkot district has fuelled the latest reaction. Pitanbar Soni, along with his driver Kirpal Das, was kidnapped three days ago from Sultanabad town of Tando Allahyar district. His car was found from Tando Adam Town in Sanghar district.

According to his brother, Dr Preetam Soni, the family considers it a case of kidnapping for ransom. They have, however, yet to receive a call from the kidnappers.

“We have repeatedly told the government and police authorities that our people are being kidnapped from Larkana, Shikarpur, Ghotki, Kandhkot and other parts of upper Sindh,” said Prakash. “These incidents are now occurring around Umerkot, Badin and Tando Allahyar districts too.”

Advocate Jagdish R Mulani, who is also the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Hyderabad’s, vice president, said that the community has even identified the groups involved in these kidnappings and their political connections. He lamented, however, that the government had failed to act against the perpetrators.

According to the lawyer, the government had also failed to provide security to their temples in the wake of successive attacks across Sindh. “The ministers and officials do visit us after such attacks, assuring to provide security. But their words never transpire in action.”

Mulani said that they had asked the police to deploy personnel at 13 temples in Hyderabad and to establish a picket at their Kali Mata temple in SITE area. The police authorities, however, deployed personnel for a few days after the March 29 temple attack in Hyderabad and later withdrew them. “We have requested the police to notify permanent security duty at the temples. But our demand hasn’t been accepted so far.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2014.