I am a Hindu—and a proud Pakistani

[Lord ZeN]

I’m a Pakistani Hindu—and I am fed up with the unending list of unaddressed complaints regarding discrimination, marginalisation and hatred spewed against Hindus in books taught at our schools for the last 68 years.


A few days back, Lal Malhi, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s member of the national assembly (MNA) on a minority seat, seemed to have addressed a similar point.


He commented on how insensitive and outright offensive our parliamentarians usually are when in their rhetoric of jingoism they want to condemn and criticise India, and instead start blaming and hurling abuses at Hindus.



A number of Muslim MNAs, he said, have mocked Hindus for worshiping cows. In their mindless hate-spewing, they ignore the fact that four million Hindus live in Pakistan, and their derogatory words hurt the religious sentiments of the local Hindu community. Perhaps, they need to be sensitised and educated that all Hindus are not Indians, and all Indians are not Hindus. India has over 200 million Muslims and other minority groups as well.

In the current scenario, I wish I had a prodigious political consciousness during my childhood so that I could have asked my grandparents why they and their ancestors preferred this part of the border in 1947, when many Hindus were fleeing to India.


Although I have as much of a right as any other Pakistani to seek better opportunities by fleeing abroad—to anywhere, India or not—and adding my name to the brain-drain list, the thought of leaving my motherland has never occurred to me. Despite the insecurity, the threats, the oppression and the marginalisation, we, members of the local Hindu community, are proud Pakistanis.


Every time there is an incident of violence against my community, an attack on a temple, or a forced conversion, my fellow citizens argue: “Don’t you see the atrocities against Muslims in India, especially in Kashmir and the 2002 Gujarat riots?”


I want to tell these people that as a minority rights activist, I feel deep pain at the atrocities against the Muslims living in India. But attacks on Muslim minorities in India in no way justify the atrocities committed against the Hindu minority living in Pakistan. Two wrongs cannot make a right.

We are Pakistani Hindus, do not equate us with Indians

If there is a doubt about our loyalty or sincerity to Pakistan, then these claims should be supported with statistics—some facts on how many Pakistani Hindus have betrayed the country or have been tried in courts for treason.


But if there is nothing to show in that regard, then the false propaganda must come to an end, and we should be owned and trusted. And the state should play a role in stemming the generalised fiction and fabricated tales taught through hate-mongering and biased history in textbooks.


On March 23, 2015, a Hindu soldier, Ashok Kumar, who laid down his life fighting in Waziristan in 2013, was awarded the Tamgha-i-Shujaat. But surprisingly, his name was suffixed with “late” and not “Shaheed” (martyr) as used for Muslim soldiers who have sacrificed their lives. Did Kumar not die for love of country?


He is perhaps the only Hindu who has sacrificed his life in the Pakistan Army. Hindus were not allowed to join the armed forces until before 2000, and they were only welcomed in the national military during the reign of Pervez Musharraf. This is in contrast with the country’s Christian community whose members have been serving in the army for much longer—with many on senior postings.


At the same time, Pakistani Hindus are discouraged from serving in the country’s secret agencies—to the best of my knowledge—whereas India’s Intelligence Bureau was headed by Syed Asif Ibrahim, a Muslim, for two years.

Come cricket matches, particularly the World Cup, and Pakistani Hindus are always asked which country they support in the Pakistan-India match? Do you ever ask Pakistani Christians this silly question?


Do you ever ask them who they support in a Pakistan-Australia or a Pakistan-New Zealand match? No, never. Then why are the Hindus always asked to prove their patriotism and loyalty to the country in this manner?



I am a Hindu—and a proud Pakistani - Quartz

 

[HariPrasad]

poor fellow thinks that this will ensure his safety. foolish.

 

[Zhukov]

Bro don't take these retards seriously. Every Pakistani is a part of the chain. Hindu Christian Jew or whatever it doesnt matter

 

[Lord ZeN]

poor fellow thinks that this will ensure his safety. foolish.

What else can he do ? Not everyone is fortunate enough to emigrate to other countries.

 

[farhan_9909]

Pakistani Hindus are the only remaining ancient hindus practicing the real hinduism unlike in india where enough modifications are made by RSS and Modi sort of people making the youth extremist

 

[RabzonKhan]

What he is saying is absolutely true. It is very shameful that a large number of our parliamentarians are stupid idiots who do not know how to behave.

