82 Hindu couples to tie nuptial knots in Karachi ceremony, but much more need to be done to protect their human rights

File picture of PHC joint wedding ceremony from 2017.

KARACHI: Pakistan Hindu Council is organizing 10th annual combined marriages event at the YMCA Ground opposite Governor House Karachi on Sunday at 6 pm, according to a Press release of the PHC.

This PHC patron-in-chief Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani , who is also chairman of national assembly standing committee on Statistics, in a press statement Saturday said that 82 couples will enter the wedlock in a colorful cultural ceremony. He announced that this year Pakistan Hindu Council is also celebrating 10th anniversary of successful combined marriages ceremonies. "Dignitaries will also be present on the occasion to bless the couples," he said. 

Dr Vankwani said that strong social bonds are developed among the participants on this occasion as they celebrate their big day in a joint gathering.The PHC will also provide financial support to the newly-wed couples, rickshaws to deserving men and sewing machines to poor women, so that they can raise their families with honor and dignity. 

Dr Vankwani also appealed the media to give coverage to the minority event. He said that such combined marriages ceremonies would also play pivotal role for projecting the positive image of Pakistan on international level. "We want to show international community that Non-Muslim minorities are enjoying full freedom to organize and participate socio-religious ceremonies, " he concluded.

However, combined marriage ceremony can not serve as an eyewash. It is a fact that almost daily hapless Hindu or Christian girls, mostly underaged, and sometimes even married even are abducted, converted, and forced into marriages in Sindh and Punjab provinces.

Karachi, commercial capital of Pakistan, used to be the Paris of the East before the 1947 Partition Holocaust and Hindus were in prominent positions in business, bureaucracy, politics and philanthropy. However, they were forced to flee Karachi by Muslim freeloaders who arrived from India.

At the time of the Partition Holocuast in 1947, minorities formed one fourth or nearly 25 percent of the entire population, but that population has now shrunk to just three percent due to threats, intimidation and forced conversions of the minority Hindus and Christians. Hindus properties and even community centers such the Hindu gymkhanas were occupied as if they were war booties.

Despite being loyal to Pakistan, Hindus are painted by the military and mullahs as a fifth India which Pakistani Deep State hates as majority of Indians are Hindus.

Dr Vankwani's Diagnoses of Issues

The PHC patron-in-chief, who is also the chair of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Statistics  has pointed out Pakistan earning the label of Country of Particular Concern in the US and counseled instead of just rejecting these reports, the solution is to find reasons due to which the world points fingers at us. 

Instead of ensuring genuine representation of non-Muslims in parliament, blue-eyed candidates from religious minorities are imposed on the basis of personal liking and disliking. Such so-called non-Muslim representatives neither have their roots in the community nor do they have the courage to represent Pakistan on an international level. In my view, General Musharraf introduced reserved seats in violation of the Pakistan founder's vision, and also created hatred and division among the Pakistani society. The democratic solution, following the example of the Azad Kashmir Assembly, is to have at least 15 constituencies from where non-Muslim candidates can contest elections.

Similarly, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a bill to prevent forced conversions and marriages but a few extremist non-democratic elements succeeded in having it withdrawn, and there is no chance for this much-awaited bill to be implemented in the near future. Such incidents send negative messages to the international community. For 70 years, Pakistani Hindu community was living without a Hindu Marriage Act. In case of kidnappings, poor victims’ families had no option to seek legal justice. It was after tireless efforts that the Hindu Marriage Act was passed by the parliament, although much was compromised.

Some misleading content in our school curriculum is also a root cause of intolerance; one example can be the way the Somnath Temple incident is depicted. In this regard, I believe that the seriousness of our political parties and implementation of the Supreme Court’s June 19th, 2014 detailed decision can bring about positive results.

It is quite natural that a person who has an emotional affiliation with their property is able to look after it effectively. After the partition, the then leadership of Pakistan and India had a mutual understanding on the issue of evacuee property. Till today, India appoints a Muslim parliamentarian to look after the property that belongs to Muslims. Similarly, Israel appoints an Arab Israeli Muslim citizen to take care of holy places of Muslims. But our SC’s recent remarks about the performance of the Evacuee Trust Property Board are eye-opening for all of us. I strongly support the appointment of a Hindu bureaucrat of above grade-20 or a Hindu retired judge for this important post.

The international community also observes that non-Muslims in Pakistan are being ignored in various consultation processes related to national issues. There was no representation of non-Muslims in the All Parties Conference (APC) called for formulating the National Action Plan, whereas other examples include formulation of the 18th amendment and electoral reforms committees.