Comments - Pakistan's Fast Growing Hindu Population 5th Largest in the World - PakAlumni Worldwide: The Global Social Network 2024-03-28T22:39:31Zhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=1119293%3ABlogPost%3A102742&xn_auth=noIn Pakistan’s Karachi, South…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2023-07-24:1119293:Comment:4255652023-07-24T00:49:47.637ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p>In Pakistan’s Karachi, South Indian immigrants keep the taste of Tamil food alive over decades</p>
<p><br></br><a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/2342506/lifestyle" target="_blank">https://www.arabnews.com/node/2342506/lifestyle</a></p>
<p><br></br>The southern Pakistani province of Sindh is home to a small community of Tamils, a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group, who migrated from southern India in the 1930s. There are around 5,000 Tamils currently living in Pakistan, who include Muslims, Hindus…</p>
<p>In Pakistan’s Karachi, South Indian immigrants keep the taste of Tamil food alive over decades</p>
<p><br/><a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/2342506/lifestyle" target="_blank">https://www.arabnews.com/node/2342506/lifestyle</a></p>
<p><br/>The southern Pakistani province of Sindh is home to a small community of Tamils, a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group, who migrated from southern India in the 1930s. There are around 5,000 Tamils currently living in Pakistan, who include Muslims, Hindus and Christians, according to the Swamis, according to the community members. Some of these families have been settled in the Pakistani culinary and commercial hub of Karachi since the pre-partition British Colonial era.</p>
<p>The small community speaks Tamil, which is the official language of India’s Tamil Nadu state, while some of its prominent dishes include dosa (a thin pancake made from a fermented batter of ground black lentils and rice), idli (savoury rice cake usually served in breakfast), upma (a thick savory porridge made from dry-roasted semolina) and vada (savoury fried snacks made with ground chickpeas and lentils).</p>
<p>“Over the years, the food [we make in Pakistan] has gone through a transition. It is inspired from the Pakistani cuisine. Some of the masalas (spices) have come in from here,” Swami, a 41-year-old Tamil Hindu who works as a manager at a software house in Karachi, told Arab News.</p>
<p>“[Similarly,] Tamils in Sri Lanka, their food is also inspired by some of the Sri Lankan cuisines.”</p>
<p>Tamil cuisine, according to the Swami family, originated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu that has a rich history.</p>
<p>“We make vada during weddings at the Haldi ceremony,” said Swami’s sister, Sunita Swami, as she mixed the batter before frying it. “It takes place in the morning in our culture. So, we make daal chawal and this (vada). They are deep-fried.”</p>
<p>The savoury fried snack is made with split chickpeas and split lentils, which are ground after being left to soak in water overnight.</p>
<p>Swami’s grandparents moved to Karachi, now a bustling megapolis of more than 15 million, when the South Asian port city had been booming under the British Raj, while their fourth generation is currently residing in Pakistan, according to Swami’s another sister, Renuk Swami, who said it was the food and the language that connected Tamils all over the world, irrespective of the religion they practiced.</p>
<p>“Kolachi (former name of the port city) was a booming industry [back then]. So, he (grandfather) came for better prospects sometime in the late 1930s,” Renuka said. “In Sindh, particularly in Karachi, there would be around 300 households. They are spread across various localities in Karachi. In a land where Tamil [language] is alien, it kinds of connected people.”</p>
<p>Swami’s mother, Annadanam Swami, shared they make dosa on special occasions as it requires a lot of efforts.</p>
<p>They first grind rice and black lentils before combining the two and adding tarka (heated oil or ghee in which spices and onions are well-stirred and browned), according to Annadanam. It is then fried with minimal oil in a non-stick pan.</p>
<p>“People in India mostly make it daily. It is available everywhere now, but it originated in Tamil Nadu. Previously, only Tamils used to make it,” Annadanam said. “The filling is a chutney. It’s up to the people to have it with potato filling [too]. A Tamil will have it with chutney only. Now there are a lot of variations and fillings.”</p>
<p>Many people believe dosa is the only Tamil food, but reality is that rice dominate the Tamil cuisine, according to Swami.</p>
<p>“It [Tamil food] was here [in Pakistan] since the 1940s, but it came to prominence in the early or late 90s with dosa. Most people know dosa,” he said.</p>