As one great person once said, “You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed-that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”

Unfortunately our leaders lack that spirit.

 

[Menace2Society]

Pakistan was made to be a champion of minorities in the sub continent. They need to go back to their true principles, enough of this mullah perversion.

 

[[Bregs]]

Politicians make the things look far worse then they actually are and some religious fanatics take advantage of the situation

 

[Matrixx]

This reminds me Sharukh's movie.....My name is Khan and I am not terrorist

 

[Soulspeek]

You call yourself Pakistani Hindu. Now enjoy the true hospitality of your Pakistani bretheren. Problem is, your own community does not agree with you.

 

[Spring Onion]

I’m a Pakistani Hindu—and I am fed up with the unending list of unaddressed complaints regarding discrimination, marginalisation and hatred spewed against Hindus in books taught at our schools for the last 68 years.


A few days back, Lal Malhi, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s member of the national assembly (MNA) on a minority seat, seemed to have addressed a similar point.


He commented on how insensitive and outright offensive our parliamentarians usually are when in their rhetoric of jingoism they want to condemn and criticise India, and instead start blaming and hurling abuses at Hindus.



A number of Muslim MNAs, he said, have mocked Hindus for worshiping cows. In their mindless hate-spewing, they ignore the fact that four million Hindus live in Pakistan, and their derogatory words hurt the religious sentiments of the local Hindu community. Perhaps, they need to be sensitised and educated that all Hindus are not Indians, and all Indians are not Hindus. India has over 200 million Muslims and other minority groups as well.

In the current scenario, I wish I had a prodigious political consciousness during my childhood so that I could have asked my grandparents why they and their ancestors preferred this part of the border in 1947, when many Hindus were fleeing to India.


Although I have as much of a right as any other Pakistani to seek better opportunities by fleeing abroad—to anywhere, India or not—and adding my name to the brain-drain list, the thought of leaving my motherland has never occurred to me. Despite the insecurity, the threats, the oppression and the marginalisation, we, members of the local Hindu community, are proud Pakistanis.


Every time there is an incident of violence against my community, an attack on a temple, or a forced conversion, my fellow citizens argue: “Don’t you see the atrocities against Muslims in India, especially in Kashmir and the 2002 Gujarat riots?”


I want to tell these people that as a minority rights activist, I feel deep pain at the atrocities against the Muslims living in India. But attacks on Muslim minorities in India in no way justify the atrocities committed against the Hindu minority living in Pakistan. Two wrongs cannot make a right.

We are Pakistani Hindus, do not equate us with Indians

If there is a doubt about our loyalty or sincerity to Pakistan, then these claims should be supported with statistics—some facts on how many Pakistani Hindus have betrayed the country or have been tried in courts for treason.


But if there is nothing to show in that regard, then the false propaganda must come to an end, and we should be owned and trusted. And the state should play a role in stemming the generalised fiction and fabricated tales taught through hate-mongering and biased history in textbooks.


On March 23, 2015, a Hindu soldier, Ashok Kumar, who laid down his life fighting in Waziristan in 2013, was awarded the Tamgha-i-Shujaat. But surprisingly, his name was suffixed with “late” and not “Shaheed” (martyr) as used for Muslim soldiers who have sacrificed their lives. Did Kumar not die for love of country?


He is perhaps the only Hindu who has sacrificed his life in the Pakistan Army. Hindus were not allowed to join the armed forces until before 2000, and they were only welcomed in the national military during the reign of Pervez Musharraf. This is in contrast with the country’s Christian community whose members have been serving in the army for much longer—with many on senior postings.


At the same time, Pakistani Hindus are discouraged from serving in the country’s secret agencies—to the best of my knowledge—whereas India’s Intelligence Bureau was headed by Syed Asif Ibrahim, a Muslim, for two years.

Come cricket matches, particularly the World Cup, and Pakistani Hindus are always asked which country they support in the Pakistan-India match? Do you ever ask Pakistani Christians this silly question?


Do you ever ask them who they support in a Pakistan-Australia or a Pakistan-New Zealand match? No, never. Then why are the Hindus always asked to prove their patriotism and loyalty to the country in this manner?



I am a Hindu—and a proud Pakistani - Quartz

this was in fact comments by PDF Pakistani members in that thread based on statement of Lal Malhi.

 

[waz]

There has been a thread already on this.