'You Have Spread Dirt in Pakistan': Hindu Boy Forced to Abuse Own Religion in Sindh Province
11:59 GMT 27.07.2021 (Updated: 18:01 GMT 08.12.2022)
© Photo : Twitter/screenshot/@SindhuSorath
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Hindus made up more than 23 percent of Pakistan’s population when the country gained independence from British colonialists in 1947. Today, the community comprises just under 2 percent of the population. Forced conversions and other forms of persecution are often cited as the reasons behind the dwindling Hindu numbers.
A video of a Hindu boy being forced to abuse his own religion in Pakistan's Sindh province has once again brought to fore the problems faced by the minority community in the predominantly Muslim nation.
"Abuse your religion... say it out loud. You people have spread dirt in Pakistan," the abuser can be heard saying in the video.
Sindh govt. must take action against him —
— Veengas (@VeengasJ) July 27, 2021
Hindu boy is forced to use abusive language against his Bhagwan. Person who forced Hindu boy, is believed to belong to Rahim Yar Khan. He said to Hindu Boy that you have put dirt in here (Pakistan). https://t.co/mvYnOcGL4T
According to Dr. Ramesh Vankvani, a federal senator in Pakistan’s National Assembly and the head of the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), the incident took place in the Tharparkar district in the southern Sindh province.
The federal Census in 2017 found that Tharparkar boasted the largest Hindu population among all of Pakistan's districts, with nearly half of its population practicing Hinduism.
“The Pakistan Hindu Council is on the case. I have told the police that the state must take responsibility for the incident. I can also confirm that the person behind the incident has been arrested,” said Dr Vankvani, who is part of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) outfit.
“Such incidents bring a bad name to Tharparkar, which is otherwise known for Hindu-Muslim religious unity. I could guarantee that the matter would be resolved today,” he stated in a video message.
تھرپارکر میں ہندو لڑکے کو زبردستی اللہ اکبر کے نعرے لگوانے اور بھگوان کے بارے میں گستاخانہ کلمات کی ادائیگی کیلئے مجبور کرنے کی ویڈیو وائرل
— Dr. Ramesh Vankwani (@RVankwani) July 27, 2021
سربراہ پاکستان ہندو کونسل ڈاکٹر رميش کمار وانکوانی کا ویڈیو پیغام pic.twitter.com/cccY2IXBbN
Religious persecution by the dominant Muslim community against minority Hindus – as well as Christians and Sikhs – in Pakistan is often reported by human right groups. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the country witnesses an average of 1,000+ forced conversions annually.
Several western powers, including the US and European Union (EU), have chided the Pakistani government over the abuses suffered by minorities in the South Asian country. The EU stated last year that the issue of "forced conversions" in Pakistan was among the top priorities of Brussels in the country.