<p>“As my father was also telling that they never used to eat roti in the beginning. Everything was rice. Tamil Nadu is a rice-eating nation. Roti came later. If you are not eating rice, you are not a Tamil. We grew up hearing that.”</p> Meet Sangeeta, Pakistan's ric…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2023-06-04:1119293:Comment:4243822023-06-04T18:12:38.664ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>Meet Sangeeta, Pakistan's richest Hindu woman and actress who is aunt of Jiah Khan;</span><br></br><br></br><br></br><span><a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-meet-sangeeta-pakistan-s-richest-hindu-woman-and-actress-who-is-aunt-of-jiah-khan-het-net-worth-is-3046007" target="_blank">https://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-meet-sangeeta-pakistan-s-richest-hindu-woman-and-actress-who-is-aunt-of-jiah-khan-het-net-worth-is-3046007</a></span><br></br><br></br><span>One of the wealthiest women in…</span></p>
<p><span>Meet Sangeeta, Pakistan's richest Hindu woman and actress who is aunt of Jiah Khan;</span><br/><br/><br/><span><a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-meet-sangeeta-pakistan-s-richest-hindu-woman-and-actress-who-is-aunt-of-jiah-khan-het-net-worth-is-3046007" target="_blank">https://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-meet-sangeeta-pakistan-s-richest-hindu-woman-and-actress-who-is-aunt-of-jiah-khan-het-net-worth-is-3046007</a></span><br/><br/><span>One of the wealthiest women in Pakistan is a Hindu actress named Sangeeta, who is also a relative of late Indian actress Jiah Khan.</span><br/><br/><br/><span>While Pakistan has a dominantly Muslim population, there are several Hindus residing in the country ever since the Partition in 1947. While the country is going through a crippling financial crisis, it is interesting to know that some of the richest people in Pakistan are Hindus.</span><br/><br/><span>While the richest Hindu in the entire country is a fashion designer and actor named Deepak Perwani, the richest Hindu woman in Pakistan also belongs to the entertainment industry. Sangeeta, a famed actress, is the richest Hindu woman in Pakistan, as per ABP News.</span><br/><br/><span>Sangeeta is also commonly known as Parveen Rizvi and was born in British India before the partition. Despite living in Pakistan all her life as a Hindu woman, Sangeeta has touched many heights and is now considered to be the richest Hindu woman in the country.</span><br/><br/><span>Sangeeta aka Parveen Rizvi is a Pakistani actress and film director who has been active in the Pakistani film industry since she turned 21. She made her debut on the big screen with a movie called Koh-e-Noor around 45 years ago.</span><br/><br/><span>Sangeeta has been working in the Pakistani film industry under the name Parveen Rizvi because of her religion. Despite all odds, she is one of the most successful actresses in the country and has appeared in top films such as Nikah, Mutthi Bhar Chawal, Yeh Aman, and Naam Mera Badnaam.</span><br/><br/><br/><span>What is interesting is that apart from being a Hindu woman in Pakistan, Sangeeta also has a strong connection to India. The Pakistani actress is the aunt of the late Indian actress Jiah Khan, who passed away in 2013 after taking her own life.</span><br/><br/><span>While her exact net worth is not known, it is estimated that Sangeeta earns over Rs 39 crore per year, making her the richest Hindu woman and one of the richest people in Pakistan overall.</span></p> Partab Shivani@PartabShiwaniF…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2022-10-10:1119293:Comment:4109252022-10-10T15:04:59.224ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>Partab Shivani</span><br></br><span>@PartabShiwani</span><br></br><span>First ever pilot from Tharparkar n second from Hindu community will fly today to his hometown. Mr. Mahipal (who hails from Chhahro Tharparkar) is very excited to fly over the land wherefrom he dreamt to become pilot. Best wishes.…</span><br></br><br></br></p>
<p><span>Partab Shivani</span><br/><span>@PartabShiwani</span><br/><span>First ever pilot from Tharparkar n second from Hindu community will fly today to his hometown. Mr. Mahipal (who hails from Chhahro Tharparkar) is very excited to fly over the land wherefrom he dreamt to become pilot. Best wishes.</span><br/><br/><span><a href="https://twitter.com/PartabShiwani/status/1579308980278800385?s=20&t=k8Z3Wqdi1I-gkUSJCi-iZA" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/PartabShiwani/status/1579308980278800385?s=20&t=k8Z3Wqdi1I-gkUSJCi-iZA</a></span><br/><br/><span>---------</span><br/><br/><span>Mahipal Ladher, a pilot working at Pakistan International Airlines, has been flying people stranded due to the lockdown, desperate to head home. Mahipal is the first pilot from Tharparkar, a poverty stricken district of Sindh province with a population of 1.6 millon people. The Tharparkar desert lies along the Pakistan-India border.</span><br/><br/><span><a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/this-pakistani-pilot-urges-the-world-to-always-stay-united/story-accog6PDTcmnATjMM0TNgL.html" target="_blank">https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/this-pakistani-pilot-urges-the-world-to-always-stay-united/story-accog6PDTcmnATjMM0TNgL.html</a></span><br/><br/><span>When Mahipal was a little boy, his town didn’t have a single paved road connecting it to any other town. It would take almost 12 hours to reach the nearest town, barely 70 km away. While growing up, Mahipal grazed cattle and at times, walked for a few kilometers to fetch water for his home, like other children of his town. But every time little Mahipal saw an aircraft show up in the sky, his heart would skip a beat. The boy would run after the plane, chasing the contrails, dreaming he would be flying one such aircraft someday.