Status Of Dalits/ Scheduled Castes In Pakistan

Meeting of excluded women network in Asia 9-11 march 2008 at Bangkok-Thailand

CONDITION OF

DALIT WOMEN IN PAKISTAN BY: Kalavanti Raja from Pakistan [email protected]

MY INTRODUCTION I am Kalavanti Raja, from Karachi Pakistan  First of all , I want to thank the host of this program for better arrangements and this chance of discussion with you all.  On behalf of Pakistan, I welcome all distinguished guests and participating delegates 

MY PRESENTATION 

Contains four parts

General overview  Our activities  Case studies  Dalit demands 

PART-ONE

GENERAL OVERVIEW

MY COUNTRY 

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Pakistan is a largest Muslim country in south Asia, bordered by Afghanistan, Iran, India, China and Arabian sea. It came into being in 1947. Society is largely captured by feudal lords, religious bigots and military generals Population is 180 million which includes:     

96% 1.5% 1.5% 0.5% 0.5%

Muslims Dalits Christians Hindus Budhist, Parsis and other minorities

DALITS IN PAKISTAN 

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Instead of Dalit, the word Scheduled Castes is commonly used in media and masses and all scheduled castes are treated as Hindu by religion. Population is 2.5 millions belonging to 40 various castes, mainly Menghwar, Bheel, Kolhi and Bagri. Like other regions, untouchability and inequality made Dalits economically marginalized and socially excluded group.

DALIT WOMEN 

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Women have to face more inhuman social, physical and mental trauma everyday including  Verbal abuse  Sexual harassment  Forced religion convergence  Rapes / gang rapes / kidnapping  Physical assault  Medical negligence For above common happenings, no case being heard or registered. All law enforcing agencies are working under the command of feudal lords who are killing their own women in the name of honour [Karo Kari] In such circumstances, who is Dalit women??? Having 03 demerits 1.Dalit 2. Women 3. Non-Muslim.

SPECIAL INCENTIVES Earlier Pakistani constitution had provided 6% reserved quota and 3 years age relaxation in government jobs for scheduled castes.  Though it was not observed properly when it remained enforced but in 1998 it was cancelled. Now no any special incentive exists.  There is neither any incentive given to Dalit women earlier nor planned so far to up lift her. 

DALIT OCCUPATIONS  

Being untouchables, Dalits are bound to do low jobs. Men      

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= 50% = 20% = 20% = 5% = 0.5% = 4.5%

Women   

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Agriculture farms Garment factories Shoe making/polishing Sweepers Government jobs Other labour jobs Agriculture farms Embroidery House holding

= 50% = 20% = 30%

Being civic facility less, Dalit women have to spent long time to collect food and water.

PART-TWO

OUR ACTIVITIES

DALIT NETWORKING

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Pak Dalit solidarity network [PDSN] is still in initial stage and trying its best to create awareness among Dalits by:     

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Holding work shops/consultation meetings Dialogues on religious harmony Highlighting discrimination cases to press Networking of small Dalit NGOs Publishing pamphlets, magazines and booklets.

Initially following organizations are united under the banner of PDSN      

Scheduled Castes federation of Pakistan Scheduled Castes educational society Menghwar welfare association Kolhi welfare association Roshni Sangeet Prize management Pak research institute of Dalit emancipation

DR. AMBEDKAR’S BIRTHDAY AT HYDERABAD SINDH 2007

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM KARACHI-2006

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM KARACHI-2006

PROTEST FOR THE RESTORATION OF JUDICIARY. KARACHI-2007

LONG MARCH FOR WATER

DALIT AWARD DISTRIBUTION

IDSN DALIT WOMEN STRATEGY MEETING ON 25-72 FEB 08 AT KHATMANDU-NEPAL

PART-THREE

CASE STUDIES

DALIT WOMAN AND CHILDREN

DALIT FARMERS IN SINDH

EMPOWERMENT 

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Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was genuine in his concern for Dalits and he appointed Jogendar Nath Mandal as first Law Minister of Pakistan After Jinnah’s death in 1948, feudal lords, religious bigots and military captured Pakistan and things began to change. Except some socialist groups, most of political parties support Hindu upper castes, having no space for Dalits. Presently there is only one Dalit parliamentarian out of 10 reserve seats for Hindu minorities while Dalit represents 75% of Hindu minority population There is no Dalit women parliamentarian in history of Pakistan.

MANOO BHEEL CASE 

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It is very tragic case of bounded labour of peasant Due to allegation of involvement in peasant struggle of escaping from land lord’s private jails, in 1998 Rehman Marri, a land lord, kidnapped 09 family members of Manoo. On the hunger strike for 02 years, Chief Justice of Pakistan took suo moto notice for the release of family. But it is still untraceable because nothing is above to land lord.

RELEASE OF BONDED LABOUR 

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In Pakistan, 'slavery' persists. Land Lords have private jails. After a decade of Human rights activism, In 2005 more than 7,000 bonded laborers have either escaped or been rescued in raids on • But Government has not Pakistan's feudal fields. provided shade for them still. Women facing very hard.

FORCED RELIGION CONVERGENCE  

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Kidnap Hindu, force marriage to Muslim In 2003, Sanao Menghwar has had three of his daughters kidnapped, then forced to marry Muslim men. It is observed that only young women were forced to become Islamics. This happens daily, particularly in the Sindh province of Pakistan.

PART-FOUR

DALIT DEMANDS

DALIT DEMANDS 

We invite the attention of all intellectuals and human right activist to force Pakistan to accord the laws to uplift Dalits by reserving quota in: 

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Jobs in military, judiciary and all Government departments Seats in national, senate and provincial assemblies. Seats in higher educational institutions and scholarships for abroad studies Ownership in agricultural lands and housing schemes Distribution of Presidential and national awards

Special attention is needed to women participation

THANKS  

Thank you very much for listening me In the end, I wish to dedicate you a poem of great Sindhi poet Shaikh Ayaz  Keep marching, keep marching  Slowly if necessary  Quickly if possible  Keep marching, keep marching  The path is hard and rocky  And the body is tired  But for the glorious goal  Keep marching, keep marching  Slowly if necessary  Quickly if possible  Keep marching, keep marching