AMRITSAR: Dalit Hindu community of
Sindh province of Pakistan fears that newly elected dalit senator
Krishna Kumari Kohli may just become Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders' puppets and may not get a free hand to do away the discrimination meted out to dalits and schedule caste Hindus.
“There is a significant number of votes of Kohli, Bheel and Meghwar Hindu communities in Sindh and eyeing this vote bank PPP picked up
Krishna Kumari Kolhi for Senator, “ said
Chander Kohli, a research associate with Pakistan Hindu Welfare Sewa Trust while speaking to TOI over the phone from
Karachi on Saturday.
He further said that the dalit Hindu community of Sindh was likely to en masse vote for PPP during the ensuing general elections of Pakistan which is likely to be held in July 2018.
In the past, several dalit Hindu families of Pakistan had arrived India via Attari land border seeking asylum.
“The common perception among dalit’s is that no one gives them representation but PPP had scripted a history by nominating a dalit woman as a senator whose parents worked as bonded labour” he said.
Notably, on March 3, Krishna Kumari Kohli, 39, who hails from Nagarparkar village in Tharparkar district of Sindh province of Pakistan was elected to Pakistan’s Senate on PPP’s ticket.
However expressing hope, Chander Kohli said Krishna Kumari in the capacity of Senator had in recent past visited several areas of Tharparkar including Mandinka, Hyderabad, Mithi. She had helped dalits who lost their houses in a fire incident. She had also arranged for ambulances in dalit concentration areas.
“Only time holds the key to how and what change Krishna Kumari Kohli will bring in the life of Dalit and how she will help bridge the gap between dalits and upper caste Hindus,” said Chander Kohli who himself is a dalit Hindu.
Stating that there was an unimaginable discrimination between dalits and upper caste Hindus in Pakistan he said in the recent past he had attended a few functions organised both by upper caste Hindus and Muslims.
‘In every function, there was a visible difference in the treatment meted out to dalit and upper caste guests, there was even a separate place to eat for dalits,” he said adding that it would be a major achievement for Krishna Kumari if she is successful in bridging caste difference and brings about equality among Hindus of Pakistan.
