In Pakistan, the problem of forced conversions (Hindus in trouble)

Excellent study material for all civil services aspirants - begin learning - Kar ke dikhayenge!

 In Pakistan, the problem of forced conversions (Hindus in trouble)

---

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

---

• Two sisters abducted : Reena and Raveena Meghwar were abducted on the day of Holi, from Daharki, Ghotki, Sindh. That reminded everyone of a persistent problem in Pakistan - forced religious conversions.
• A minority community in trouble : They belong to a poor Hindu family, in Sindh which has 90% of Pakistani Hindu population residing. Literacy rate is 55%. An FIR was lodged by the local police, after protests by family.
• Conversion video : Soon, a video surfaced where the two were reading the "kalima" and claimed they had converted to Islam. They had been married to Safdar Ali and Barkat Ali of Punjab, whose first wives left immediately upon learning of this. A madrassa converted them to Islam, and a Sunni Tehreek body organised the wedding.
• Protection from their family : The two sisters filed a petition in Islamabad High Court seeking protection from their (Hindu) family. Court ordered protection till matter was resolved.
• India versus Pakistan : India asked for more information, even as Pak PM Imran Khan ordered a probe in the matter.
• Question by the Judge : The Chief Justice of Islamabad HC asked "why are such cases being reported only from one district of Sindh province (Ghotki)"? As per People's Human Rights Organisation, more teenage Hindu girls have been abducted recently, and forcibly converted.
• Court's Fact Finding Commission : The report arrived, and the two sisters were allowed to go back to their husbands. They were not forcibly converted was the conclusion. The family says the Court never heard them!
• An annual menace : Reports show that more than 1000 Hindu girls are forcibly converted to Islam each year, in Pakistan. Conversions happen in Thar region, largely due to financial reasons. The groups working together are landlords, extremist religious people, weak local courts, and an insensitive administration.
• Two types of Hindus : The low-caste, poor Hindu families bear the maximum brunt of this practice, not the northern region better-off Hindus. The conversions reflect patriarchy, economic deprivation and religious hierarchy. 
• State institutions complicit : The underage girls from farming communities are most vulnerable. Their abduction and sexual exploitation is considered normal, and State does little to prevent it.
• Who is responsible : As per Ramesh Vankwani of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, it was General Zia-ul-Haq who made minorities feel like minorities. And then the exploitation began. From 23% at the time of independence, Hindus are just 5-6% now.
• Malaysia versus Pakistan : In Malaysia, there is a formal application process for religious conversion, taking upto 3 months. In Pakistan, it is a free for all. And Madrassas are free to issue "conversion certificates”!
• Minor girls versus adult women : In case of minor girls forcibly converted, there is also the additional violation of the law against child marriage. They must be stopped by the State. Many a times, the birth certificates are not made by families, creating trouble later in establishing the age of the girl.
• Sindh Hindu Marriage Law : Few years ago, it was being debated, and changes were proposed to allow women to divorce and remarry. Many men opposed it. But the fact is that many adult women convert by own will to escape abusive marriages.
• A law : The Sindh Assembly had passed the Sindh Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Bill, 2015. It made forced conversions punishable by law. But there was backlash from conservative Muslim groups, and the law never was implemented.
• Different minimum ages : Across provinces, there are different minimum age for marriage, making things very tricky.
• Summary : The Pakistani State pays little attention to the persecution of Hindu minority, and allows conversions easily.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

Join UPSC Self Prep course | Online Course (PT Gurukul)  | Covid Special Course | Join PT courses

* Content sourced from free internet sources (publications, PIB site, international sites, etc.). Take your own subscriptions. Copyrights acknowledged.