Pictures of 2011 PHP & SRSSM Free Calender Distribution at Rataneshwar Mahadev Temple in Karachi, Pakistan

By Gopinath Kumar (editor-in-chief)
Monday, January 31, 2011

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: PHP Karachi Staff
Date: Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 8:46 PM
Subject: Rataneshwar Mahadev Temple, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan
To: Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

Namaste

Dear Gopinathji,

          Please find attach pictures of  Free Distributed of 2011 PHP & SRSSM  Calender at Shri Rataneshwar Mahadev Temple or also called as Lord Shiv Mandir on 24th January Sunday in Karachi City of Sindh State, Pakistan.

Introduction : Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple at Clifton Karachi. This is at the side of Jehangir Kothari parade. In the olden times, sea was upto the walls of this temple and this temple was a cave about 30-40 feet in the sea. There used to be a stream of sweet water. This temple contains the langham of self created Mahadev. The shape of the langham is like an egg or zero meaning this whole world is nothing but a dream. As per another source the ships used to pass from here after offering ablution. There was no idol in this temple, only a lamp placed there was worshipped by the Hindus. The Talpur ruler used to offer 7.5 seers of oil for this lamp every month. Sat Guru Nanak Dev Ji meditated in a cave just beyond the lamp. An other lamp is kept burning at the place where he had meditated and it is called “Guru Joti”.

This Temple is situated at the seaside of Clifton. It was constructed about more than 150 years ago in a cave in a hill. Grand Mela (Fair) of Lord Shiva (SHANKER) is held for 3 days on Maha Shiva Ratri the day where in more than 25,000 people visit the Temple for celebration & rituals on this occasion every year. On every Monday, “Parsad”(sacred food) is distributed but now 7 days of week, parsad is offered.

Best Regards,
Sanjesh Sunny
PHP Karachi Staff
 

(1Photo : 2011 PHP Free Calender Distribution at Rataneshwar Mahadev Temple, Pakistan)

 (2Photo : 2011 PHP Free Calender Distribution at Rataneshwar Mahadev Temple, Pakistan)

 (3Photo : 2011 PHP Free Calender Distribution at Rataneshwar Mahadev Temple, Pakistan)

 (4Photo : 2011 PHP Free Calender Distribution at Rataneshwar Mahadev Temple, Pakistan)

 (5Photo : 2011 PHP Free Calender Distribution at Rataneshwar Mahadev Temple, Pakistan)

 (6Photo : 2011 PHP Free Calender Distribution at Rataneshwar Mahadev Temple, Pakistan)

(7Photo : 2011 PHP Free Calender Distribution at Rataneshwar Mahadev Temple, Pakistan)

International Minorities Alliance demands Pakistan to be run according to the vision of its founder, Pakistan

By Amarnath R. (PHP Lahore)
Monday, January 31, 2011

(Photo : International Minorities Conference III in Lahore, Pakistan)

Islamabad : International Minorities’ Conference 2011 was organized by International Minorities Alliance on “Equal Citizenship, Equal Rights” at Avari Hotel, Lahore, Pakistan on Jan 23, 2011.

The historical Conference was presided over by a renowned poet and intellectual Mr. Nazir Qaiser while Ms. Shakila Rashid Khanam, former Federal Minister, ambassador to the Norway and member of the Central Executive Committee of Pakistan Peoples Party and Chairman of NPCIH Allama Syed Ayaz Zahir Hashmi were the Chief Guests.Delegates representing different religions i.e Christians, Sikhs, Zorasters, Hindus, Bahai’s and Muslims participated from all the four provinces of Pakistan and abroad.

Call to speed up Pakistan’s interfaith dialogue:

National Peace Committee for Interfaith Harmony(NPCIH) Chairman Allama Syed Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, Nazir Qaiser(Chairman International Minorities Alliance), Shakeela Khanum Rasheed(MNA, PPP) , The Bishop of Karachi Dr Ijaz Inayat, Dr Hizkiul Sarosh, Bishop Ibrahim Daniel, Dr. Badar Munir Saifi(President Ulma Mashaik Wing PPP,Lhr), Martan Javed Martan, Ilyas A Khan, Om Parkash Narayan, Dr. Mastaan Singh, Muhammad Safdar(General Secretary Liberal Forum,Lhr), Ilyas A Khan(President Pakistan Minorities Foundation)Raja Abbas(President Civil Society Organization), Rafiq Kazim Paseen(Sr Vice President PPP, Kot Radhakishan), Dr Manohar Chand( President Pakistan Balmik Sabha), Dr Maipal Singh and Dr Khalid Javed Jan expressed these views while addressing an international minority conference held under the auspices of International Minority Alliance at a local hotel on Sunday (January 23).

The speakers urged to launch a campaign at grass root level to reform the thinking and attitude of various segments of the society in a bid to promote peace and harmony between the majority and minority of the country.

They said minorities had played key role in creating Pakistan shoulder-to-shoulder with their Muslim brethren but it was astonishing that there was acknowledgement to these efforts at present and minorities suffer from discrimination and marginalisation.

They said that the persons who raised their voice for the minorities were silenced and it was high time to get united at a single platform to protect the rights of the minorities with the message of love, peace and tranquillity. The speakers while appreciating the role of the prime minister and president for carrying out efforts to promote interfaith dialogue, they stressed the need for further speeding up the process in order to counter the insane voices to bring complete peace in the country.

Alleging some groups without naming them for killing innocent people, they warned that it would be tantamount to set a dangerous trend if it was not stopped at this moment.

Syed Allama Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, PM’s advisor on National Committee for Peace and Harmony said that it was responsibility of Ulema, intellectuals and the media to support the concept of interfaith dialogue which opens doors for presenting the message of Islam to the non-Muslims communities. Allama also elaborated his plans to promote interfaith harmony through educated force from the universities and civil society.

Speaking on the occasion, NPCIH Chairman Allama Syed Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, the chief Guest said that PPP came to power at a difficult time but it is trying its best to pull the country out of present crisis under the sagious leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari.


Allama also said, “ The address of the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that he delivered in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947 must be included as a part of the constitution of Pakistan and the biased Objective Resolution which was passed in 1949 must be excluded from the constitution. State affairs must be run according to the vision of its founder which provides equal opportunity to all Pakistanis without any distinction of religion, caste or creed. Pakistan must be run according to the vision of the father of the nation.

“On the behalf of the prime minister,I want to assure you of my government’s full support to the rights of all religious minorities in Pakistan” he added.