</span><br/><br/><span>Tharparkar has always been an example of Hindu-Muslims unity where the two communities draw strength from a shared heritage and history, and perhaps that’s the reason why Mahipal holds the values of co-existence so dear to his heart.</span><br/><br/><span>Studying initially in a government school and later an army-run school, Mahipal came to Karachi for higher education and training. “I have been living in Karachi for the past 17 years and thanks to its diversified culture, the two things I have learned here are invigoration and charity. People here just don’t stop living and giving!,” he says.</span><br/><br/><span>With COVID19 pandemic being so dangerously contagious, his country is also locked down like other parts of the world. “Like many others, I played my role by raising money for the needy from home. I also had to do my duty. There were people who were stranded and needed to reach home, specifically in the Northern areas of Pakistan where one relies upon the air mode of transport as the roads are covered with snow most of the time. PIA never stopped flying to such areas. I take pride to be a part of the crew that takes such people home and brings a smile on the faces of their loved ones,” he says.</span><br/><br/><span>Talking of family, he says the COVID-19 pandemic has made us realise that the whole world is connected, like a family. “Sadly, the only time we start acting like one is when we face such a crisis. Having said that, it is still a positive sign that we are all in this together. We have become the best version of ourselves, trying to help each other in every way possible. All I truly want and hope is that this sense of belonging stays even when this pandemic is over,” he says.</span></p> A Pakistani Hindu Said He Did…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2020-08-05:1119293:Comment:3047242020-08-05T20:45:33.459ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>A Pakistani Hindu Said He Didn’t Want to Live in India. Here’s Why</span><br></br><span>Akhil Bakshi met a Hindu Pakistani on a flight. This is what he learnt, much to his surprise.</span><br></br><br></br><span>AKHIL BAKSHI…</span><br></br><br></br></p>
<p><span>A Pakistani Hindu Said He Didn’t Want to Live in India. Here’s Why</span><br/><span>Akhil Bakshi met a Hindu Pakistani on a flight. This is what he learnt, much to his surprise.</span><br/><br/><span>AKHIL BAKSHI</span><br/><br/><span><a href="https://www.thequint.com/voices/blogs/citizenship-amendment-act-nrc-hindus-in-pakistan-religious-persecution-indian-govt" target="_blank">https://www.thequint.com/voices/blogs/citizenship-amendment-act-nrc-hindus-in-pakistan-religious-persecution-indian-govt</a></span><br/><br/><span>I looked him up and down, searching for scars on his face, grime in his hair, sadness in his eyes that revealed the fret in his heart. My mind was instantly filled with sorrow for my ‘long-suffering’ fellow Hindu who, surely, must be leading an ‘undignified’, ‘baleful’ existence in Pakistan. Weren't Hindus in Pakistan ‘thrown to the wolves’ by state tyranny? I wanted Ravi Kumar to share his agonies, and that of other helpless victims, with me.</span><br/><br/><span>“It must be difficult for your family to live in Pakistan?” I asked a leading question.</span><br/><br/><span>“On the contrary, we are extremely happy there,” he retorted, astonishing me.</span><br/><br/><span>“Are you not discriminated against?”</span><br/><br/><span>“Not at all! We feel like equal citizens. My family lives in Karachi and nobody has ever bothered us. We are a successful business family trading in rice.”</span><br/><span>“But isn't the Hindu community in Pakistan generally impoverished?”</span><br/><br/><span>“Not in Karachi. We are probably the most prosperous community. The entire rice trade — milling, retail and wholesale — is controlled by Hindus. They all live in great comfort. I have relocated to Benin — from where I supply rice to West Africa.”</span><br/><br/><span>‘I’m a Pakistani at Heart. India is the Last Place I Want to Migrate to’</span><br/><span>“Haven't you ever thought about relocating to India? Do you not want to free yourself of a dismal, perilous existence in Pakistan and migrate to India to seek succour of freedom and a liberal democracy?” I asked.</span><br/><br/><span>He looked at me with a hard stare but replied politely: “You are trying to put words into my mouth. Firstly, our life in Pakistan is not miserable. We are very much a part of the mainstream. I am a Pakistani at heart. Secondly, India is the last place I would like to migrate to. I have been to Bombay thrice — to source rice for West Africa — as Pakistan did not have enough surplus for export. All three times it has been a dreadful experience. Right from the time you land, you are questioned and hounded as if you are a terrorist. I had to report to the police station every day. And all that the authorities did was to pick my pockets. I spent most of my time waiting at police stations than at business meetings. I don't like the undignified way I am treated in India. Now I am on my way to source rice from Thailand — over-flying India.”