“Sindh is our mother. Who would want to leave their mother? Yet, we are being forced to leave it behind. We have to suppress our emotions to convince ourselves to abandon our birthplace – Sindh,” said a member of a small family from the Jacobabad district of Sindh who recently migrated to India while speaking in Sindhi to the local media.
This story is not just about one family; it reflects the experiences of many Hindus who have emigrated from Pakistan due to ongoing socio-political issues and security concerns in Sindh.
According to a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) report – titled “Exodus: Is the Hindu Community Leaving Sindh?” – the 2023 national census revealed that Pakistani Hindus number 5.2 million, making them the largest religious minority in the country, followed by Christians, who total 3.3 million. The highest concentration of Hindus in Pakistan is in Sindh, where they constitute 8.8 percent of the province’s total population.
Unfortunately, the Hindu population in Sindh has been declining for decades. In 2014, Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani informed the National Assembly that approximately 5,000 Hindus emigrate to India each year. The HRCP report outlined various factors contributing to this exodus, including religiously motivated violence, the overall law and order situation, and the erosion of Sindh’s sociocultural norms.
A Hindu resident of Sindh, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The situation overall is the worst” they had ever experienced. They explained that the primary reason for migration is the obstacles created for businesses, with extortion (commonly referred to as “bhatto” in Sindhi) being a significant challenge. The resident further noted, “It seems that everything happening is preplanned, but nobody knows who is behind this chaos. We are seeking answers to the pressing issues in Sindh.”
Additionally, they mentioned, “Riverine bandits, who are involved in the kidnappings of both Hindus and Muslims, aim to spread unrest,” which drives people to seek better options. There are also rumors suggesting that some feudal lords (locally known as wadera or sardar) may be attempting to seize Hindu properties by force; however, these claims cannot be confirmed by any sources.
The HRCP report also highlighted a concerning pattern in northern Sindh, where extortion and kidnapping for ransom are prevalent, creating a dire law and order situation for the Hindu community. In districts like Kashmore, Jacobabad, and Ghotki, Hindus play a dominant role in trade, transport, and markets, making them frequent targets due to their economic standing. According to the report, their status as significant landowners makes them prime targets for criminal activities. A leader from a Hindu Panchayat explained to the HRCP that “Hindus are not targeted solely because of their beliefs but because of their wealth and business interests.” This indicates that religious motivation is not the only factor driving crimes against Hindus in Sindh. Nonetheless, belonging to the Hindu community in Pakistan can make families vulnerable to kidnapping and extortion, prompting many to emigrate, primarily to India.
Despite the widespread issue, many Hindus facing extortion choose to remain silent. They fear retaliation from criminals and their associates, which discourages them from speaking out. Many victims do not approach law enforcement agencies because they often find these authorities unable to assist them. As a result, they quietly pay off extortionists and keep the matter to themselves. Even when the issue becomes known, they often refrain from discussing it out of fear that it will happen again, potentially with more severe consequences, including threats of death or kidnapping directed at themselves or their family members. Due to the deteriorating security situation and the overall economic conditions in Pakistan, many Hindus feel compelled to migrate.
The migration of Hindus to India due to social, political, and religious reasons is not a recent phenomenon; it traces back several decades. In 1986, 34 prisoners, including notorious bandits involved in the kidnapping of many Hindu traders for ransom in northern Sindh, escaped from the central jail of Sukkur, Sindh. The incident instilled fear in the Hindu community, prompting many to emigrate to India. Additionally, the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India, in 1992 sparked widespread anti-Hindu violence in Pakistan. During this unrest, numerous Hindu places of worship were attacked. Out of fear of becoming targets of violence, many Hindu families chose to migrate to India. Since then, hundreds of Hindu families have left Sindh for India.