Unicef says, Sindh faces acute hunger with parts of Balochistan in Pakistan

By  Rajesh Kumar (Islamabad City)
Monday, January 31, 2011

(Photo : A young girl, displaced by floods and stranded on land only accessible by air, cries as she waves flies away from her face in Garhi Khairo near Jacobabad in Sindh province)

ISLAMABAD : Pakistan’s Sindh province, hit hard by last year’s floods, is suffering levels of malnutrition almost as critical as Chad and Niger, with hundreds of thousands of children at risk, Unicef said on Wednesday.
A survey conducted by the provincial government and the UN Children’s Fund revealed malnutrition rates of 23.1 per cent in northern Sindh and 21.2 per cent in the south.

Those rates are above the 15 per cent emergency threshold set by the World Health Organisation and are on a par with some of the poorest parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

Northern Sindh also had a 6.1 per cent severe acute malnutrition rate and southern Sindh had 2.9 per cent, both far above the WHO thresholds.

“We are looking at hundreds of thousands of children at risk,” Unicef chief of communication Kristen Elsby told Reuters.

A full report would be released on Friday by the Sindh government, she said, along with the province’s response plan.

Elsby said it was unclear if the August’s floods had caused a spike in malnutrition, but that it had revealed the extent of the problem because babies and mothers were being screened for the first time.

“People were already vulnerable and this kind of kicked the chair out from under them,” she said.

Monsoon floods starting in late July last year devastated Pakistan. More than one-fifth of its territory was inundated and 20 million people affected. Ten million were left homeless and nearly 2,000 people died.

Six months later, many communities in Sindh are still surrounded by floodwaters. In Sindh and Balochistan, some 600,000 people are still living in temporary camps, according to the World Food Programme.

Balochistan Home Minister Express Helplessness Over Recovery Of The Kidnapped Hindus (Minority) and particularly Lakmi Chand Garji in Pakistan

By Mohammad S.Solanki (Executive Editor)
Monday, January 31, 2011

(Photo : Balochistan State Assembly of Pakistan)

QUETTA : An overwhelming majority of ministers in the Balochistan Assembly expressed their serious concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the province and sought the help of tribal elders to maintain durable peace, during a debate in the assembly here on Tuesday.

As many as 20 people hailing from the Hindu community have been kidnapped recently, including the 82-year-old spiritual leader of the community Lakmi Chand Garji, said provincial minister Jay Parkash.

“These incidents have shocked the entire Hindu community living in Balochistan. Our only demand is to ensure the safe recovery of our spiritual leader and other kidnapped people,” he added.

Asfandyar Kakar of the Pakistan Peoples Party said incidents of kidnapping for ransom are not only confined to the minorities; people from majority groups are also being kidnapped. “It is matter of great concern for us that despite sitting in the government, we are powerless. We cannot face the people because of our failure to arrest the culprits,” he said.

Besides, no teacher from other provinces is willing to come to Balochistan because of the worsening law and order situation, Kakar added.

Meanwhile, Dr Fauzia Nazeer Marri said while foreign forces may be involved in the insurgency, our own people are backing them in various ways.

Drawing the attention of the House to her constituency in Kohlu district, Marri said there are 1,904 Levies and police personnel but only 150 of them are performing their duties. Accusing the district police officer, deputy commissioner and other law enforcement agency officials, she claimed that personnel are being inducted into the Levies force in return for a bribe of Rs300,000 each.

Other lawmakers including Zahoor Buledi, Abdul Khaliq and Moulvi Sarwar also urged the government to take all necessary steps to maintain order in this region, suggesting that tribal elder concerned also help the law enforcers for booking the culprits involved in these crimes.

On behalf of the provincial government, home minister Zafar Zehri said the government is sincere in its efforts to restore peace to the province. “Law enforcers are trying their utmost to recover the kidnapped Hindu people, particularly Lakmi Chand Garji,” he said, adding that the government had allocated Rs500 million to equip the police and Balochistan Levies.

Talking about missing persons, Zafar Zehri said the government was given a list of 102 missing persons of which many have been traced while only 55 cases remain unsolved.

Daily Inspiration from Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

By PHP Staff
Monday, January 31, 2011

 (Photo : Sri Aurobindo in India)

Man arrives at immortality by breaking beyond the limitations not only of his physical self, but of his mental and his ordinary psychic nature into the highest plane and supreme ether of the Truth: for there is the foundation of immortality and the native seat of the triple infinite.

Sri Aurobindo (1879-1950)

Indian Christian Missionaries Prepare To Evangelize Bhutan

By PHP Staff
Monday, January 31, 2011

(Photo : Map of Bhutan in South Asia)

BHUTAN : Authorities in Bhutan have signaled that they will permit the registration at least one Christian organization in the landlocked Asian nation. Currently, Christians are permitted to worship in their homes but are forbidden to gather in public or spread the Gospel.

Two Indian missionary orders are preparing to enter Bhutan if the government allows them to be registered. Father Arul Raj, founder of the Society of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate and the Society of the Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, says that the two orders, which work in education and assist the poor, 'do not openly initiate conversions, instead clearly manifesting their Christian identity in work and prayer,' and thus 'we have never had problems with extreme mixed Hindu groups in India, nor have we ever suffered allegations of mass conversions.'

Only 1,000 of Bhutan's 2.6 million people are Catholic, according to Vatican statistics. Some 75% of the nation's residents are Buddhist, while approximately 25% are Hindu.

[HPI note: Hinduism is already suffering enough in Bhutan. A forced mass exodus of Hindus from Bhutan happened in the last 20 years, organized by the government, who defends Bhuddism fiercely. Read more about it here. ]

Jaffna 15th-Century Hindu Temple Unearthed In Sri Lanka

By PHP Staff
Monday, January 31, 2011

(Photo : Jaffna-City-Map in Sri Lanka)

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA : Archaeologists of Jaffna University, led by Prof. Pushparatnam, have discovered the ruins of a 15th-century Hindu temple buried in the sand in the middle of a thick jungle in Pooneryn in North Sri Lanka, which could unravel a part of Sri Lankan history in which the Pooneryn area of the Wanni was on the high road linking Jaffna with South Lanka.

'The temple, 130 ft by 30 ft, is located in Kaudaari Munai, on a narrow stretch of land almost fully surrounded by the sea. Most locals do not venture into this area because the place is snake- infested. However, they knew that there was a temple buried in the sand and informed us,' said Pushparatnam. The Jaffna team found to their astonishment, the remains of a garbhagraham, vimanam, karnakoodu, maadam and a place for the parivaara deivangal.

Asked how ancient the temple might be, the historian said that dating it scientifically would take time because no inscriptions had been found yet. 'However, we are checking out if this was the temple which finds mention in the 15th Century Sinhalese Buddhist historical-poetic work Kokila Sandesaya,' he said. Sapumal Kumaraya was the adopted son of the Sinhalese king of Kotte in the South. He had conducted an expedition to Jaffna to seize it from the Tamil King Kanakasuriya Singaiya Rayan of the Arya Chakravarti dynasty around 1450.

