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Prepared on 13-07-2006 FN

Guest Paper*

DALITS IN PAKISTAN

MALJI MEGHWAR*

In Pakistan, Dalits known as Scheduled Castes.

In Pakistan, roughly 3 million is the Dalits Population. The SCs belong to various Castes, and are scattered all over Pakistan.

There are in all, 40 in Numbers, as per the Presidential Ordinance to declare certain non-Muslim Castes to be Scheduled Castes. The said Presidential Ordinance was issued on 12^th Nov 1957 by the Ministry of Law. Mostly in majority are, Meghwar or Meghwal. They are all known also as the harijans in District Thar-Parkar; Kolhi, Bhil, Walmikis or Bhang’s, Oadhs, Bagri’s etc. These Communities are the most Depressed Classes. They are the poorest of poor Class in Pakistan. Generally, their Story is not much different in anyway from what is told about the SCs in the SAARC Region. The Social and Cultural History of this Disadvantaged and Neglected Community is almost the same everywhere in the SAARC Region.

In Pakistan, any Movement for Emancipation of these Depressed Class People is not existent, as compared to India and other SAARC Countries. In the Sindh Province of Pakistan, these Scheduled Caste are concentrated in Mirpurkhas Division ie, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sanghar, Thar-Parkar, and Badin. However, they are living in other parts of the Upper and Lower Sindh, Southern Punjab mostly in Rahim Yar Khan Division or the Cholistan, and Siraiki Belt. They are also there in Lahore City, and also are scattered in other Parts of Pakistan.

The List of Scheduled Castes in the Gazette issued on 12-11-1957 is –

1. Ad Dharmi 2. Bangali 3. Barar 4. Bawaria 5. Bazigar

6. Bhangi 7. Bhanjra 8. Bhil 9. Chmar 10. Chanal

11. Charan 12. Chuhraor Balmiki 13. Dagiand Koli 14. Dhanak 15. Dhed

16. Dumna 17. Gagra 18. Gandhila 19. Hala-Khor 20. Jatia

21. Kalal 22. Khatik 23. Kolhi 24. Kori 25. Kuchria

26. Mareja or Marecha 27. Megh (war) 28. Menghwar 29. Nat

30. Odh 31. Pasi 32. Perna 33. Ramdasi 34. Sansi 35. Sapela

36. Sarera 37. Shikari 38. Sirkiband 39. Sochi 40. Wagri

In Pakistan, Problems of Scheduled Castes are not being identified and attended to.  Nor, the basic data about them is collected and tabulated at the Government Level. But, approximately the SCs today in Pakistan are 1.7499% of the total Population. That is, the SCs in Pakistan today are 2,842,349, nearly Three Million, out of 162 419 946.

No Legislative Measures have been considered by the Government till date, although the UN Declaration of HR 1948, and Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy are listed in Part II of the Pakistan Constitution of 1973, Provide both for the Recognition and Eradication of Discrimination, and for taking Legal Measures. The Practices of Untouchability is the major Problem, as it exists in all over the World, against the SCs. We find Untouchability, Forced Labour or Beggar, Servitude, Slavery, Bonded Labour, to be too evident. About 80% of non-proprietor Agriculture Tenants in Sindh Province is from the Scheduled Castes.

Since last 20 Years, servitude of Bonded Tenants has surfaced, and for whom the HRCP has fought and continue to fight, and thousands have achieved Freedom from Forced Labour. They were Found in Chains, when Foreign Journalists accompanied the Police, Magistrate and Human Rights Activists.

There are about 700 thousand SC Families. Such Scheduled Caste Families, are engaged on the Forms owned by Feudals and Zamindars. In many parts of Pakistan, the Scheduled Caste People are treated as Untouchables, and no Law has been passed for punishing individuals Practicing Untouchability. No Seats are exclusively Reserved for them in National Assembly, Senate, and Provincial Assemblies. Nor in any of the newly established District Governments, ie the Local Government System.

In his Speech, Mr Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan assured and declared that the Muslim League would protect the Rights of Dalits. And he assured them of full Security. Accordingly, Mr Jogendra Nath Mandal, a Dalit from East Pakistan, was appointed as the Leader of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, and first Law Minister of the Country. It meant that Jinnah was genuine in his concern.

Mr Jinnah, incidentally was a Khwajo. By Profession, they were and still are the Businessmen engaged in the Skins of Halal or Dead Animals. The Quaid also gave 6% Job Quota to the Scheduled Castes, in the Federal Services.  However, things began to Change, after Jinnah’s Death and in 1953. Mandal resigned from the Cabinet, and migrated to India. That was an indication of the Growing Intolerance in Pakistan towards the Minorities and Dalits in the post-Jinnah Pakistan.

In 1998, the Nawaz Sharif Government in Pakistan converted the Scheduled Caste Job Quota, into Minorities Quota, due to the influence of the Dominant Caste hindus and the Christian MNA’s in the National Assembly.

Nowadays, the Minorities in Pakistan lead a bleak existence. The worst sufferers among them, being the Country’s Dalits. The Dalits of Pakistan are the unfortunate People, having No Political Leadership.

