Pakistani Muslim leaders participate in Hindus' religious celebrations: Will you call it 'Hindu appeasement' in Pakistan?

Now, would you call it 'Hindu appeasement' in Pakistan?

The leader of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) performs Hindu rituals while participating in Diwali celebrations of Hindu community.

The man is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is the chief of Pakistan People's Party (PPP). He, along with other PPP leaders [Sherry Rahman is also visible], took part in Hindu community's religious events in Sindh.

No need to 'appease', everywhere in the world politicians meet citizens of all faiths

During Diwali celebrations, there was puja and other religious rituals including offering the scared water to sivalinga. Zardari participatd in it.

Not just PPP, other parties including Muslim League also takes part in the Hindu religious celebrations in Pakistan. In Pakistan, Hindus are not a big minority. Their votes don't matter too much.

But across the world, leaders take care of minorities too. In India, we see outrage when a Hindu leader attends an 'iftaar' or wears a 'topi' [skullcap]. All these are courtesies and part of sharing culture when we live together.

Indian Muslims or no Muslim would ask a Hindu to perform the Islamic rituals like Namaz or Roza. Indian Hindu leaders also won't expect Muslims to perform any Hindu rituals like puja or aarti.

But there are certain common points. You go and meet each other, wish the minorities. You also take part in their festivals and it depends, if you like, you can even take part in their celebrations and rituals.

VIDEO: BILAWAL BHUTTO VISITS SHIVA TEMPLE IN PAKISTAN, PERFORMS PUJA

One must be a human first. However, when hate consumes mind, people ignore logic and civilities. There are just charges, counter-charges and fail to even appreciate that others can also be liberal or accommodating.

That's what bigotry is all about. However, it is important that we realise that truth is not what we see through channels. On the ground, people are still much more humane, accommodating, close to each other and take part in each others' festivities.

READ: WHEN BILAWAL VISITED TEMPLE, PERFORMS RITUALS IN PAKISTAN

LINKS, POSTS ON THIS BLOG ON 'TUSHTIKARAN' OR APPEASEMENT

1. Politicians' iftaar angers right-wingers: Is there a world beyond the word 'appeasement' in India?

2. Tilak, Topi in Indian politics: People don't want Hindu politicians to wear skullcap or Muslim leaders to sport 'tilak' or perform Puja

3. Diwali celebrations in Sindh and other regions of Pakistan

Caste discrimination lead to religious conversion in Pakistan: Dalit Hindu converts to Sikhism to escape oppression, says BBC report

Shocking it may seem but caste discrimination exists among Hindus in Pakistan.

The extent is such that people are forced to covert to other faiths.

Tharpakar district in Pakistan has a large Hindu population.

Here, Dalits claim that they face discrimination and are forced to lead their lives like second class citizens.

They allege that measures for uplift of Hindus mostly end up helping the Upper Castes.

The lower castes don't have equal rights and face misbehaviour--not allowed to enter temples with Upper Caste Hindus and can't eat with them. Nukhbat Malik has reported it for BBC from Pakistan.

"Hasanand was a Dalit who converted to Sikhism along with his family to escape the brutal casteist apartheid. He has now taken a new name, Jagjit Singh", says BBC report.

"I don't want to leave this place and want to live like a rebel here. My children are sastisfied that they would not have to suffer insults and though I am termed son of Meghwal caste, they would be known as son of Sardar", he says.

Dalit activists also say that the situation is bad for the community as Dalits are socially backward and economically weak. An activist is quoted as saying that the threat to them is not from Muslims but from Upper Castes.

[Photo courtesy BBC.com] Read the report in Hindi on BBC website. READ

READ: Tharpakar, Hindu majority district in Pakistan

Diwali celebrations in Sindh and other regions of Pakistan: Communal Harmony Project-23

On the left is the official message by Government of Sindh, Pakistan in the leading newspaper 'Dawn'.

It wishes 'Happy Diwali' to all, along with the Nazm [poetry] titled, 'Diwali ki raat, Khushiyo.n ki barsaat'.

The advertisement carries photographs of PPP leaders, which most of us identify.

It also has names of Mahesh Kumar Chawla, who is Minister for Information Technology (IT) in Sindh government, and Giyan Chand Israni, Minister for Minorities.

The message also has a Nazm [poem or verse] on Diwali, which reads:

Diwali ki Raat, Khushiyo.n ki Barsaat

aai divali khushiyaa.n le kar
sang apne ummeede.n le kar

khushi ka samaa baandhe aai diwaali
is tehvaar ki har adaa hai niraali

diwaali ki raat hai behad hasee.n
khush hote hain voh jo hote hain ghamgee.n

divaali le kar aai hai aman ka paigam
ye tehvaar hai dil walo.n ka inaam


diye jalaao divali manaao
mohabbat ki shab ko pyaar se manao

Thanks to social media, we get to know more about what happens in our neighbouring country.

First, YLH [Yasser Latif Hamdani], mentioned the advertisement on his facebook post.

Subsequently, I logged on to Dawn's website and saw the epaper.

Shiraz Hassan clicked the photograph along with the report which was published in Dawn.

The nice photograph shows children at a temple in Rawalpindi, one of the big cities of Pakistan.

It is the Krishna temple. You can see photograph it on the Dawn's website AT THIS LINK.

Earlier too, this blog has carried posts about Hindu festivities in Pakistan.