In India : Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair Showcases Hindu Selfless Service

By PHP Staff
Monday, January 31, 2011

(Photo : 2009 Swami Gauthamanandaji Maharaj of Ramakrishna Mission, Chennai, releasing and handing over the first copy of 'Global Harmony' published by GFCH India to Thiru R Nataraj, IPS, DGP/Director, Fire and Rescue Service, as GFCH India Director Thiru K G Suresh (right) and Chennai chapter Convener Thiru K Prabhakar (left) look on, at the valedictory function of the second Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair at Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai on Monday)

CHENNAI, INDIA : The ongoing Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair , which showcases the service ativities of Hindu institutions from across the country, is an eye-opener, said renowned spiritual orator Velukkudi Krishnan, who visited the fair on Thursday.

Scores of ardent followers accompanied Velukkudi Krishnan as he took a detailed tour of the service fair visiting each of the participating 140 stalls put up by the institutions. 'The spiritual fair is an opportunity to inspire more service-minded people to work towards a common good,' said Srihari, one of the organizers of the event.

A host of organisations, including Arya Samaj, Youth for Dharma, Art of Living, Friends of Tribal Society, Parampara, Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peedam, Chinmaya Mission, Yuvashree and Amar Seva Sangam are participating in the third edition of HSSF 2011, which is on till January 30 at Sri Ramachandra University Grounds, Tiruvanmiyur.

Call for Hindu Party, Due to betrayal done by all major Political parties in Pakistan

By PHP Staff
Thursday, January 27, 2011

Namaste

Dear PHP Readers,

    Do we need Hindu political Party in Pakistan to loud voices for Hindus and there human rights,social political causes etc ???

NOTE  - There are presently more then 80 Political parties recognized by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today. Most of them are ideologically on Islamic teaching or pro Sunni religious sects with few Shia Orthodox parties as well, rest can be termed as secular/nationalist/ethnic based parties on the line of Sindhi, Balochi, Pashtun and Seraiki vote bank policies etc.

Pakistan Muslim League (PML) the founding political party of Pakistan today has been disintegrated or divided in 20 groups/individual party throwout Pakistan.

(Photo : Ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Praying in Pakistan)

Among them Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif , The party is running state govt in Punjab and is second biggest representative party at National assembly or Parliament in Pakistan. PML (N)  is also consider more or less Ideologically a Conservatism, Rightism and Islamism party. They have no sympathy for minority cause/rights according to Mr.Nazir S.Bhatti a Christian activist and president of Pakistan Christian Congress (PCC) based in USA.

(Photo : Flag of Pakistan Peoples Party in Pakistan)

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is a social democratic, centre-left is the largest political party of Pakistan. To date, its leader has always been a member of the Bhutto family or the Zardari family. More then 4 Million's Hindus in Sindh are be considered as supporters of PPP at state as well national level, but unfortunately Hindu Human rights have been deteriorated during PPP ruling in last several years in country and particularly in Sindh and Balochistan, according to various Independent Human Rights groups, Hindu Leaders and Mr.Ramesh K.Venkawani, a patron of Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC). For example - the rate of abduction, kidnapping, force conversions into Islam and even attack on Hindu community, places of worships and migration has increased.

In recent years, a number of Hindus in Pakistan have been kidnapped for ransom or for forced conversion to Islam, especially in Sindh province. These incidents are generally ignored by the Pakistani authorities, because the Hindu minority lacks support among government officials as well as in the local society, which is predominantly Muslim.

In addition, such incidents are rarely reported by the leading Pakistani media groups. During the Pakistan floods of August-September 2010, Hindus were denied flood relief by Pakistani government officials. The News daily reported that government officials at the Mir Imdad camp, outside the historical Jhirk Town in the Thatta district of Sindh province, denied aid to Hindu children.

The kidnappings of Hindus have become frequent recently in the interior areas of Sindh; according to a report, members of the minority community are now migrating to urban centers and in many cases to India. A media report of mid-October 2010 noted: "Since the beginning of this year, at least eight children of this family have been kidnapped and released in return for a hefty ransom [in interior Sindh]."

In March 2009, 35 Pakistani Hindus from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATAs) of Pakistan went to India and asked for asylum. Jagdish Sharma, the Hindu community leader who accompanied them to India, said: "In Pakistan, we were living in extreme fear, due to the domination of a strong group of Taliban who are running a parallel government." Also in July 2009, a group of 100 Pakistani Hindus went to India and sought permission to live there.

This migration to India is part of a pattern. In September 2009, an Indian website reported: "In the past four years, some 5,000 Hindus may have crossed over from Pakistan, never to return."

In March 2010, Amarnath Motumal, an advocate and member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), said that as many as 20 to 25 girls from the Hindu community in Pakistan are abducted every month and converted forcibly to Islam, adding: "According to estimates, in Karachi alone, a large number of Hindu girls are being kidnapped on a routine basis [and converted to Islam]." Bherulal Balani, a former legislator, reported: "Once the girls are converted, they are then sold to other people or are forced into illegal and immoral activities."

In October 2010, a committee of the Pakistani Senate expressed concern over reports that Hindu girls in the country's Sindh province are being abducted for forced conversion to Islam. At a meeting of the Senate Committee on Minority Affairs, Senator Dr. Khatu Mal Jeewan reported the same.

In a recent article, acclaimed Pakistani lawmaker Marvi Memon, who belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) party, criticized the failure of the government officials to stop discrimination and violence against Pakistani Hindus. Noting that she has altered her position against death penalty due to continuing violence against Pakistani Hindus, Ms. Memon said: "The tragedy is that as a result of these kidnappings, many Hindu families have migrated to India. After all, it is better to live in another country than in perpetual fear (in your own country) Pakistan.

There are even many Christian Political Parties registered in Pakistan. Among them few are -

Pakistan Christian National Party,
Maseeha Millat Party,
Christian National and Liberation Fronts,
All Pakistan Maseehi Itihad,
Pakistan Christian Movement,
Christian Labour Party,
Pakistan Christian League
Pakistan Christian Congress

NOTE - Up-to-date Hindus are still largest religious minority in Pakistan according to Federal government with pre-majority based in interior Sindh. There is no active pro or Hindu party operating in country.

Interesting - Rana Chandra Singh (1931–2009), also known as "Rana Chander Singh", was a Pakistani politician, a federal minister and the chieftain of the Pakistani Hindu Sodha Thakur Rajput clan and the Amarkot (present day Umerkot) jagir. He was one of the founder members of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan from Umerkot, seven times with PPP between 1977 to 1999, when he founded the Pakistan Hindu Party (PHP).