About 90% of Pakistan Dalits Work, as the Landless Agricultural Labourers. That means that they have to Cultivate others Lands for ½ or 3/4 share. Others work as general labourers and sweepers in the Urban Areas. In the Urban Areas the huts of the sweepers or valmikis, are located in Separate Settlements. In the Rural Areas also, the huts of Dalits are located in Separate Settlements, outside the main villages. And, all those SC Areas, generally lack, even the basic amenities like water supply, drainage, telephone, road, transport facility etc.

Large Numbers of Dalits, also led a nomadic existence, travelling from Village to Village in search of jobs. Many Dalits, live in temporary structures, in the lands of the landlords for whom they work, and they can be expelled from there whenever the landlords wish, having no Title to the Land. They, generally earn a pittance, and often are forced into free labour by the powerful people supported by the police patells. dominant caste hindus like the Thakurs, and also the Muslim Feudal Lords. Many Dalits eke out a miserable existence as Bonded Labourers, being heavily indebted to Landlords and the hindu bania money lenders. If the Dalits protest against False Debts, or refuse to give the Free Labour, false fictitious police cases are lodged against them, and the police don’t protect them at all. Local Administration, the Police, Revenue and Judiciary, demand bribe money and routinely harass the SCs. They only support the Dominant Caste hindus and even forcibly take away their cattle and other such meagre belongings. This type of practices exists all over Pakistan. They could often be seen by any Visitor to Chachro, Nagar Parkar, Diplo, Mithi Tehsils District Thar-Parkar. During the Days of Arbab Ghulam Rahim as Chief Minister of Sindh Province, the Discriminations Exploitations Harasments and Problems of the SCs reached their peak point. That, because his mother was from a Thakur Family, and he a Sardar of Nohrio Brothers in alliance with all other castes like Sameja, Sama, Khosa, Nareja, Dohat, Rahooman, Sangrasi, Thakurs and other Baloch Tribes settled in Thar-Parkar. They follow him, and his relatives give the protection through Police and the Administration.

The Land mafia in big Cities like Hyderabad, Karachi, Lahore, Sukkur, Jaccobabad, often forcibly grab the Land on which the huts of Dalits are there. In other Rural Areas of Thar-Parkar, the lands of the dominant caste hindus, being cultivated by the Dalits for the last many many decades, is being grabbed by the land mafia, after physically throwing out and crudely evicting the Dalits, as the landowners have migrated to India after the 1965 and 1971 Wars. That is being done with  the collision and collaboration of the Patwaris, the Land Revenue Officials.

In most places Dalits have no Religious Places. They are not allowed to Pray or even Enter the Temples of the dominant caste hindus. Dalits have no places for their dead bodies. In big cities, some areas were reserved for this purpose, for use by the Dalits. Now they have become part of the growing cities, and many of these graveyards are being illegally occupied by local influential Muslims.

In Primary Schools in the Villages, the SC Students are Discriminated from the first day they are enrolled. The Muslim or the dominant caste hindu Teachers, write their Names with their Fathers’ and Caste Names. They routinely Face Discrimination, and are not allowed to sit on the benches, or use things that are used by other students. Dalit Students are often badly treated by dominant caste Muslim Teachers also, up to the college levels, from where branches divide to Professional Education. If a Dalit Student is more intelligent and gets good marks in Theory, then he will be pushed back in Practical and Viva-Voce Tests, and can’t come out successfully in the Studies.

The SCs, despite being the poorest of the poor, don’t get any Scholarships from the Government. There are no Scheduled Caste Scholarships. Further, owing to desperate poverty, few SCs can afford to send their children for higher education. Generally, the SC Children withdraw from schools at an early age, to engage in manual work to help supplement the family’s meagre income. In many cases, Dalits don’t send their girls to Schools Colleges and Universities fearing that, they might be kidnapped, rapped, or forcibly be converted to Islam by the Muslims.

In the towns and cities, the SCs generally live in the poorest undeveloped squalid slums. There are no organizations working among them for their welfare. Lacking Strong Political Leadership of their own, the SCs are not able to effectively assert their Voice in demanding their rights from the State or from the dominant caste dominated society. Many Dalits, have no CNIC – the Computerized National Identity Card. They could not get them, due to complicated methods and bribes that have to be paid. Therefore, they can not access various Government Development and Support Schemes or Programmes. Government Facilities for Religious Minorities are almost monopolized in the Country, by the more powerful and organized Christian and dominant caste hindu communities, leaving the Dalits out in the lurch Untouched. Because of acute poverty, rampant illiteracy, discrimination and the absence of Dalit Movements as in India, the SCs in Pakistan have No Political Influence at all. Mostly the SCs are not allowed to Vote Freely for the Candidates of their own Choices, or Contest in Election easily. They are often forced, by the powerful dominant caste hindus like the Thakurs, Brahmins, Lohana etc, and the Muslims Land Lords to Vote for particular candidates. If the SCs ever refused, they are pressurized into leaving their homes or beaten up or implicated in false and fictitious police cases, lodged against them. The Problem of SC Political Marginalization is complicated, by the acute division among the Dalits, with various Dalit Groups and Castes practicing Untouchability amongst themselves.

