- Hindus in Pakistan are a small minority, mostly in rural Sindh, facing socioeconomic challenges like landlessness and low-wage labor, as well as state-sponsored discrimination and religious extremism.
- They face forced conversions, denial of supplies, attacks on properties, false blasphemy accusations, and abduction of women.
- India’s Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) offers expedited citizenship to persecuted minorities from Pakistan and other neighboring countries. However, the act has been maligned as discriminatory by anti-India forces.
The persecution of Hindus in Pakistan is a significant issue that has drawn international attention due to various incidents of discrimination and violence. Hindus in Pakistan face challenges such as forced conversions, denial of food supplies, attacks on properties and places of worship, false accusations of blasphemy, and abduction of young Hindu women. The discrimination against Hindus is evident in the lack of access to temples, unequal treatment under the law, and the portrayal of Hindus as enemies in media and educational institutions.
Background
The Hindu population in Pakistan is a small minority, making up only 1.2% of the total population[1], approximately two million people. The majority of Hindus in Pakistan live in rural areas of Sindh, with concentrations in Sanghar and Tharparkar districts near the Indian border. There are also smaller pockets of Hindus in Baluchistan and Punjab. The Hindus in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh and Baluchistan, often belong to the Scheduled Caste and face hardships such as being landless bonded laborers or working as sweepers or Jamadars in towns and cities.
Historically, Sindh had a significant Hindu population, but many migrated to India during the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. The partition resulted in genocidal campaigns against religious minorities, with Hindus in Pakistan suffering the most. Despite constitutional guarantees protecting religious freedom, Hindus have faced suspicion and discrimination, being treated as scapegoats for the government’s failures. They lack equal access to education, employment, and social advancement.
Religious Persecution and Discriminatory Laws
The Hindu minority in present-day Pakistan remains vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Constitutional amendments introduced by General Zia-ul-Haq have further marginalized them, and the rise of religious extremism in South Asia has led to increased violence and attacks on Hindus. Instances like the 1992 Babri Masjid incident in India have generated anti-Hindu sentiments that spilled over into Pakistan, resulting in the destruction of Hindu temples[2], looting, physical attacks, and the victimization of Hindu families. Compensation for the damages has not been provided.
Hindu women have specifically been victims of abductions, torture, and forced marriages to older Muslim men upon conversion to Islam[3]. According to an article in Firstpost[4], there were 26 documented cases of religious persecution against Hindus in Pakistan. These included abductions, rape, and forced conversions. Apart from this, Hindu temples in Pakistan have been targeted, with some converted since 1990. More often, the attacks on Hindu temples in Pakistan occur in response to perceived “Muslim persecution” in neighboring India.
Overt discrimination against Pakistani Hindus persists within the Islamised Pakistani Constitution, amounting to state-sponsored bias. The Constitution explicitly references non-Muslim identity, rendering non-Muslims and Ahmadiyya ineligible for top positions within the Pakistani government[5]. Even a Muslim League politician has stated that the abduction of Hindus and Sikhs is a business in Pakistan, along with conversions of Hindus to Islam. Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, a journalist based in Lahore and writing for The Diplomat, provides valuable insights into the complex socio-religious landscape of Pakistan[6], shedding light on issues faced by minorities and the broader implications for the country.
In his article, “Deep Ideological Roots of Anti-Hindu Sentiment in Pakistan“[7], Shahid discusses how religious minorities, including Hindus, are victimized by Islamist persecution in Pakistan. The incident of a mob vandalizing a Hindu temple in the village of Bhong in Punjab province highlights the institutionalized anti-Hindu bigotry in Pakistan. Shahid emphasizes that Pakistan’s blasphemy law, while ostensibly aimed at protecting religious sentiments, has been misused to facilitate Islamist mob violence. This law’s existence paradoxically coexists with Pakistan’s aspiration to be a democratic republic, while the majority Sunni denomination dominates Pakistan’s religious outlook, and discrimination against Hindus and Christians remains deeply rooted.