(Photo : Late Rana Chander Singh who founded Pakistan Hindu Party (PHP) a so-called party for Hindus in Pakistan)

Introduction to Pakistan Hindu Part (PHP) - In 1990 Late Rana left PPP and formed formed his own political party, the Pakistan Hindu Party (PHP). He himself designed for his party a saffron flag bearing two ancient logos – Om and Trishool. There is a Strong allegations that PHP was mostly dominated by Upper caste or family member of Rajputs who never wanted to serve the entire community without any discrimination, as a result party never made any impact at local,state or national level in Pakistan.

Proposal/Demand for Hindu Party in Pakistan ?

By Dr.Hamid Khan (International advisor) Says - There is defiantly need for voicing concern for Hindus rights at all levels including political as well. All Hindu MNA, MPA or Senator are bound to there political masters who are only representing there religious,ethnics and so-called nationalist interest in country and who have never done anything sincerely for poor persecuted Hindus in Pakistan.

By Uttam Khattri (Executive board member) Says - Having Hindu political part will defiantly make a progressive impact on struggle for Hindus rights in Pakistan.

By Mukesh Kumar (Managing Director) Says - Low caste Hindus have been persecuted lot not only by Muslims majority but as well upper caste Hindus who have only self-centred on there social,religious and political advancement etc. So any party formed should include entire society (Hindu Community) without any discrimination.

By Rajesh Panditji (Islamabad Reporter) Says - For last 60 years Hindus have been denied even there basic rights ,now there is need to start political campaign as well and including demand of long pending for building a new Hindu temple at National Capital Islamabad.

By Gopinath Kumar (Executive board member) Says - The religious, cultural, institutional, social and very importantly a political marginalization of Hindus in Pakistan as been going through its inception as a nation in 1947. Time has come to sideline all differences among various Hindus groups and sects. He appeals to entire Hindu community leaders should come together to start a political campaign for strong Hindu voice at local, state, National and even at International level.
  
Names suggestions for Hindu Party from PHP Board members are following -

1.Pakistan Hindu Alliance (PHA)
2.Pakistan Hindu League (PHL)
3.Pakistan Hindu Congress (PHC)
4.All Pakistan Hindu Party (not the one of Rana chander so-called Pakistan Hindu Party)


Please if anyone has any suggestion, advise or concern are mostly welcome to (namastepakistan@gmail.com) contact us !


Your in the service of Dharma,

Gopinath Kumar
Editor-in-Chief
(Pakistan Hindu Post)

Pictures of 2011 PHP & SRSSM Free Calender Distribution at Pakistan Hindu Council Board Meeting, Pakistan

By Mohammad S.Solanki (Executive Editor)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kumar (Karachi City)
Date: Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 8:46 AM
Subject: Beach Luxury Hotel
To: Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

Namaste

Dear Gopinathji

     Please find attach pictures of Pakistan Hindu Council Meeting at "Beach Luxury Hotel on 23rd Sunday in Karachi City of Sindh State in Pakistan.

Best Regards,
PHP Karachi Staff

Introduction - Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) is a Representative Body of Hindus residing  in Pakistan. The far basic aim of the council is to develop unity among the scared community scattered in the nook and corner of  the country and establish relations between all the factions of the community specifically the low income group of the society habited in the urban and rural areas of all the four Provinces, mainly in Sindh.

Patron:
Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani
 
President:
Raja Assermal Manglani 

General Secretary:
Dr. Mohan Lal Harchandani

(Photo : Patron, Dr.Ramesh Kumar Venkawani (PHC) speaking at Pakistan Hindu Council Meeting at "Beach Luxury Hotel on 23/1/2011)

 

 (Photo : President, Raja Assermal Manglani (PHC) speaking at Pakistan Hindu Council Meeting at "Beach Luxury Hotel on 23/1/2011)

 (Photo : Pakistan Hindu Council Board Meeting at Beach Luxury Hotel on 23rd Sunday)

(Photo : Pakistan Hindu Council Board Members viewing PHP & SRDSM Free Calender  Distribution at Meeting at Beach Luxury Hotel on 23rd Sunday)

(Photo : Pakistan Hindu Council  Meeting at "Beach Luxury Hotel on 23/1/2011)

(Photo :Senior Community members of Pakistan Hindu Council Meeting at Beach Luxury Hotel on 23rd Sunday)

(Photo : Mangla Sharma senior Hindu leader and Board  Meeting at "Beach Luxury Hotel on 23/1/2011)

Pakistan Sleuths Clueless About Hindu Leader's Abduction

By Dr.Radhe Shyam Kumar (Executive Editor)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011

(Photo : Pakistani Hindus celebrating Holi festival in Sindh State around 2010)

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN : Investigators probing the abduction of a leading Hindu spiritual leader of Pakistan are clueless about his whereabouts, a media report said Monday, adding that there had been 22 kidnapping incidents in recent weeks on the same highway from where the octogenarian was spirited away.

Lakki Chand Garji, 82, who has been the 'maharaja' of the Kali Mata Mandir in Kalat town in Balochistan province for the past 60 years, is considered to be one of Pakistan's most revered Hindu spiritual leaders. He was kidnapped by a gang of armed men December 21 last year.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani visited Kalat last week and vowed that the Hindu spiritual leader would be recovered soon, but there hasn't been any headway.

A tribute to Legendary exponent of Hindustani classical music Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, India

By  Kunal Jaiprakash (PHP India)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011

(Photo : PHP pays tribute to musical maverick Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (1922-2011), who passed away on January 24, 2010)

India : Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, the maestro who ruled as a sun in the Indian musical constellation for several decades, has left us.  The waves of the rich and expansive universe of the Hindustani tradition, he leaves behind, will chime the air forever.

I would say a whole era of classical music ended with Bhimsenji, Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar said after his death.

Lataji’s comment visibly points out the broad vacuity created by Bhimsenji’s death in Hindustani music as he is the true descendant of Kirana stream of Hindustani classical music. He is famous for the "Khayal", a form of Hindustani classical.

Bhimsen was born into a Brahmin family of Gadag in Karnataka in 1922. His childhood was spent there. As a child, Bhimsen was deeply influenced by his mother, whose bhajans the young boy loved to hear.

A musical maverick

Even as a child he was crazy about music and he ran away from home to learn music. He had heard that Gwalior, Lucknow and Rampur in the North were the best places to learn classical music.

He wandered through several spaces in search for a master, met and learned music from various maestros but never satisfied. Passing Pune, Bombay and finally Bhimsen reached Gwalior.

From the Gwalior maestro Vinayak Rao Patwardhan, he got an advice; learn music from Sawai Gandharv, an outstanding disciple of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, in Kundagol, Karnataka.  Bhimsen had met his guru (master) in Sawai Gandharv.