</span><br/><br/><span>‘Pakistani Hindus Didn’t Find Kinship or Compassion in India’</span><br/><span>“However, many Pakistani Hindus do want to migrate to India — to enjoy some measure of freedom that is proffered in my country,” I interjected.</span><br/><br/><span>“Perhaps. But those who went to India did not find any trace of kinship or compassion. The government provided no assistance to resettle. The lower caste Hindus were not allowed to pray in the temples. They can’t drink from the same well as the upper castes. Before you call Pakistan intolerant and petty, you should think about the bigotry in your own country.”</span><br/><br/><span>“I am told all Hindu temples have been vandalised...”</span><br/><br/><span>“A few were, some years ago, as a reaction to the demolition of some big mosque in India.”</span><br/><br/><span>“Babri Masjid.”</span><br/><br/><span>“Maybe. I don’t follow Indian news.”</span><br/><br/><br/><span>Not a ‘Genuine’ Representative of Pakistani Hindus?</span><br/><span>Despite my interventions to ‘poison’ his mind, he stood firm. I was disappointed. He was not saying the words I wanted to hear. I concluded that he was not a ‘genuine’ representative of Pakistani Hindus, and that his business interests did not allow him to bow too much against his government.</span><br/><br/><span>It did not cross my mind that he could have been sincerely faithful to his country.</span><br/><span>As I write, I am reminded of my visit to Pakistan in 1997. Fifty years after Partition, I had taken my mother to Dalwal, her parental village in District Jhelum. (Call of Dalwal, a YouTube video, has had over 61,000 hits with hundreds of Pakistanis posting sentimental comments).</span></p> A Pakistani Hindu Said He Did…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2020-08-05:1119293:Comment:3047232020-08-05T20:44:56.652ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>A Pakistani Hindu Said He Didn’t Want to Live in India. Here’s Why</span><br></br><span>Akhil Bakshi met a Hindu Pakistani on a flight. This is what he learnt, much to his surprise.</span><br></br><br></br><span>AKHIL BAKSHI…</span><br></br><br></br></p>
<p><span>A Pakistani Hindu Said He Didn’t Want to Live in India. Here’s Why</span><br/><span>Akhil Bakshi met a Hindu Pakistani on a flight. This is what he learnt, much to his surprise.</span><br/><br/><span>AKHIL BAKSHI</span><br/><br/><span><a href="https://www.thequint.com/voices/blogs/citizenship-amendment-act-nrc-hindus-in-pakistan-religious-persecution-indian-govt" target="_blank">https://www.thequint.com/voices/blogs/citizenship-amendment-act-nrc-hindus-in-pakistan-religious-persecution-indian-govt</a></span><br/><br/><span>Not a ‘Genuine’ Representative of Pakistani Hindus?</span><br/><span>Despite my interventions to ‘poison’ his mind, he stood firm. I was disappointed. He was not saying the words I wanted to hear. I concluded that he was not a ‘genuine’ representative of Pakistani Hindus, and that his business interests did not allow him to bow too much against his government.</span><br/><br/><span>It did not cross my mind that he could have been sincerely faithful to his country.</span><br/><span>As I write, I am reminded of my visit to Pakistan in 1997. Fifty years after Partition, I had taken my mother to Dalwal, her parental village in District Jhelum. (Call of Dalwal, a YouTube video, has had over 61,000 hits with hundreds of Pakistanis posting sentimental comments).</span><br/><br/><span>From there we went to Karyala, the village of her paternal grandparents. In torch light we saw their expansive house, now a ruin and located close to the samadhi of Baba Praga, a notable figure of my paternal Chibber clan, a disciple of Guru Nanak, a mentor to the next five Gurus, and was killed in 1638 fighting against the forces of Paindah Khan, the governor of Lahore. Three old Muslim villagers who were guiding us insisted that we visit the house of the sarpanch, the village headman. “He is a Hindu,” they said, “and not a leaf moves in this village without his permission.”</span><br/><br/><span>BJP Govt Should Help Pakistan Evolve Rather Than Making India ‘Medieval’</span><br/><span>Regardless of my positive experience or what Ravi Kumar said, it is true that religious minorities are persecuted in Pakistan, just as minorities are persecuted in many other parts of the world.</span><br/><br/><span>The BJP-led government of India, instead of influencing Pakistan to evolve into a more liberal society, is bent on making India as ‘medieval’ as its neighbour.</span><br/><span>Under the guise of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the government’s intent seems to be to ‘spite’ Muslims, to take away their citizenship and rights, including voting rights. Traditionally, Muslims have voted en masse and en bloc for the party best placed to defeat the BJP. With the voting rights of millions of Muslims taken away, it will be ‘ADVANTAGE BJP’ all the way to the state assemblies and the parliament.