In Pakistan, a paradox exists: despite widespread condemnation, some political leaders have expressed vile anti-Hindu sentiments[8] or supported punishments for ‘blasphemers.’ The high-profile case of Danish Kaneria, a former Pakistani cricketer, is well known. Kaneria, who is Hindu, made serious allegations against his former teammate, Shahid Afridi, claiming that Afridi tried to coerce him into converting to Islam[9]. Kaneria made further allegations that he faced religious discrimination from Afridi and other teammates who refused to dine with him. These revelations stirred debate and highlighted the challenges faced by religious minorities in the cricketing world.
Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA)
It was in this context that the Parliament of India passed the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) on December 11, 2019[10]. The act aimed to provide an accelerated pathway to Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who arrived in India by 2014. Eligibility extends to refugees facing religious persecution in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians, with a cutoff date of December 31, 2014. The rules safeguard cultural identities and ensure economic opportunities, free movement, and property rights. Applicants must declare renunciation of their origin country’s citizenship. The Act aims to provide a dignified life to persecuted minorities, aligning with constitutional principles.
However, the anti-India forces reacted to the CAA the same way they had reacted to the Article 370 abrogation, stirring controversy and alleging religious discrimination due to the exclusion of Muslims from listed countries.[11],[12] Just like the UN Resolutions regarding Kashmir were never read by the protestors, secessionists, and the breaking-up India brigade, the protestors of the implementation of the CAA have not read the act and simply followed the agenda activists’ clarion call culminating in months-long agitation at Shaheen Bagh in 2022[13], which alienated the Indian Muslims[14] further due to the siege mentality strategy they exhibited in those protests.
The Indian Muslims were being misled by the anti-India agenda activists, funded by the “agent of chaos” George Soros, who, along with his Open Society Foundation[15] (OSF), is accused of destabilizing governments by supporting various secessionist movements and anarchist groups.[16] OSF-funded organizations in India have been accused of promoting an anti-nationalist narrative[17], adding to the charges faced by Soros and his foundation.
While the CAA was being roundly criticized for excluding Muslim refugees, it never occurred to anyone in the media to ask why there should be Muslim refugees coming from Muslim-majority countries in the first place and why they would seek asylum in Hindu-majority India. Similarly, there was hardly any question raised about the underlying causes of the mass migrations from these Muslim-majority nations, i.e., the persecution of their minorities.
The Indian government is partly to blame for letting the narrative get away like this and having the whole issue blown out of proportion. The exclusion of Muslims was justified by the claim that these three countries have declared Islam as their state religion, and thus, Muslims do not face religious persecution. Plus, the CAA does not affect or take away the citizenship of any Indian Muslim.
After a hiatus of nearly 5 years, the Indian government finally began the implementation[18] of the CAA-2019 act by issuing the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024 on March 11, 2024, facilitating online applications for Indian citizenship. True to form, the breaking-India forces are once again busy spreading the tired-old narrative with headings like CAA: India to enforce migrant law that excludes Muslims.[19] Once again, no one in the media has shown the gumption to ask why Muslim-majority nations would produce Muslim refugees and why any Muslim refugees would seek sanctuary in Hindu-majority India, a country they hate with a vengeance.
A Little Light at the End of the Tunnel
Fortunately, there is a ray of hope for the persecuted Pakistani Hindu minorities. Swati Goel Sharma, a journalist associated with Swarajya magazine, has extensively covered the plight of Pakistani Hindu refugees in India. Her ground reports shed light on their challenges, aspirations, and daily struggles. In her investigative reports, she captured the sentiments of persecuted Pakistani Hindus[20] in Delhi. When the Indian Parliament approved the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), these refugees expressed happiness over the legislation. In New Delhi’s suburb, Adarsh Nagar, near the Majlish Park metro station, Swati Goel Sharma highlighted the living conditions of Hindu migrants from Pakistan. These refugees settled in shanties since 2013 with the help of Hindu activists.
Additionally, Swati is the Founder of the not-for-profit Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation[21]. The foundation aims to create a mechanism for local and centralized support, ensuring end-to-end delivery of services and justice for those in need. Their vision is to ensure that no one suffers due to their inability to access existing service and justice mechanisms through government bodies, NGOs, and well-intentioned individuals.