For its part, the Govt of Pakistan prefers to promote, the economically and socially more influential dominant caste hindus as the Leaders of the hindus. They don’t help or promote alternate Dalit Leadership, which is bigger in numbers, with a high percentage in population, than the dominant caste hindus. In the New Parliament System, the President of Pakistan had announced, the joint Electoral System and the Seats Reserved for Non Muslims is Nil against Hundred in the Senate, Ten against 342 in the National Assembly. In the Provincial Assemblies in –

1. Punjab, it is Eight out of 371,

2. Sindh, it is Nine out of 168,

3. NWFP, it is Three out of 124, and

4. Balochistan, it is Three out of 65.

The Methodology of Filling the Reserved Seats for the Non-Muslims, is by Nomination by the contesting Political Parties. In Pakistan, there are 3 big Parties, the PPPP – Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian, Muslim League (Nawaz), Muslim League (Q). Out of these, only one ML(N) gave Mr Kirshan Lal Bhil, a SC a Ticket to the National Assembly, and in Sindh PA, MQM had given ticket to Mr Poonjo Mal Bhil. But, both individuals are crippled that, they can not support any of their own SC Brothers and Sisters.

In Pakistan, the SCs, like other Minorities are also Victims of Religious Discrimination by both the dominant caste hindus as well as the Muslims. In the Eateries in the Rural Areas of Sindh owned by both the dominant caste hindus as well as the Muslims, Dalits are forced to use separate utensils, marked with the Names of the SCs like Kolhi, Meghwar, Bhil. They are invariably the damaged and broken ones. The SCs are expected to wash them themselves after the used it. When they visit hospitals for treatment, they are generally left unattended, and really considered and treated as untouchables. They are not allowed to touch anything, especially the utensils meant for public use there.

In the District Thar-Parkar and other parts of Sindh, the Practices of Untouchability is at the height. Both Naie, the hindu barber and the Muslim Hajam won’t shave or tonsure the Dalits. Such type of practices are still there in the Rural Areas and Small Towns of Sindh. In the Villages of District Thar-Parkar, near to the border of India, the SCs have no right to fetch water from the wells of the dominant caste hindus or Muslims. They can’t graze their cattle, without their permission. They can’t wear any good cloth, or wear turbans. And their females cannot wear Gold or Silver Ornaments. They can’t ride on horse or camel, at the time of their wedding ceremonies. They cannot sit on cot in their homes, though in the Otaque. In the Houses of the dominant caste hindus or Muslims, the SCs are given no chair, cot, Farasi, Dari to sit. In some cases, they are not allowed to sit in the open space, even without any Farasi or the Carpet, where dogs and donkeys move and sleep, also excrete without any restriction.

In view of these Terrible Conditions and Treatments of the SCs in Pakistan, we make the following RECOMMENDATIONS, as our Demands –

1. The Government of Pakistan, should try to insert “Treatment towards Dalits” in SAARC Countries as one of the barometers to Judge SAARC Members’ Commitment to Human Rights and its International Reputation as a Nation;

2. The Government of Pakistan, should launch a Caste Wise and even Sub-Caste Wise Census Operation to enumerate the different castes and sub caste of the different Scheduled Castes, STs and Backward Castes;

3. The Government of Pakistan, should Allocate Separate Seats in the Parliament for Scheduled Castes as per their Population Ratio, to ensure their Voice is Heard at the National Level. Four Seats in National Assembly, Four in the Sindh Assembly, Two in the Punjab Assembly, and One each in NWFP and Balochistan Assemblies must be Reserved exclusively for Scheduled Castes;

4. The Government of Pakistan, should constitute a National Commission for Scheduled Castes, to hear the Complaints of Caste and Racial Discrimination, and take necessary and required action;

5. The Government of Pakistan, should Ensure Justifiable Representation of Dalits in the National institutions and Departments like PIAC, Banks, DFIs, Pakistan Steel etc, and jobs in both Federal, Provincial and District Governments;

6. The Government of Pakistan, should Allot Land to Landless Dalit Peasants, on priority basis and get vacated their Ancestral Lands fraudulently Occupied by the dominant caste hindus and Muslims in Thar-Parker District, or where ever the SCs live;

7. The Government of Pakistan, should Create a Separate Fund for helping the destitutes, orphans, widows and poor individuals of Scheduled Castes, under the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal / Social Welfare as per their Population Ratio, and Scholarships to the Scheduled Caste Students;

8. The Government of Pakistan, should Protect the Scheduled Castes from being threatened, exploited, victimized, and dislodged from their ancestral abodes by the other caste people on any pretext, which is directly or indirectly connected to caste prejudice, by Providing them Easy Access to Legal Remedies.

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Note :

* Mr Malji Meghwar is a Social Activist from Thar Parkar, Sindh, Pakistan.

email id is : ramjianimalji@yahoo.com

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