HYDERABAD: Participants in a ‘long march’ started by the Sindh Kolhi Ittehad from Mithi nine days ago arrived here on Sunday. Led by Rimshal Kolhi, Maaoji Kolhi, Kewal Kolhi and others, the marchers were received by rights activists Amarshi Thakur and Veehu Kohli outside the local press club.

Speaking to reporters, they said that Kolhis, one of the indigenous communities of Sindh, had been facing economic degradation for long as they had not been given their fundamental rights while they were being discriminated against in land allotment and employment. They said the treatment being meted out to them forced them to live a life of nomads.

They said that their elected representatives in the provincial assembly were not sincere to them and thus were not resolving their problems and issues.

“Forced occupation of our graveyards, places of worship and other properties by influential figures have become order of the day. They said that this just highhandedness by powerful people. They urged Sindh government to distribute land among landless families of the Kolhi community and increase 10pc seats for schedule caste in the assembly. They demanded that the system of reserved seats in assemblies be done away with.

The marchers called for an end to what they described as ‘forced conversion’ of their womenfolk.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2019