Concluding Remarks
The plight of persecuted Hindus in Pakistan serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by religious minorities in South Asia. Despite constitutional guarantees protecting religious freedom, Hindus in Pakistan continue to endure discrimination, violence, and systemic marginalization. The implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in India offers a ray of hope for those seeking refuge from religious persecution, providing an accelerated pathway to Indian citizenship for persecuted minorities from neighboring countries. However, the journey towards ensuring justice and dignity for all remains ongoing, with journalists like Swati Goel Sharma shedding light on the struggles of Pakistani Hindu refugees and organizations like Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation working towards their welfare. As we navigate these complex socio-religious landscapes, it is imperative to uphold principles of equality, justice, and compassion, ensuring that no one suffers due to their religious or ethnic identity.
Citations
[1] Hindus in Pakistan – Minority Rights Group; https://minorityrights.org/communities/hindus-2/
[2] Hindu shrine desecration: Can Pakistan protect its religious minorities; https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55545524
[3] Hindu women, minors remain unsafe amid rising abduction cases in Pakistan – The Hindu; https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/hindu-women-minors-remain-unsafe-amid-rising-abduction-cases-in-pakistan/article66063811.ece
[4] Pakistan: In 26 hate crimes in September, 40 Hindus abducted, raped, converted to Islam – Firstpost; https://www.firstpost.com/world/pakistan-in-26-hate-crimes-in-september-40-hindus-abducted-raped-converted-to-islam-13390132.html
[5] State Legislated Persecution: Ahmadiyya in Pakistan — Human Rights Pulse; https://www.humanrightspulse.com/mastercontentblog/state-legislated-persecution-ahmadiyya-in-pakistan
[6] Pakistan Continues to Exhibit Gory ‘Islamophobia’ Against Ahmadis – The Diplomat; https://thediplomat.com/2022/02/pakistan-continues-to-exhibit-gory-islamophobia-against-ahmadis/
[7] Pakistan’s Hindu Temple Ransacking Has Deep Ideological Roots – The Diplomat; https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/pakistans-hindu-temple-ransacking-has-deep-ideological-roots/
[8] Bigotry against Hindus rising in Pakistan – Asia Times; https://asiatimes.com/2020/02/bigotry-against-hindus-rising-in-pakistan/
[9] Danish Kaneria: ‘Shahid Afridi told me to convert…’: Danish Kaneria accuses former Pakistan skipper | Cricket News – Times of India (indiatimes.com); https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/news/shahid-afridi-told-me-to-convert-danish-kaneria-accuses-former-pakistan-skipper/articleshow/104746841.cms
[10] Parliament passes the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 (pib.gov.in); https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195783
[11] When Academics Spread Lies – Part 1 – Hindu Dvesha; https://hindudvesha.org/when-academics-spread-lies1/
[12] When Academics Spread Lies – Part 2 – Hindu Dvesha; https://hindudvesha.org/when-academics-spread-lies2/
[13] Shaheen Bagh protest; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaheen_Bagh_protest
[14] https://x.com/TheEmissaryCo/status/1767250357049008450?s=20
[15] Open Society Foundations; https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/
[16] Assessing the International Influence of Private Philanthropy: The Case of Open Society Foundations | Global Studies Quarterly | Oxford Academic (oup.com); https://academic.oup.com/isagsq/article/1/4/ksab039/6460388?login=false
[17] How Soros And His Minions Are Trying To Attack India’s Sovereignty – The Commune (thecommunemag.com); https://thecommunemag.com/how-soros-and-his-minions-are-trying-to-attack-indias-sovereignty/
[18] CAA implementation: Application for Indian citizenship to be made online | Latest News India – Hindustan Times; https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/caa-implementation-application-for-indian-citizenship-to-be-made-online-101710217211155.html
[19] CAA: India to enforce migrant law that excludes Muslims (bbc.com); https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68538260
[20] ‘We Are Happy…’—Persecuted Pakistani Hindus On CAB (swarajyamag.com); https://swarajyamag.com/newsletters/we-are-happypersecuted-pakistani-hindus-on-cab
[21] Home – Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation; https://sewanyaya.in/