</span><br/><br/><br/><span>A Pakistani Hindu Said He Didn’t Want to Live in India. Here’s Why</span><br/><span>Akhil Bakshi met a Hindu Pakistani on a flight. This is what he learnt, much to his surprise.</span><br/><br/><span>Image of Pakistan flag and a Hindu man used for representational purposes.Image of Pakistan flag and a Hindu man used for representational purposes.</span><br/><br/><span>s</span><br/><span>In August 2018, on my way back to India from Madagascar, I was off-loaded in Nairobi by Kenya Airways on two consecutive nights. On the second night, at the facilitation counter, I bumped into Ravi Kumar, a pleasant-looking and smartly attired man in his late twenties. After an hour of arguing with grim-faced, insensitive airline staff, I looked forward to engaging him in a refreshing conversation as we waited for the transport to drive us to our hotel.</span><br/><br/><span>As soon as we had exchanged pleasantries in Hindustani, he said, smiling wryly: “Let me clarify that I am not an Indian. I am a Pakistani.”</span><br/><br/><span>“A Hindu, no doubt,” exclaimed I.</span><br/><br/><span>“That's right,” he said, boldly.</span><br/><br/><span>‘It Must be Difficult for Your Family to Live in Pakistan?’</span><br/><span>I looked him up and down, searching for scars on his face, grime in his hair, sadness in his eyes that revealed the fret in his heart. My mind was instantly filled with sorrow for my ‘long-suffering’ fellow Hindu who, surely, must be leading an ‘undignified’, ‘baleful’ existence in Pakistan. Weren't Hindus in Pakistan ‘thrown to the wolves’ by state tyranny? I wanted Ravi Kumar to share his agonies, and that of other helpless victims, with me.</span></p> A Pakistani Hindu Said He Did…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2020-08-05:1119293:Comment:3047222020-08-05T20:44:22.164ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>A Pakistani Hindu Said He Didn’t Want to Live in India. Here’s Why</span><br></br><span>Akhil Bakshi met a Hindu Pakistani on a flight. This is what he learnt, much to his surprise.</span><br></br><br></br><span>AKHIL BAKSHI…</span><br></br><br></br></p>
<p><span>A Pakistani Hindu Said He Didn’t Want to Live in India. Here’s Why</span><br/><span>Akhil Bakshi met a Hindu Pakistani on a flight. This is what he learnt, much to his surprise.</span><br/><br/><span>AKHIL BAKSHI</span><br/><br/><span><a href="https://www.thequint.com/voices/blogs/citizenship-amendment-act-nrc-hindus-in-pakistan-religious-persecution-indian-govt" target="_blank">https://www.thequint.com/voices/blogs/citizenship-amendment-act-nrc-hindus-in-pakistan-religious-persecution-indian-govt</a></span><br/><br/><br/><span>In August 2018, on my way back to India from Madagascar, I was off-loaded in Nairobi by Kenya Airways on two consecutive nights. On the second night, at the facilitation counter, I bumped into Ravi Kumar, a pleasant-looking and smartly attired man in his late twenties. After an hour of arguing with grim-faced, insensitive airline staff, I looked forward to engaging him in a refreshing conversation as we waited for the transport to drive us to our hotel.</span><br/><br/><span>As soon as we had exchanged pleasantries in Hindustani, he said, smiling wryly: “Let me clarify that I am not an Indian. I am a Pakistani.”</span><br/><br/><span>“A Hindu, no doubt,” exclaimed I.</span><br/><br/><span>“That's right,” he said, boldly.</span><br/><br/><span>‘It Must be Difficult for Your Family to Live in Pakistan?’</span><br/><span>I looked him up and down, searching for scars on his face, grime in his hair, sadness in his eyes that revealed the fret in his heart. My mind was instantly filled with sorrow for my ‘long-suffering’ fellow Hindu who, surely, must be leading an ‘undignified’, ‘baleful’ existence in Pakistan. Weren't Hindus in Pakistan ‘thrown to the wolves’ by state tyranny? I wanted Ravi Kumar to share his agonies, and that of other helpless victims, with me.</span><br/><br/><span>“It must be difficult for your family to live in Pakistan?” I asked a leading question.</span><br/><br/><span>“On the contrary, we are extremely happy there,” he retorted, astonishing me.</span><br/><br/><span>“Are you not discriminated against?”</span><br/><br/><span>“Not at all! We feel like equal citizens. My family lives in Karachi and nobody has ever bothered us. We are a successful business family trading in rice.”</span><br/><span>“But isn't the Hindu community in Pakistan generally impoverished?”</span><br/><br/><span>“Not in Karachi. We are probably the most prosperous community. The entire rice trade — milling, retail and wholesale — is controlled by Hindus. They all live in great comfort. I have relocated to Benin — from where I supply rice to West Africa.”</span><br/><br/><span>‘I’m a Pakistani at Heart. India is the Last Place I Want to Migrate to’</span><br/><span>“Haven't you ever thought about relocating to India? Do you not want to free yourself of a dismal, perilous existence in Pakistan and migrate to India to seek succour of freedom and a liberal democracy?” I asked.