There also instituted an exceptional and extraordinary relationship between Bhimsen and Sawai Gandharv.

Bhimsen Joshi’s deep passion for music was escorted by a marked non-conformism. Though he was a dazzling exponent of the traditional, limited repertoire of the Kirana gharana, his music was also fertilized by ideas from other gharanas.

His music has so many tones – meditative, melodious, insightful and even erratic. He took the traditional Kirana ragas to the highest level of complexity. His brilliant virtuosity was always coupled with romantic intensity. But Bhimsen Joshi was obsessively restless, constantly stretching the boundaries, daring to challenge his own music.

There were moments in his music when he knew he would fail, but yet surrendered to the test he set for himself. The fear of the unknown hardly deterred him from exploring higher realms. That’s probably why he is the only Kirana maestro to have even attempted a raga like Ramkali.

Among several recognitions he had received, the Bharat Ratna, country's highest civilian honor, in 2008, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, one of the highest national recognitions given to practicing artistes, in 1976 are of immense substance.

Bhimsen Joshi’s most memorable performance that is learned by heart till date is obviously the national integration song "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara".

His golden voice calling to Indians to get together and stand as one nation is an ever popular and timeless number that is hummed by all of us even today.

Daily Inspiration from Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

By Gopinath Kumar (editor-in-chief)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011

All the sacred books, all holy sacrifice and ritual and prayers, all the words of the Vedas, and the whole past and present and future, come from the Spirit. With maya, His power of wonder, He made all things, and by maya the human soul is bound. Know, therefore, that nature is maya, but that God is the ruler of maya, and that all beings in our universe are parts of His infinite splendor.

-Krishna Yajur Veda, Svetasvatara Upanishad 4.9-10. upm, 92

Pictures of 2011 PHP & SRSSM Free Calender Distribution at Ramapir Mandir, Pakistan

By Mohammad S.Solanki (Executive Editor)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mr.Sunny (Pakistan)
Date: Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 4:09 PM
Subject: Fwd: Pics of SRSSM Calander
To: Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

Namaste

Dear Gopinathji,

    Please see below attach pictures from Sri Ram Dev Santosh Mandali (SRDSM) from Pakistan and Free 2011 Calender distribution at Ramapir mandir at Karachi City,Pakistan to local Hindu community.

Best regards,
S.Sunny (Pakistan)

 (Picture 1 : Hindu Youth looking at New 2011 Calender by SMDSM & PHP)

 

(Picture 2 : Sanjesh Sunny sitting at centre with group of Hindu community)

 

(Picture 3 : Congregational members with New 2011 Calender by SMDSM & PHP)

(Picture 4 : Local Congregational leader speaking at the event at Ramapir Mandir, Karachi City,Pakistan)

Fwd: [Dharmacentral.com] The Difference Between Devotion and Emotion

By Dr.Radhe Shyam Kumar 
Tuesday, January 25, 2011

(Photo : Lord Krishna Bhagavan)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dharmacentral <dharmacentral@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 11:22 PM
Subject: [Dharmacentral.com] The Difference Between Devotion and Emotion
To: Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)


  The Difference Between Devotion and Emotion

By Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya

"The central message of the Bhagavad Gita, the most important scripture in all of Sanatana Dharma, is that bhakti, or devotion to the Absolute, constitutes the most effective and highly recommended path in all of the Yoga tradition. It is truly unfortunate, however, that despite the almost universally held importance of bhakti in the history of Yoga, there seems to have always been a good deal of misunderstanding on the part of many about what the terms 'bhakti' and 'Bhakti Yoga' actually mean. I've read even many supposedly knowledgeable authors mistakenly write that bhakti is to be seen as the 'Yoga of emotion', or that it somehow precludes any involvement with jnana (knowledge, or intellectualism), philosophy, or serious Yogic sadhana (practice). In actuality, nothing could be further from the truth...."

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http://www.dharmacentral.com/forum/content.php?12-Devotion-and-Emotion

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Aum Tat Sat

FIJI : Hindu Priestess Sees Change in Tradition

By Editorial Staff
Tuesday, January 25, 2011

 (Photo : Priestess Premila Prasad prepares bride Archana before her wedding in Fiji)

SUVA, FIJI : Premila Devi Prasad, 50, has been practicing her role as a priestess for nearly 20 years now. But it was only recently that she has found satisfaction in her work because of acceptance by the community.

Prasad was registered as a priestess in 1992 by the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Vanua Levu and has solemnized about 20 marriages and performed more than 25 cremations. This profession was taken by Prasad as a challenge to herself and partially to make her late father Ram Khelawan, proud. 'My father was a pundit and he always encouraged me to conduct religious rituals,' Prasad said. 'Heeding his word I took up the profession to show that women and men are equal, which is preached in the Vedas.'

Ms. Prasad has conducted religious rituals in Taveuni, Savusavu, Sava and Rakiraki. 'I am very thankful to Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Vanua Levu for giving me the opportunity and to the people for accepting me,' Prasad said. 'I'm very satisfied with my work and hope to give back to my community by providing my services.' Prasad is employed by the Save the Children Labasa as the education advisor and is happily married with two daughters in Bulileka.

Conversion Has No Justification, Says Indian Supreme Court

By Siddharth Sharma (PHP Delhi)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011

NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 22, 2011: The Supreme Court on Friday held that conversion from one religion to another had no justification in "secular" India as it amounted to interference in religious belief.

 

"We hope Mahatma Gandhi's vision of religion playing a positive role in bringing religions and communities together into an integrated prosperous nation will be realized. There is no justification for interfering in someone's belief through force, conversion or false premise that one religion is better than the other," the court noted.

 

It was dealing with an appeal filed by Dara Singh, who was granted life sentence by the Orissa High Court for burning alive Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons 12 years ago, a crime sparked a debate on religious tolerance and respect for all religions. "The intention was to teach a lesson to Graham Staines about his religious activities, namely, converting poor tribals to Christianity," stated the court. It upheld life sentence for Dara Singh, but used the opportunity to issue a devastating critique of conversion attempts.

 

The Bench felt that conversion violated the secular spirit of the Constitution. It said, "It is undisputed that there is no justification for interfering in someone's belief by way of 'use of force', provocation, conversion, incitement, or upon a flawed premise that one religion is better than the other." 

 

Quoting former President KR Narayanan, who said, "Indian unity is based on a tradition of tolerance, which is at once a pragmatic concept for living together and a philosophical concept of finding truth and goodness in every religion" -- the judgement hinged hope on the vision of Mahatma Gandhi for co-existence of religions as a "positive factor" to realise "equal respect for all religions".

