The Pakistani women is of many castes,religious schools,tribal background,ethnic and socio-economic classes.The majority religion is muslim ,though castes are varied. Two decades there was a general consensus amongst people, that we want progress in the form of education,healthcare for all,jobs, introduction of english as a foreign language, in order to get higher education and catch up with the advancements in the west.The girls were encouraged to go to school and colleges, so much so that older women and people from villages, encouraged all their children to study even when they were illiterate or less literate themselves. Due to relative prosperity due to agriculture Punjab was foremost in acquiring education and their institutions of higher learning also progressed. As mother's eductaion is directly linked to child health, the health status of Punjab population also improved. As the girl child in Punjab takes active part in agricultural economy, they were not marginalised as such.In the 1980's due to the wrong jehadist policies and introduction of religious dogmas in the society by USA backed elitist-army-dictator nexus, to counter Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, this simple approach of an average Pakistani whether Urban or Rural was dealt a severe blow. Consequently, children ,especially males were diverted towards madressah education and preparartion for jehad, whatever that meant.The simple farmer, rural,robust mindset was displaced with militant,dogmatic,fascist mindset. The simple farmer, whether Punjabi or Sindhi was very pro Pakistan in a sweet sort of a way .Now it became ethnic,intolerant,materialistic,power aligned and power hungry. The elitist tribal lords,Malicks,Waderas,Khans, who were finding so much wealth during the Afghan Jehad all around joined the Looters forces and smuggling,gun running,land grabbing became rampant. The richer one was the more powerful one was. In such a scenario,the religious power groups encouraged by army and USA, finally gained supemacy amongst the poorer and urban population.
All this while no one thought of the women folk. A few urban educated women were struggling to form groups that would somehow reflect and gaurantee women's rights and representation.
These groups were bieng led and recruited by single minded very brave and selfless women who were targetted with abuse and violence by vested fascist and ironically the same forces that were initially trained in jehadi mentality by USA.
To date these women's groups are surviving and still fighting for women's issues and bieng reviled by th USA money fed and funded jehadi ideologues.
Meanwhile the poor Sindhi woman, targetted by elected representd, reviled by Wadera and their democratic followers in assemblies stands stooped. She has no basic human rights. The so called elected representatives,are basically power snatching,hungry elite of Sindh. They can neither deliver democracy nor justrice.The Sindhi rural woman does not stand a chance for health, education,right to work,property, equality in the modern world. The hypocrisy is expressed by the behaviour of the ruling elite. Their sons can rape anybody,they can steal,they do all these acts in posh areas of Clifton and Defence and average citizens cannot do any thing. If you complaint they will shoot you and threaten to rape and kill you. The police does not listen to ordinary citizens.The Karachi Police with mostly Patahan officers says that Pathan women are not raped as they do not go out of house.(All this is true)
The poor rural Sindhi woman is not included in wages. Their poor men are bounded for generations as bonded labour or haris. There are no land reforms so they are slaves in this modern world.Women who are educated present the injustice and poverty in a romantic way,describing as Sindhi woman culture.The landed Wadera -Parliamentary nexus will not allow land reforms. So much so for the elected democracy.To be contd.
Please visit http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/
No comments:
Post a Comment