</span><br/><br/><span>He looked at me with a hard stare but replied politely: “You are trying to put words into my mouth. Firstly, our life in Pakistan is not miserable. We are very much a part of the mainstream. I am a Pakistani at heart. Secondly, India is the last place I would like to migrate to. I have been to Bombay thrice — to source rice for West Africa — as Pakistan did not have enough surplus for export. All three times it has been a dreadful experience. Right from the time you land, you are questioned and hounded as if you are a terrorist. I had to report to the police station every day. And all that the authorities did was to pick my pockets. I spent most of my time waiting at police stations than at business meetings. I don't like the undignified way I am treated in India. Now I am on my way to source rice from Thailand — over-flying India.”</span><br/><br/><span>‘Pakistani Hindus Didn’t Find Kinship or Compassion in India’</span><br/><span>“However, many Pakistani Hindus do want to migrate to India — to enjoy some measure of freedom that is proffered in my country,” I interjected.</span><br/><br/><span>“Perhaps. But those who went to India did not find any trace of kinship or compassion. The government provided no assistance to resettle. The lower caste Hindus were not allowed to pray in the temples. They can’t drink from the same well as the upper castes. Before you call Pakistan intolerant and petty, you should think about the bigotry in your own country.”</span><br/><br/><span>“I am told all Hindu temples have been vandalised...”</span><br/><br/><span>“A few were, some years ago, as a reaction to the demolition of some big mosque in India.”</span><br/><br/><span>“Babri Masjid.”</span><br/><br/><span>“Maybe. I don’t follow Indian news.”</span></p> Most of #Pakistan's #Hindus a…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2020-08-05:1119293:Comment:3047102020-08-05T18:42:37.724ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>Most of #Pakistan's #Hindus are of lower caste #untouchables. When they migrate to #India, they face discrimination. They can not enter #Hindu temples, and assaulted for drinking from the community water well. India is no Hindu paradise for them. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/05/world/asia/pakistan-hindu-india-modi.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/05/world/asia/pakistan-hindu-india-modi.html</a></span><br></br><br></br><span>This is not the Hindu paradise they…</span></p>
<p><span>Most of #Pakistan's #Hindus are of lower caste #untouchables. When they migrate to #India, they face discrimination. They can not enter #Hindu temples, and assaulted for drinking from the community water well. India is no Hindu paradise for them. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/05/world/asia/pakistan-hindu-india-modi.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/05/world/asia/pakistan-hindu-india-modi.html</a></span><br/><br/><span>This is not the Hindu paradise they had crossed the border to join, they said. This is not the India Mr. Modi promised them.</span><br/><br/><span>Mr. Bheel is wracked by doubt, the same doubt his grandfather had when he chose to keep the family in Pakistan during partition. Did he make the right choice?</span><br/><br/><span>He left his home and siblings in Karachi, trading a lucrative job as an administrator of a medical clinic there to live as a migrant in India. His medical diploma, one of the few possessions he brought with him, hangs proudly on a wall, although it is not valid in India. He struggles to make ends meet here.</span><br/><br/><span>“You take these decisions sometimes out of excitement for what your life could be,” Mr. Bheel said, his daughter cuddling beside him on a bench. “Then you arrive and realize it’s much different on the ground.”</span><br/><br/><span>Mr. Bheel looked on as his wife struggled to contain rainwater leaking from the ceiling, after a monsoon swiftly obliterated the sunny sky. Eventually she gave up, running out of pots and buckets.</span><br/><br/><span>“Maybe this wasn’t the right decision for me,” he said. “But maybe my children will look back and say, ‘My father made the right choice.’”</span><br/><span>----------------</span><br/><br/><span>Bhagchand Bheel is one of the disappointed. When he migrated to India in 2014, he was grateful to leave the violence and pressure of Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial hub. He boarded the Thar Express to Zero Point Station, the last stop before the border, where he and his family lugged their bags by foot into India, settling in a camp in the city of Jodhpur.</span><br/><br/><span>He was among his people, he thought, and could finally be free. But he is of a lower caste, and when he tried to enter a Hindu temple, he was barred entry by the priest because of it, he said. And when a friend tried to drink from the community water well, he was physically assaulted by upper caste Brahmins who accused him of polluting it.</span><br/><br/><span>“In Pakistan, the only thing that matters is if you are Hindu or Muslim,” said Mr. Bheel, whose last name is derived from his tribe. “Because we are Hindus, in Pakistan we were discriminated against. But in India, I face discrimination because I’m a Bheel.”</span><br/><br/><br/><span>Like many Pakistani Hindus, Mr. Bheel migrated after Mr. Modi came to power in 2014, after a long campaign promoting Hindu nationalism.