 

[HPI note: It is essential to understand that in this context the Supreme Court uses the word "conversion" to name insidious, sly, dishonest and divisive practices that have nothing to do with a voluntary change of religious belief based on self-inquiry and newfound conviction. This ruling could be quite consequential (and good for Hinduism) as the press release below points out.]

Appeal to save Hindus and Sikhs from extinction in Pakistan

By Dr.Radhe Shyam Kumar (Executive Editor)
Sunday, January 23, 2011

Photo : 2009 From left Arish Sahani (VP-IAIF), Satya Nemana (HHRW), Jeevan Zutshi (IKF), Deepak Ganju (Shehjar), and Narain Kataria (President-IAIF)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Katarian@aol.com
Date: Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 12:44 PM
Subject: PRESS RELEASE APPEAL TO SAVE HINDUS AND SIKHS FROM EXTINCTION IN
To: Pakistan Hindu Post (PHP)

17/01/2011 15:37:03 INDIAN AMERICAN INTELLECTUALS FORUM - PRESS RELEASE

We are appalled and horrified to know that over one hundred Hindu families (about 500 people) in Pakistan ’s Balochistan province are making frantic efforts to seek political asylum in India after becoming the target of a campaign of vilification, demonization, kidnapping and extortion by Jihadists supported by Pakistan ’s spy agency ISI.

Over the last 5 years, more than 5,000 Hindus have already moved from Pakistan ’s Sind province to Rajasthan , India . Their tattered clothes, emotionless faces and vacuous eyes tell their dismal tale. Most of these Hindus refugees look like zombies.

Although no figures are made available, anecdotal evidence and human rights groups say that persecution and conversion of Hindus and Sikhs have risen in the last two years, with temples and gurudwaras being desecrated and worshippers being attacked.

According to Basant Lal Gulshan, Balochistan’s Minorities Affair Minister “forty-one Hindus were abducted during the past three years and four more were killed when they resisted kidnapping attempts.

In the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Talibans have warned Hindu men to grow beard and Hindu women to wear burqa in order to avoid being beaten or fined by Lashkar extremists.

Last year, Islamic militants directed Sikh community in the NWFP either to convert to Islam, leave the land of their forefathers or pay 12 million rupees ($140,000) jizya – the medieval tax levied on non-Muslims in Islamic state.

‘DNA” reported in its issue of May 28, 2010 that over 50 Pakistani Hindus have converted to Islam in the Sialkot district of Punjab within a week (between May 14 and May 19) under pressure from their Muslim employers in a bid to retain their jobs and survive in the Muslim-dominated society.

Hindu women are raped. Men are harassed, beaten up or slain, and children are abducted. Harassment and torture of minorities – Hindus and Christians - in Pakistan is going on unabated. In the latest matter, a Hindu girl near Karachi, Pakistan, was abducted, forcefully converted to Islam and kept in a Muslim mosque in Pakistan. It is the Taliban effect.

At the time of Partition of India in 1947, there were somewhere between 20 to 24% Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan . They were forced to convert to Islam or leave the country. In the last 63 years Hindus and Sikhs have been ethnically cleansed from Pakistan .

It is not only Hindus and Sikhs who suffer indignity and humiliation; Christians are also treated like criminals, and charges of blasphemy are leveled against them on the flimsiest of excuses.

In March, 2010, Dr. Manjit Singh Randhawa, President of Sikh Nation Organisation, had appealed to the United Nations against forced conversion and racial discrimination of minorities (Hindus and Sikhs) to prevail upon Pakistan to repeal the 'Nizam-e-Adl 2009 Regulation' that has "legitimized and legalized tyranny" by 'Taliban', in complete disregard to its international commitments under various UN Conventions, to safeguard Human Rights of its citizens within international borders of Pakistan.

Jihadists in collaboration with Pakistan military have radicalized Pakistani society in the most dangerous manner. In a show of strength, on January 9, 2011, over 40,000 Islamists gathered in the streets in Karachi , the capital of Sind province in Pakistan , under the banner of Tahaffauz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat which is a conglomerate of religious parties opposed to amendments of the country's blasphemy laws. They showed support in favor of Mumtaz Quadri, the assassin of Governor of Punjab , Salman Taseer, and showered him with rose petals. Speakers at the meeting openly threatened to kill anyone supporting blasphemy law while 3,000 police officers watched them helplessly. Mumtaz Quadri was promised legal help by 200 lawyers. For more information on this you may contact Gopinath Kumar, Editor-in-Chief of Pakistan Hindu Post at http://pakistanhindupost.blogspot.com/.

Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan are facing an uncertain future. Their plight is miserable. They live in fear of abduction for ransom, armed robberies and murder.

Under the circumstances, we appeal to the governments of India , the USA , the United Nations, and all global human rights groups to stop egregious human rights violations and rescue these hapless Hindus, Sikhs and Christians from the jaws of death as soon as possible.

Narain Kataria

President

Cc:

Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India
Hon. Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, Washington
Hon. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations
Hon. Meera Shankar, Ambassader, Embassy of India , Washington , for necessary action as deemed fit
Hon. Prabhu Dayal, Consul General of India in New York , for necessary action as deemed fit.
Hon. Faqir Syed Asif Hussain, Consul General of Pakistan , New York , for necessary action as deemed fit.

By Raza Rumi, ‘Jinnah’s Pakistan’ is not dead

By  Raza Rumi (Express Tribune)
Sunday, January 23, 2011

Karachi : In recent weeks, several commentators have dwelt upon the amorphous notion of ‘Jinnah’s Pakistan’, challenging its notional contours and exposing its overt ideological underpinnings. Whilst such a debate is healthy in a democratic society, it becomes a worrying sign in a deeply polarised polity such as Pakistan. Jinnah’s Pakistan was no consensus project: It had several dissenters — from the religious right to the Khudai Khidmatgars in the northwest. Perhaps these problematic foundations led to the capture of the state by a national security paradigm, later bolstered by the Islamist discourse.

Blaming Jinnah’s Pakistan as a cause or manifestation of the ideological chaos rooted in our perennial identity question is simply disingenuous. Jinnah may have said different things at different occasions but his views as head of the state are what matter. It was not Jinnah alone who created Pakistan. The politico-economic interests of nascent ‘Muslim’ bourgeoisie and the famous salariat (to use Hamza Alavi’s term) were the prime causes of Pakistan’s creation. Jinnah nearly gave up the idea of a separate state in 1946 after accepting the Cabinet Mission proposals (the best possible compromise to retain Indian unity). Many critiques of Jinnah overlook the ‘intransigence’ of the Indian National Congress, documented by HM Seervai. Sadly, both India and Pakistan have buried the fairly objective view of Seervai, as particularistic nation state narratives are always threatened by objectivity.

