Sindhis hold seminar on plight of Sindhi Hindus in Sindh

[Gul Agha <agha@CS.UIUC.EDU>]

From: "Wali Khoso Son of Sindh"

No doubt that was an excellant seminar. The way Saeen Ayaz Latif
Palijo shared the contributions of Hemon Kalani, Rooplo Kolhi,Dr
Gurbakhshani, Kalyan Advani, AJ Uttam, Keerat Babani, Hiree Dilgeer,
Narayan Sham, Mohan Kalpana, Gobind Malhi, Kanwar Bhagat, Bhagwanti
Nawani, Jeewni Bai, Veena Shringi, Lachman Koomal, Dayal Motwani,
Ramesh Kateja, Perso Gedwani and others was really awe-inspiring.

Wali

----- Original Message -----
Establishment patronized Feudals, Police Officers, Mullas and Law
enforcing agencies have been committing atrocities against non-Muslim
minorities in Pakistan, notably Hindus and Christians. These include
not only abuse, kidnapping, assault, and killings but sometime even
burning down of their villages (in Punjab), not to speak of
discrimination in matters of access to institutions of professional
education, employment, commerce, and political representation.

These views were shared by PPP Parliamentarian Makhdoom Jamil u Zaman,
Sindh Research Council Chairman Advocate Ayaz Latif Palijo, Awami
Tahreek [People's Movement] Leader Abrar Qazi, MPA Sassui Palijo, Dr,
Dodo Maheri, Sindhiani Tahreek President Nazeer Qureshi, Dr. Najeeb
Memon, Awami Tahreek Leader Wishnoo Mal, Sindhiani Tahreek Leader
Kalawattee Soothar, Dr. Noor Muhammad Memon, Deewan Aroo Mal, Resham
Das and others in Seminar on Sindhi Hindus organized by Sindhi Hindu
Sudhar Tanzeem and Awami Tahreek, here in Hyderabad Pakistan.

They argued that Pakistani Hindus are victims of the majority's
neglect as well as antipathy. Their plight may result partly from the
suspicion, strong in the Punjabi mind, that by virtue simply of being
Hindu, they may be willing to work as Indian agents to the detriment
of Pakistan. In other words, their patriotism is to be doubted.  They
said though they are not persecuted [by their Sindhi Muslim
neighbors], but their rights are not protected as those of Muslims,
They are not free to settle their personal affairs according to their
religions and law. Doors to higher learning, public employment, and
the professions are not open to them.

It should first be noted that all of them put together do not
constitute more than ten per cent of the country's population. In all
of Punjab there may not be even as many as a hundred Hindus. They are
located, for the most part, in Sindh and the great majority of them
are desperately poor. In the last quarter century.  Ayaz Latif Palijo,
Jamil u Zaman and Sassui Palijo said we have not heard of a Hindu
occupying a high-ranking position in the country's public services,
politics or even the professions.  They said some, though not all,
political parties and governments in Pakistan have wanted to keep
non-Muslim minorities out of the political mainstream by imposing upon
them, much against their wishes, a system of separate electorates for
purposes of representation in elective bodies.

They demanded that recently abducted Kapeel and Santosh be recovered
at once and murderers of Mohan and others be arrested and tried. The
seminar was attended by more than 800 leading writers, minority
activists, advocates and doctors and dozens of Bheels, Kolhees,
Menghwars and poor farmers and a number of songs, dances and dramas
were presented by lady activists. . The speakers were of unanimous
views that Sindhi Hindus should not be polarized in the name of
scheduled caste or minorities but they are all equal citizens of
Pakistan.

Daily Kawish: http://www.dailykawish.com/Hyd31/ti06.html
Daily Ibrat:
http://www.dailyibrat.com/August%2031,%202004/local/n29.htm