</span><br/><br/><span>Muslims in India say life has gotten progressively harder for them, too. Mr. Modi’s government is accused of turning a blind eye to the scores of Muslim men lynched by Hindu mobs. When an 8-year old Muslim girl was gang raped and killed in Kashmir last year by Hindu men, local police officers allegedly helped cover up the crime.</span><br/><br/><span>But despite the discrimination Muslims face in India, they do not tend to migrate to Pakistan in the numbers their Hindu counterparts in Pakistan do. Indian Muslims tend to migrate to the West instead.</span><br/><br/><span>In the Al Kausar Nagar migrant camp in Jodhpur, huts made out of thin, wispy branches, like birds’ nests, nestle in clusters, with quilts with vibrant Pakistani tribal designs hanging off their sides.</span><br/><br/><span>Bands of Pakistani Hindu women crouch over unfinished quilts, stitching away, hoping to sell them in the market to wealthier Indians. They complain that they receive little government assistance, siphoning what little electricity and water they can off municipal lines, and that the quality of public schooling for their children is not as good as it is in Pakistan, a main source of grievance for the many who migrated to give their children better opportunities.</span></p> First #Hindu pilot in #Pakist…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2020-05-05:1119293:Comment:2332212020-05-05T00:57:40.789ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>First #Hindu pilot in #Pakistan Air Force. Rahul Dev hails from #Tharparkar, the largest district in #Sindh province, where a large population of the Hindu community resides. | Pakistan – Gulf News</span><br></br><br></br><span><a href="https://t.co/T4Wfd0NQZh?amp=1" target="_blank">https://t.co/T4Wfd0NQZh?amp=1</a></span><br></br><br></br><span>Rahul Dev hails from Tharparkar, the largest district in Sindh province, where a large population of the Hindu community resides.</span><br></br><br></br><span>All…</span></p>
<p><span>First #Hindu pilot in #Pakistan Air Force. Rahul Dev hails from #Tharparkar, the largest district in #Sindh province, where a large population of the Hindu community resides. | Pakistan – Gulf News</span><br/><br/><span><a href="https://t.co/T4Wfd0NQZh?amp=1" target="_blank">https://t.co/T4Wfd0NQZh?amp=1</a></span><br/><br/><span>Rahul Dev hails from Tharparkar, the largest district in Sindh province, where a large population of the Hindu community resides.</span><br/><br/><span>All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat Secretary Ravi Dawani expressed happiness over Dev’s appointment. He said many members of the minority community are serving in the civil service as well as the army. Many doctors in the country also belong to the Hindu community. He said that if the government continues to focus on the minorities, then in the coming days many Rahul Devs will be ready to serve the country.</span></p> In pictures: #Pakistani #Hind…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2020-03-11:1119293:Comment:1892532020-03-11T20:26:03.088ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>In pictures: #Pakistani #Hindu community defy #coronavirus to celebrate #Holi2020 festival across the country. Thousands come out on streets to splash colours while #Muslim friends also join them <a href="https://gn24.ae/9897aec3eb00000" rel="noopener" target="_blank">https://gn24.ae/9897aec3eb00000</a></span><br></br><br></br></p>
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LAHORE: Members of Hindu community dancing and throwing colours during their…</div>
<p><span>In pictures: #Pakistani #Hindu community defy #coronavirus to celebrate #Holi2020 festival across the country. Thousands come out on streets to splash colours while #Muslim friends also join them <a href="https://gn24.ae/9897aec3eb00000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://gn24.ae/9897aec3eb00000</a></span><br/><br/></p>
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LAHORE: Members of Hindu community dancing and throwing colours during their Holi celebrations at Neela Gumbad G Sawami Temple in Lahore.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit: Online</span><br />
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Holi celebrations in Lahore. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has sent his good wishes to the Hindu community on the occasion of their festival of Holi.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit: Online</span><br />
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Pakistani Hindu celebrate the Holi festival in Karachi on March 9, 2020. Holi, the popular Hindu spring festival of colours is observed in India and across countries at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit: AFP</span><br />
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Members of Hindu community dancing and throwing colours during their Holi celebrations in Hyderabad. The festivities mainly happened in Hyderabad, the second largest city of southern province of Sindh. Temples were decorated with colours and special prayers were also offered there for development and prosperity of the country.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit: Online</span><br />