In spite of the horrors unleashed by Partition, Jinnah insisted on a US-Canada type relationship between India and Pakistan with, open and permeable borders; and even wanted to retire in his beloved city, Bombay. However, he died too early and Gandhi, while fasting for the rights of Pakistanis, was killed by an Hindu extremist (note the absence of this fact in the Indian discourse — Hindutva terror started with Gandhi’s assassination).

India was soon taken over by its political-bureaucratic machinery and Pakistan’s security forces took direct control of power. Such appropriation of Pakistani political space could only work if the Indian ‘threat’ was amplified to alarming proportions. Consequently, the entire country became a fortress, defending itself from reason, with ‘religion’ painted on its entrance. Did Jinnah envisage or wish such a polity? No, he warned against it.

Jinnah had a sense of Indian unity above the newly formed states of ‘Pakistan and Hindustan’. American scholar William Metz noted in his 1952 doctoral thesis (University of Pennsylvania), that for Jinnah, a Hindu-Muslim settlement was itself a form of Hindu-Muslim unity.

Recounting history is important today. The religious zealots who are silencing voices of tolerance did not believe in Jinnah’s Pakistan. They wanted a pan-Islamic theocracy — what al Qaeda wants Pakistan to become in 2011. Pakistan is a reality but its viability is once again linked to Jinnah’s post-June 1947 vision entailing: a) a secular state, b) resistance to calls for theocracy, and c) a US-Canada model for India-Pakistan relations.

Jinnah’s Pakistan is not dead: Millions of Pakistanis who want a tolerant homeland resent its creeping radicalisation. If not Jinnah, what else do we have to counter the armed extremism on the Pakistani street? If we have drifted too far, which we have, then all the more reason to reclaim the ideal. Denouncing Jinnah’s vision, ironically, reinforces the national security paradigm as well as the Indian nationalist narratives. I hope Pakistani ‘liberals’ are aware of that.

Urdu is not Pakistani language : Javed Akhtar

By Mohmmad S.Solanki
Sunday, January 23, 2011

(Photo : Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar)

New Delhi : Noted lyricist and script writer Javed Akhtar today held that Urdu did not belong to any community or caste but represented Hindustani culture and life.

The Bollywood personality, who was in the Pink City to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) at the Diggi Palace here, spoke at length about Urdu language, literature, culture and said it did not belong to a particular caste or community.

"I want to dispel the impression prevailing in a section that Urdu is Pakistan’s language with clarification that the language has rich literature and work about Hindu religion, Purana(s), festivals, Hindu deities, Gods, Goddesses, Ram, Krishna, Radha and Ganga and moreover about Hindu culture, life and philosophy," he said.

Conceding the need and importance of English learning, the lyricist said, "English is essential but that should not take us away from our mother tongue, regional and national languages."

"It is true that English medium schools are making our children more competent but at the same time these institutions are taking us away from our mother language," he cautioned.

Sikhs get new cremation ground in Nowshera, Pakistan

By A Muhammad
Sunday, January 23, 2011

(Photo : Map of Nowshera district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan)

Peshawar : A new ''shamshan ghat'' (cremation ground) for the minority Sikh community in northwest Pakistan was inaugurated by a provincial minister today.

The shamshan ghat was built at a cost of Rs 12 lakh on the banks of the Kabul river at Khaiarabad in Nowshera district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Senior Minister Bashir Bilour, a top leader of the Awami National Party, inaugurated the facility.

Legislator Asif Bhatti, a Christian, contributed Rs 7 lakh for the project while the Senior Minister provided Rs 5 lakh.

Several legislators representing minority communities and elders of the Sikh community attended the inauguration ceremony.

The Sikhs expressed their appreciation for the construction of the facility.

They said it would be used by Sikhs spread across northwest Pakistan, including 2,200 families living in Peshawar.

Senior Minister Bilour, in his address, eulogised the services of the minority communities in the development of Pakistan.

"The minorities always supported their country in times of need and at critical junctures," he said.

The provincial government holds the minorities in high esteem and considers the protection of their religious rights and other interests a moral and religious obligation, he said.

Bilour directed officials of the local municipal administration to ensure the proper security and cleanliness of the shamshan ghat.

Say No To Blasphemy Law in Pakistan !

By Dr.Radhe Shyam Kumar (Islamabad City)
Sunday, January 23, 2011

Pakistan : Over the past 30 years, under Pakistan’s laws criminalizing blasphemy against Islam, hundreds of Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus, Sikhs, and unorthodox and reformist Muslims have been tried and imprisoned by the state or killed by extremists. But even against this brutal background, the blasphemy-triggered January 4 assassination of Punjab governor Salman Taseer by one of his elite security detail may prove a defining moment.

Taseer was head of Pakistan’s most populous and prosperous state and a close friend of President Zardari. Most pertinent, he was a voice of Muslim moderation, arguably the most powerful one in the nation, who worked for a free society and defended the rights of non-Muslims and dissident Muslims. He had recently publicly supported a pardon for Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five sentenced to death for blasphemy, and the repeal of the blasphemy laws themselves. In the closed circle of radical discourse, because he criticized those laws, he was himself labeled a blasphemer and killed.

The laws were introduced by General Zia ul-Haq after he took power in a coup in 1977, as an attempt to gain legitimacy by posing as a defender of Islam. Vaguely aimed at those who would insult Islam, the laws have led to horrific communal violence and have been applied against an ever expanding range of victims. This is why Taseer repeatedly called blasphemy legislation a “black law” and believed it was pivotal in determining the country’s future.

Pakistani Lawmaker Marvi Menon Slams Anti-Hindu Violence in Pakistan, Says: 'This is the Biggest Failure of the So-Called Islamic Republic of Pakistan – That Its Minorities Don't Feel Safe On Their Own Soil'

By Gopinath Kumar (editor-in-chief)
Sunday, January 23, 2011

(Photo : Marvi Memon is a member of Pakistan's National Assembly belonging PML (Q)

Islamabad : The December 21, 2010 kidnapping of Lakki Chand Garji, one of the most revered Hindu spiritual leaders in Pakistan and an official of the Kala Mata temple in the Kalat district of Pakistan's Baluchistan province, led to strong protest by minority Hindus in the province.This kidnapping is just one in a series of such violent incidents against the Hindu minority in Pakistan.

In recent years, a number of Hindus in Pakistan have been kidnapped for ransom or for forced conversion to Islam, especially in Sindh province. These incidents are generally ignored by the Pakistani authorities, because the Hindu minority lacks support among government officials as well as in the local society, which is predominantly Muslim.

