HYDERABAD, Nov 1: A large number of civil society organisations held a walk on Thursday in support of the Hindu community while urging them not to leave Sindh.

They also urged the federal and Sindh governments to ensure protection to the community.

The walk was organised by Research and Development for Human Resources under the banner of Sindh Peace Forum, a conglomerate of various civil society organisations, from the old campus to the local press club. Maqbool Mallah, Dr Ashuthama, Dr Bakhtawar and Rehmatullah Solangi also attended the walk.

Activists said the walk was organised to express solidarity with the Hindus of Sindh who were said to be leaving the province.

They said protection should be ensured to all religious minorities in the light of the Aug 11,1947 speech of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

They also demanded an end to forced conversion of Hindus and legislation in this regard.

Our Sukkur correspondent adds: A procession was taken out by the Community Development Foundation (CDF) under the banner of Sindh Peace Forum in Jacobabad on Thursday to show solidarity with minority communities of Sindh.

The procession started from the Town Hall and ended at the local press club.

Speaking to the participants, Comrade Ajeet Kumar, Father Yousuf Masih and Abdul Jabbar Lashari

of Child-Women Rights Committee urged the government to provide protection to minorities in the province.

They demanded protection to the life, property and honour of all minority communities in Sindh.

They said that ‘forced marriages’ with Hindu girls should be stopped and a law enacted to deal with the issue.

Worship places of all minority communities should be provided protection and there should be religious freedom as per the constitution, they added.