Discrimination in aid

[Trisonics]

Whether Muslim, Hindu or Christian, high caste or low caste, the flood victims are all equally deserving of the attention of official and non-official aid channels. - Photo by Reuters.



It is no secret that ethnic, sectarian and religious minorities in Pakistan face discrimination, but recent reports that this deplorable mindset is affecting flood relief efforts are deeply disturbing. On Monday, a large number of people in Hyderabad were driven to taking out a protest rally against the maltreatment of minority community flood victims. They cited two occasions when they were attacked and driven out of a relief camp.


A day before that, flood-affected families at an emergency relief camp in Thatta district complained that they were being refused aid, even by government officials, because they were Dalits. There have been numerous other reports: people being refused shelter because of their ethnicity, caste or religion, being discriminated against in the distribution of aid goods and being driven away from or forced to live on the very margins of the few camps that exist.

Discrimination on ethnic and religious grounds is deeply entrenched in Pakistan and will not change overnight. Yet that it is being used as an excuse to strip people of their rights as equal citizens even during a time of calamity is abhorrent. Whether Muslim, Hindu or Christian, high caste or low caste, the flood victims are all equally deserving of the attention of official and non-official aid channels. Resources are scarce and the desperate number in millions. Providing help across the board to the best of its abilities, irrespective of any ideology, is the first task of the state and society. Apart from the victims’ equal right to survival essentials such as shelter, potable water and food, the fact that the country was even before the floods rent along ethnic, sectarian and religious grounds must be kept in mind. Discrimination at this time will only deepen the divide and cause resentment that could unravel any possibility of future cohesiveness.

DAWN.COM | Editorial | Discrimination in aid

 

[Speaker]

Whether Muslim, Hindu or Christian, high caste or low caste, the flood victims are all equally deserving of the attention of official and non-official aid channels. - Photo by Reuters.



It is no secret that ethnic, sectarian and religious minorities in Pakistan face discrimination, but recent reports that this deplorable mindset is affecting flood relief efforts are deeply disturbing. On Monday, a large number of people in Hyderabad were driven to taking out a protest rally against the maltreatment of minority community flood victims. They cited two occasions when they were attacked and driven out of a relief camp.


A day before that, flood-affected families at an emergency relief camp in Thatta district complained that they were being refused aid, even by government officials, because they were Dalits. There have been numerous other reports: people being refused shelter because of their ethnicity, caste or religion, being discriminated against in the distribution of aid goods and being driven away from or forced to live on the very margins of the few camps that exist.

Discrimination on ethnic and religious grounds is deeply entrenched in Pakistan and will not change overnight. Yet that it is being used as an excuse to strip people of their rights as equal citizens even during a time of calamity is abhorrent. Whether Muslim, Hindu or Christian, high caste or low caste, the flood victims are all equally deserving of the attention of official and non-official aid channels. Resources are scarce and the desperate number in millions. Providing help across the board to the best of its abilities, irrespective of any ideology, is the first task of the state and society. Apart from the victims’ equal right to survival essentials such as shelter, potable water and food, the fact that the country was even before the floods rent along ethnic, sectarian and religious grounds must be kept in mind. Discrimination at this time will only deepen the divide and cause resentment that could unravel any possibility of future cohesiveness.

DAWN.COM | Editorial | Discrimination in aid

The part in red is so true of India as well. Although our government did the right thing by making caste discrimination illegal, the effect has been confined to the cities alone. Discrimination and misuse of caste equations is rampant in interior towns and villages. The same societal problem seems to exist in Pakistan as well. Whichever country devises a solution to this issue first should help the other one tackle religious/caste/sectarian discrimination.

 

[Trisonics]

The same societal problem seems to exist in Pakistan as well. Whichever country devises a solution to this issue first should help the other one tackle religious/caste/sectarian discrimination.

As for the bolded part, our neighbors do not consider that as a problem that arose from practices in society, most here blame that on Hinduism when it comes to India!..Anyway the silence in this thread explains the psyche of some people here who will not leave a chance alone to bash another religion or country..but find no voice when such reports are on them Its sad that religion, ethnicity, caste should decide who gets food to eat.

 

[GentlemanObserver]

Already been discussed. Is the suggested thread option really that hard to use?

 

[Trisonics]

Already been discussed. Is the suggested thread option really that hard to use?

Im pretty sure it did not show up when I posted this article. Please do merge if this thread already exists. This article was posted on sep1.
TY

 

[GentlemanObserver]

Original Thread with this discussion:
http://www.defence.pk/forums/curren...minating-against-christian-flood-victims.html

 

[mjnaushad]

Some for selling news will post anything....

20 Million people are displaced......Many Muslims are not getting food too.....But that wont make a big news so if a Hindu or Christian didn't get food report that as discrimination ....its easy money for news sellers.....

And good chance to bash Pakistan for Indian members.....

With such big disaster such incident might happend at few places....But some people happily generalize it to serve their purpose....

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Aid should reach all ppl equally -

otherwise I will be mad person

But considering the magnitude of problem at hand the work being done is good

 

[Trisonics]

Some for selling news will post anything....

20 Million people are displaced......Many Muslims are not getting food too.....But that wont make a big news so if a Hindu or Christian didn't get food report that as discrimination ....its easy money for news sellers.....

And good chance to bash Pakistan for Indian members.....

With such big disaster such incident might happend at few places....But some people happily generalize it to serve their purpose....

Please re-read, there were only two Indians who posted and neither said anything about Pakistan! I personally wanted to make a point with regards to certain Pakistani members who always point out social discrimination to Hinduism.

There is no smoke without a fire!..the point is not to bring out the misery of people who have been affected by the floods, but to disprove many here, who think such things(discrimination ) do not exist in Pakistan!