You can see the picture below--Muslim League leaders in Pakistan seeing 'aashirwad' from couple posing as Bhagwans. This post was published on the blog a few years ago. CLICK TO SEE

But, it is due to the advent of social media, that we get to know better about our neighbouring country. Not just Sind, but from other regions too, you get to see reports.

Else, one mostly gets to find bad or negative news and through loud anchors on TV channels.

It may be true in Pakistan too when it comes to reporting stories regarding India.

TRPs can be obtained not just by creating hysteria but also through the positive stories.

My problem with the mainstream media is that good news is not covered.


Why mainstream media doesn't show such stories? When 300 fishermen are released, it doesn't make big news on TV. CLICK TO READ.

An example is that when a person is killed in a country and the reporter writes it, 'Hindu killed in X country' or 'Muslim killed in Y country', it is pure bigotry. Unless and until, the person is killed just because of his religion.

Or when in border firing media tells only one side of the story i.e. the number of persons killed in your own country, not by the firing of your country's troops and the others' casualties.

For knowing the complete picture, you have to see international newspapers or websites.

Just like bad news, good news also should be given coverage.

Now watch Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif joining Hindu community in Diwali celebrations.

Apart from the photograph, do watch his message. The link to the video is HERE.

RAM KATHA IN PAKISTAN: Celebrating Diwali in Peshawar

Watch the video HERE

EARLIER POSTS ON DIWALI ON THIS BLOG

1. Greetings on Diwali: Jashn-e-Chiraagha.n mubarak

2. An Indian Muslim celebrates Diwali in an alien land, remembers childhood

3. Pakistan ministers celebrate Diwali

4. Diwali celebrations: Crackers, fireworks and nostalgia

5. Meri taraf se happy Diwali: Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan PM

For more photos of Diwali celebrations in Pakistan, CHECK THIS LINK

Diwali in Pakistan: Muslim League ministers celebrate the festival with Hindus [Communal Harmony Project-2]

Pakistan Muslim League leaders seek  'ashirwad' from 'Bhagwans'

It is now slightly late to post the picture but I really liked this photograph and thought that it must be shared with you.

The ministers of Pakistan Muslim League (PML) celebrating Diwali at the party headquarters in Islamabad.

The person who is seen third from the left in the photo is Ejazul Haq, the son of former Pakistan president Ziaul Haq.

The PML leaders are seen with 'tilak' on foreheads and seeking 'ashirwad' blessings from a couple that is posing as Hindu gods. They have been garlanded and offered the customary sweets.

We don't get to see such pictures about our neighbouring country in Indian media. Even if it is just a gesture, it is important. Religious minorities must get the feeling that they belong to the place. Their culture must be respected fully.

When different communities come together to celebrate a particular festival, it shows a society in positive light. Just like 'iftaars' are organised in India during Ramzan, despite the politics, such gatherings and events sends a message to the minority and generates goodwill.

It is easy to be cynical but believe me these gestures signify a lot and go a great way towards sending the right message to the minorities. When we see it happening in Pakistan, it has an even greater impact. Let's hope that such goodwill extends in all spheres.

In each country, the media should show the ground realities from other neighbouring nations too. Rather than constant hostility, there should be an attempt to inform the citizen also and tell them to look at the countries without prejudice.

For the FIRST PART on Hindus in Pakistan, you can CLICK HERE

[Photo courtesy Mr Adil Najam's website Pakistaniat.com]

UPDATE 2013: For more photographs showing Diwali celebrations in Karachi go to this LINK.

Tharpakar: Hindu majority district in Pakistan!

Tharparkar's location in Pakistan adjoining India

It was a surprise to know that a Hindu majority district still exists in Pakistan.

Though there is a large Hindu population in the country, especially, in Sindh, we don't get to hear much news about the Pakistani Hindus.

This is sad as many agencies and newspapers have correspondents stationed in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, but unfortunately they don't seem interested to focus on Hindu culture in Pakistan.

Tharpakar [also spelt as Thar Parkar] district in Pakistan had Hindus constituting more than half of the population.

Eminent author Yoginder Sikand writes that it is a Hindu majority district. Though he says that the voice of these people does not reach anywhere because they are mostly Dalits or Backward Communities and the Hindu community representatives in Assemblies are mostly the upper castes like Banias.

Tharpakar is situated on the Indo-Pak border. On its east lies Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan while on the south lies Rann of Kutch ie Indian state of Gujarat. There are numerous temples in Tharpakar, the only fertile desert, of the world.

A temple in Tharpakar

I tried to get more information about the district but couldn't find as much as I wanted. If the Hindus are not in a majority by now and even if they comprise 30-40% of the district's population, it is an interesting and gladdening news.

In fact, substantial population of Hindus survived the partition and remained in Sindh, even parts of Punjab and Balochistan, even towns in the interior regions.

The poor among them like their Muslim brethren, work as 'haari' at the farms of landlords. Wikipedia says that Hindu population migrated during the war of 1965 still substantial chunk of population is Hindu.

Read Part II on this blog

There are Sikhs and a few Jains as well among the other religious minorities. In fact, the temple visible in this post is a Jain shrine. Most of the Jains had left Pakistan, along with Upper Castes, in the wake of partition.

Also, Hindu tribes like Bhil inhabit the district. For the second part on Hinduism in Pakistan and the photograph shown on the left, read another post on this blog.

Hinduism in Pakistan Part-II. Click