In addition, such incidents are rarely reported by the leading Pakistani media groups. During the Pakistan floods of August-September 2010, Hindus and Ahmadi Muslims were denied flood relief by Pakistani government officials. The News daily reported that government officials at the Mir Imdad camp, outside the historical Jhirk Town in the Thatta district of Sindh province, denied aid to Hindu children.

The kidnappings of Hindus have become frequent recently in the interior areas of Sindh; according to a report, members of the minority community are now migrating to urban centers and in many cases to India. A media report of mid-October 2010 noted: "Since the beginning of this year, at least eight children of this family have been kidnapped and released in return for a hefty ransom [in interior Sindh]."

In March 2009, 35 Pakistani Hindus from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATAs) of Pakistan went to India and asked for asylum. Jagdish Sharma, the Hindu community leader who accompanied them to India, said: "In Pakistan, we were living in extreme fear, due to the domination of a strong group of Taliban who are running a parallel government." Also in July 2009, a group of 100 Pakistani Hindus went to India and sought permission to live there.

This migration to India is part of a pattern. In September 2009, an Indian website reported: "In the past four years, some 5,000 Hindus may have crossed over from Pakistan, never to return."

In March 2010, Amarnath Motumal, an advocate and member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), said that as many as 20 to 25 girls from the Hindu community in Pakistan are abducted every month and converted forcibly to Islam, adding: "According to estimates, in Karachi alone, a large number of Hindu girls are being kidnapped on a routine basis [and converted to Islam]." Bherulal Balani, a former legislator, reported: "Once the girls are converted, they are then sold to other people or are forced into illegal and immoral activities."

In October 2010, a committee of the Pakistani Senate expressed concern over reports that Hindu girls in the country's Sindh province are being abducted for forced conversion to Islam. At a meeting of the Senate Committee on Minority Affairs, Senator Dr. Khatu Mal Jeewan reported the same.

In a recent article, acclaimed Pakistani lawmaker Marvi Memon, who belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) party, criticized the failure of the government officials to stop discrimination and violence against Pakistani Hindus. Noting that she has altered her position against death penalty due to continuing violence against Pakistani Hindus, Ms. Memon said: "The tragedy is that as a result of these kidnappings, many Hindu families have migrated to India. After all, it is better to live in another country than in perpetual fear [in your own country, Pakistan]."

The Pakistani Hindus forgotten prayers of a people

By Sadef A. Kully
Sunday, January 23, 2011 

(Photo : A Hindu woman arranges earthern lamps near to Hindu Goddesses to celebrate ‘Diwali’ the festival of lights, at her home in Lahore, Pakistan on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Hindus living in Pakistan are celebrating Diwali where people decorate their homes with light)

KARACHI :  The legend is almost as old as the Indus River, Lord Shiva and his consort Sati, daughter of King Dakhsha, were vexed by Sati’s father for not inviting them for a ceremony. Sati went to the ceremony uninvited and in return was ignored. She was hurt by the behavior that she sacrificed herself in the fires and was burnt alive. Upon hearing the fate of his love, Lord Shiva went mad and began chaos on earth.

In order to help Lord Shiva deal with his grief, Lord Vishnu cut Sati’s body in 12 pieces and scattered them across the earth where her head fell upon Hingol. Wherever the pieces of Sati’s body fell became Shakti Peethas, holy places of cosmic power, for all gods and worshippers.

Hingol is not a legend – as a matter of fact – today it is known as Hingol National Park and lies almost 170 km outside of Karachi in Balochistan. Sati’s head fell by Hinglaj Matajee Temple located inside a natural cave of a hill which is a holy pilgrimage site for the 2.5 million Hindus in Pakistan, although many feel the numbers have doubled in the last decade, and more than 90 per cent of them live in the Sindh province.

Hindus are the third religious group, after Muslim and Christians, and Hinduism is considered the indigenous religion of the sub-continent by local and international historians, which is not far from the truth.

There are over 40 Hindu temples across Pakistan, and in Sindh alone there are almost 30 temples in Karachi and interior Sindh.

Many Hindu families are indigenous to the land and some claim to have been for centuries. Over the centuries, empire after empire, some families facing persecution converted to Islam but others have remained Hindus.

“The Hindu community is not protected here,” said Dr. Raj Motwani, a general physician who sits as the Vice President for Shree Ratneshwar Mahadev Welfare Shewa Mandly, a committee for the Hindu community in Karachi.  “I remember that Lee Market, Bolton Market, Nagam Colony, and Food Street belonged to Hindu families that lived there for decades before Pakistan’s existence.”

“We never left this land – people migrated here,” he said. “We are still here – fighting for what we deserve as humans.”

During the 1947 partition, almost 15 million Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims left Pakistan for India and vice versa but some families stayed behind because they considered the land in Pakistan their home. More than half a million people died during the migration.

“Everyone knows the truth, but we cannot speak it out loud,” he said. “The minute that we speak up – we are automatically accused of being part of an enemy intelligence agency and we can get questioned without any legal support.”

Most Hindus families come from lower class backgrounds and those that live in rural areas like interior Sindh are forced into bonded labour by influential landlords. In the past few years, kidnappings have increased among the Hindus, for ransom and women, who are kidnapped and then convert to Islam, have been reported but with no real legal repercussions from the local government.

“The Hindu community is not protected here,” repeated Dr. Motwani. “The converting is explainable; once a girl is kidnapped the men have their way with her and she knows that she won’t be accepted back into her community so she converts and becomes a servant- girl for the men or the family that kidnapped her – tragic but the culture in interior Sindh is traditional, especially when it comes to women.”

The constitution clearly states that religious minorities have many rights and freedom however in the political system Hindus, Christians and Sikhs are still treated as second-class citizens.

After General Pervez Musharraf took power, he wanted to remove the separate electorate system put in place by the former dictator General Ziaul-Haq.

The separate electorate system limited non-Muslims to only vote for candidates from their own religion – the government had a reserved number of seats for minorities in the provincial and national assemblies.

General Musharraf and many others felt that it limited Muslim candidates from reaching out to minority groups to solve the major problem in their communities. He was thwarted in his efforts and many minorities felt that the removal of the policy would not have made a difference in their communities. 

“I have friends of all faiths in Pakistan – friendships made up of decades,” mentioned Dr. Motwani. “But that is not the problem – the system is the problem; a small example, the Hindu Gymkhana has finally been given back to us after so many years spent in court yet the management is Muslim and we still do not have a safe place to congregate and celebrate our holidays. Who do I go to for help? a MPA or an MNA – not possible.”

Since the recent attack on the Shah Ghazi Shrine, the security at mandirs across Karachi has tightened but it has not stopped Hindu worshippers from making their offerings to their gods and goddesses who wait patiently for their prayers of better days ahead.