Pandemic-scale protests in Sindh, Pakistan: Following alleged death of the Hindu agricultural worker Kailash Kolhi at the hands of the feudal landlord Sarfaraz Nizamani. The death has left minority communities enraged, seeking immediate justice, terrorism charge against the accused and protection for the most vulnerable.
Kailash Kolhi of Badin region, a poor farmer, had constructed a small hut on the land to shelter his family. This apparently innocuous move reportedly enraged his landlord, Sarfaraz Nizamani, a well-connected man of power in the area. Nizamani reportedly shot Kolhi dead near Talhar amid fighting over the hut. The killing has had a devastating impact on the Hindu community of Sindh, which faces discrimination and insecurity already and Kolhi’s death had become a symbol of the general fights for minority rights.
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Massive Protests erupt across Sindh, Pakistan after Hindu youth Kailash Kolhi was brutally murdered, allegedly by feudal lord Sarfaraz Nizamani.
Minority groups demand immediate arrest, terrorism charges, and protection. pic.twitter.com/Cn9HZN9a2s
In reaction, thousands of protesters in the Kolhi community and other minorities took to the road across much of Sindh. The Badin–Hyderabad National Highway and Badin–Thar Coal Road blocking major roads were hit through protests. Protesters staged sit-ins, held slogans and lit candles in memory of Kolhi. Dozens of people carried mobile phones with flashlights lit up, like a sea of lights at a vigil. The latter’s message was this: They would not leave until the accused was arrested and the charges of terrorism filed.
They call upon community leaders to arrest Sarfaraz Nizamani, investigate terrorism charges, and take concrete measures to protect minority populations. Shiva Kachhi, head of the Minority Rights Organization inside Pakistan, said the protests have continued for days on end, mirroring the immense anger and suffering of the people.
Authorities have still not taken into custody the accused after intense public outcry. Police have released word of relief, but nothing has been done, fans of frustration and lingering worry that some political pressure is protecting Nizamani from blame. The delay comes to the attention of both national and international human rights groups who are watching closely. And in rural Pakistan, where landlords often exert unbridled power over impoverished workers.
The incident has sparked renewed questions about the power dynamics of the feudal class. It also stresses the vulnerability of Hindu communities in Sindh, where the police and other security officials are regularly assaulted with few legal options. But failure to act decisively could undermine public trust in the justice system and perpetuate social divisions, legal experts and civil society members say.
This is a story of Kailash Kolhi’s death, though, who for many doesn’t just kill a man, he kills someone to get a system that allows violence against the weak to go unpunished. The protests that take place in Sindh represent a call for justice, dignity and equal rights in a way that no one has had enough of silence in a society where people are being abused." They express people's unwillingness to remain silent amid the oppression. The government is now under an extraordinary test: will it defend the helpless, or shield the influential?
The unrest could worsen if justice is not done and if the local people are not able to restore trust in the judiciary. Although if the authorities follow through and provide an evenhanded solution, for minorities it may turn out to be one of the landmark cases on minority rights in Pakistan. The result would be the result of whether the voices called in Sindh result in any meaningful change or become simply another unaddressed petition for justice.