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Jubilant Hindu community in Hyderabad during Holi celebrations. Holi marks the end of winter and the start of spring. This year, the Hindu community across the globe celebrated the day on March 9.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit:</span><br />
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Hindu community members including young and old came together to celebrate Holi in Hyderabad.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit: Online</span><br />
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Hindu girls splashes colours to celebrate the Holi festival in Lahore. Hundreds of Hindu community members gathered at Neela Gumbad G Sawami Temple in Lahore to celebrate the event.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit: Online</span><br />
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Pakistani Hindu celebrate the Holi festival in Karachi on March 9, 2020. Holi, the popular Hindu spring festival of colours is observed in India and across countries at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit: AFP</span><br />
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People from the Pakistani Hindu community smear each others faces with colours to celebrate Holi, the festival of colors, in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, March 9, 2020. Holi festival marks the beginning of spring and the triumph of good over evil.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit: AP</span><br />
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Women from the Hindu community celebrate Holi in Peshawar.Leaders and celebrities in Muslim dominated Pakistan this year have gone an extra mile to express good wishes and solidarity with the Hindu minority in Pakistan.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit: AP</span><br />
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The festival of colours rejuvenates the spirit of fun, freedom, love, respect and happiness to blend myths with religion to promote harmony.<span class="image-credit">Image Credit: AP</span><br />
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</div> No, Pakistan's non-Muslim pop…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2019-12-13:1119293:Comment:1278292019-12-13T00:55:44.930ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>No, Pakistan's non-Muslim population didn't decline from 23% to 3.7% as BJP claims</span><br></br><span>During the debate on the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament, the BJP repeatedly claimed that population of religious minorities in Pakistan has declined from 23% in 1947 to 3.7% in 2011. Analysis of official data however shows this argument is faulty.…</span><br></br><br></br><br></br></p>
<p><span>No, Pakistan's non-Muslim population didn't decline from 23% to 3.7% as BJP claims</span><br/><span>During the debate on the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament, the BJP repeatedly claimed that population of religious minorities in Pakistan has declined from 23% in 1947 to 3.7% in 2011. Analysis of official data however shows this argument is faulty.</span><br/><br/><br/><a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pakistan-bangladesh-non-muslim-population-citizenship-amendment-bill-bjp-1627678-2019-12-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pakistan-bangladesh-non-muslim-population-citizenship-amendment-bill-bjp-1627678-2019-12-12</a><br/><br/><br/><span>Taking Pakistan's Census 1951 as benchmark for our analysis, we find that while raising the issue of religious persecution in Pakistan and Bangladesh, the BJP mixed-up data for the two regions.</span><br/><br/><span>Firstly, it said non-Muslims once comprised 23 per cent of Pakistan's population. The fact rather is that non-Muslims comprised 23 per cent of only East Pakistan's population, not the entire country. Taken together (East plus West Pakistan), share of non-Muslims was 14.20 per cent (the highest ever) in 1951.</span><br/><br/><span>Secondly, the BJP claimed that share of non-Muslims reduced from 23 per cent to 3.7 per cent in Pakistan. This too is incorrect because share of non-Muslims in Pakistan has hovered around 3.5 per cent from the first census onwards.</span><br/><br/><span>1951: 3.44 per cent</span><br/><span>1961: 2.80 per cent</span><br/><span>1972: 3.25 per cent</span><br/><span>1981: 3.33 per cent</span><br/><span>1998: 3.70 per cent</span><br/><br/><span>Thirdly, the BJP is correct in saying that the percentage share of non-Muslims has decreased significantly in Bangladesh. But it is wrong in saying that the decline was from 22 per cent to 7.8 per cent. As per official census data, the decline was from 23.20 per cent in 1951 to 9.40 per cent in 2011.</span><br/><br/><span>Fourthly, BJP has argued that religious persecution was the reason for decline of non-Muslim population in Bangladesh. There is no denying that religious minorities were brutally persecuted for decades in East Pakistan and later also in Bangladesh. It is a fact that hundreds of them were raped, murdered and forcibly converted into Islam.</span></p>