Karachi
Awareness drive on the cards for identification of Dalits
Shahid Husain
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Karachi
The religion-based census is depriving scheduled castes in Tharparkar,
as elsewhere in Pakistan, of their lawful rights, according to a
scheduled caste leader.
"We are planning to launch an awareness campaign in Tharparkar so that
Dalits do not register themselves as Hindus in the next census," said
Surendar Valasai, the founding president of the Scheduled Caste
Federation of Pakistan.
The word Dalit literally means "backward and oppressed", and since
historically 70 to 80 percent of the population of Dalits are counted
as Hindus, they have been looked down on with contempt and hatred by
Rajputs and Brahmins since ages.
According to the last census conducted in 1998, the Hindu population in Pakistan
was 2,443,514, including 2,111,171 higher caste Hindus and 332,343
scheduled caste Hindus. If the scheduled castes opt not to identify
themselves as Hindus, the demographic scheme of Tharparkar would be
drastically altered.
But Dr Khatao Mall, a senior physician at the Civil Hospital Mithi,
thinks otherwise. "Education has brought a vital change in the
attitude of upper-class Hindus. They no longer discriminate against
scheduled castes and eat with them at restaurants and in marriage
ceremonies," he said.
"If scheduled castes decide to have their distinct identity in the
next census, it will be like a separate electorate."
A large number of scheduled caste children in Tharparkar have no way
but to work as child labourers to support their families. This is
despite the fact that Pakistan ratified the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1990. The CRC is a comprehensive
instrument comprising 54 articles and two optional protocols that
cover the full range of human rights of persons below the age of 18
years.
However, access to radio and TV channels has proved to be effective in
raising awareness level in the area. "People living in villages listen
to BBC Urdu regularly and are well aware what's going on in Pakistan
as well as on the international level. Even drivers are aware about
the latest news because they listen to radio while driving their car,"
Khatao said.
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