LARKANA / DERA GHAZI KHAN: A large number of people took to the streets in different cities of Sindh on Sunday to protest against the abduction of some members of the minority Hindu community and increasing incidents of robberies in the province.

The sit-in, in which people from all faiths are participating, was staged for the recovery of the abducted members of the Hindu community in Kashmore, including Mukhi Jagdish Kumar, Sagar Kumar, Jaideep Kumar and Dr Munir Naij. The protest entered the second day on Sunday, with the relatives of kidnap victims demanding their early and safe recovery.

The protesters demanded an operation by the army and Rangers against the kidnappers and bandits. They regretted that despite the passage of 24 hours, the police and administration had failed to recover the hostages, adding that the sit-in would continue till their release.

Due to the sit-in, buses, ambulances and freight vehicles going to Punjab and Balochistan were stuck on different roads and highways of Kashmore.

Protest sit-ins held in Kashmore, Larkana and Karachi

In Larkana, Pooj Hindu Panchayat Chairman Haresh Lal, Dr Dayali Gul, Nanin Ram, Dr Sudham Chand and others led a rally taken out from Hindu Dharamshala. The demonstration was later joined by representatives of the Larkana Chamber of Commerce and Industry and leaders of Awami Tehreek.

The protesters, carrying banners and portraits of kidnap victims, raised slogans against the poor law and order situation in Kashmore-Kandhkot district and increasing incidents of robberies in Larkana.

Addressing the participants at Jinnah Bagh gate, the leaders of Hindu Panchayat, Awami Tehreek and LCCI said police had failed to initiate a decisive action against the bandits who were continuously uploading videos on social media showing kidnapped victims being tortured.

The speakers said bandits had not only challenged the state’s writ but also harmed its interests.

Karachi sit-in

In Karachi, the Minority Rights March and Aurat March called a protest at Teen Talwar in Clifton, which turned into a huge sit-in, to demand justice for the abducted Sagar Kumar, Mukhi Jagdish, Dr Munir and minors Jaideep Kumar and Priya Kumari.

The protesters, many of whom had travelled all the way from Kashmore and Sukkur, held up banners and posters with pictures of the missing persons as they complained about the law and order issue in Kashmore, Sukkur and northern Sindh, and demanded the speedy recovery of all the abductees.

“We are raising our voices here in Karachi, the capital of Sindh, because Kashmore, probably, is too backward a town and, maybe, the voices of the victims’ families and the people of that area are not reaching the corridors of power from there,” said a protester from Kashmore.

Human rights activist Pastor Ghazala Shafique said people of Kashmore have no peace, thanks to the lawlessness there. “They live in fear because of the bandits. And police, too, are offering them no protection,” she said.

“Even the landlords there are offering protection to the bandits instead of the people,” she pointed out.

Social activist Sheema Kermani said such kind of unlawful activities from gangs aren’t possible without patronage from landlords and police.

“So many of the abductees have been missing for years and months but it is being said by police that they have been recovered. Yet their families are saying that they have not reached home,” she said.

Town planner Arif Hasan said, “People have been wronged here since times immemorial, but at least there are people who raise their voices against the wrongs. Protests can raise awareness and make people think. They can bring change, though it may take time for that to happen,” he said.

All the protesters at the sit-in then announced that they had no intention of budging from their positions until midnight. “We will only move after getting assurance from the chief minister of Sindh to do something for the recovery of the missing persons and the law and order situation in Kashmore and northern Sindh,” said Pastor Ghazala.

Meanwhile, caretaker Sindh Home Minister Haris Nawaz while talking to the media in Thatta said a plan has been finalised for launching an operation against bandits in the riverine areas of Jacobabad and Shikarpur and the next phase of operation would be more result-oriented.

Tariq Saeed Birmani in Dera Ghazi Khan, M.B. Kalhoro in Larkana, Shazia Hasan in Karachi and Ghulam Hussain Khwaja in Thatta contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2023