Only one Sikh family registered to vote in Tharparkar
Posted by Balvinder Singh S Bal
Only one Sikh family registered to vote in Tharparkar
Posted by Balvinder Singh S Bal on Sunday, 2/17/2008 9:17 AM MST
| http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\07\01\story_1-7-2007_pg7_10 Only one Sikh family registered to vote in Tharparkar Staff Report Karachi: Jagjit Singh and his family are the only Sikhs in Tharparkar, the home of Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, who have registered to vote. There are a total of 2.7 million Hindus living in Sindh with a Sikh minority. There are a total of 405,525 registered voters from district Tharparkar. Singh, 34, was originally a Hindu but became fed up with the caste system and decided to convert to Sikhism with his five children and his wife. “Four years ago when I converted and started wearing the traditional dress, the locals most of who are Hindus, were shocked. Now, however, they’ve accepted me,” Singh told Daily Times, mentioning that Hindus generally don’t like Sikhs. Jagjit, a nurse by profession, works at a local hospital and has a small home in North Colony in Mithi Town, the district headquarters of Tharparkar. Tharparkar is supposed to be a Hindu stronghold. It has 163,316 Hindu voters, 122 Christian and 21 Qadiani voters, according to lists displayed by the election commission. Singh converted to Sikhism four years ago. “I don’t believe in the so-called caste system, so I decided to leave Hinduism and joined Sikhism,” he told Daily Times. His father, Tarachand, a retired primary teacher, is part of the Hindu Menghwar caste and still visits his son. Menghwar (shoemaker) is regarded as a lower caste in Hinduism and most of the upper castes mistreat them. Pakistan’s former dictator, Zia-ul-Haq, had also registered them as a Scheduled Caste. Singh said that he feels alone sometimes because there is no one else living in the area. “My small family and I feel lonely during religious festivals as there is no other Sikh family in the district.” When he was asked who he would vote for he said, “I would prefer to vote for anyone who understands the pain of the people. Religion would not matter.” |
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