On November 23, a Sindhi Hindu boy identified as Love Kumar Meghwad, a resident of Mithi, district Tharparkar (Thar) of Sindh Province in Pakistan, was arrested by the Police for alleged blasphemy. As per social media posts, Love used ‘Mola’ instead of Bhagwan in a Facebook post while addressing God. A case was filed against Love under sections 298 and 153A of the Pakistan Penal Code. Love published the alleged post on Facebook on November 22.
Zafar Sahito, founder and Central Chief organizer of Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement, said in a post that Love had complained to God that He is missing when Hindu girls are abducted from their homes every day and how their families are suffering! He also said that when fathers and mothers of such girls cry, God does not listen to them.
That’s it , that’s his crime & now he is in jail ! Already professor Nutan kumar is in Pakistani jails since many years on blasphemy charges.
— Zafar Sahito (@widhyarthi) December 27, 2022
This is what happening in Occupied Sindh with real owners of land Sindhi Hindus.3/3 @hrw @ANI #ReleaseLoveKumar #ReleaseNutanKumar pic.twitter.com/ZmmirHpxyR
He further added that his post had nothing blasphemous, but he was arrested and thrown in jail. Remembering a similar case, he wrote, “Already professor Nutan Kumar is in Pakistani jails for many years on blasphemy charges. This is happening in Occupied Sindh with real owners of land Sindhi Hindus.”
Notably, the ‘Mola’ word is commonly used in the Sindhi language to address God. Veengas, a journalist from Karachi, said in a Twitter post that both Hindus and Muslims in Sindh refer to God as ‘Mola’, ‘God’, ‘Dhari’ or ‘Ishwar’. Furthermore, Sindhi literature references the word ‘Mola’ referring to God. She urged the Pakistani government to ‘protect citizens’.
She said, “A blasphemy charge has been made against a young Hindu boy in Tharparkar over a Facebook post wherein he had communicated with God by complaining about injustice. In Sindh, either Hindus or Muslims remember God using a different name: Mola, God, Dhari, Ishwar.
Even our Sindhi literature is filled with such writings. People can communicate with God as it is between you and Dhari (God).
— Veengas (@VeengasJ) December 27, 2022
Government should show its presence and protect citizens.
Please, let people breathe.
2/2
“Even our Sindhi literature is filled with such writings. People can communicate with God as it is between you and Dhari (God). Government should show its presence and protect citizens. Please, let people breathe.”
The case of Professor Notan Lal
Notan Lal, a Hindu teacher, was sentenced to life imprisonment on the charges of blasphemy. Lal, owner and principal of a private school, was accused of ‘insulting’ Prophet Muhammad during an Urdu class as accused by a student named Muhammad Ihtisham, who later said he had lied. A fine of Rs 50,000 has also been imposed on him.
In September 2019, an FIR was filed against a Hindu principal of the Sindh Public School for allegedly passing derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad.
After the false accusation by the student, violence and vandalism were unleashed by residents of Ghotki protesting on the streets, damaging the school and also a Hindu temple in the area. The Police, in order to control the situation and avoid further damage, detained Lal under Article 295 (c) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The demonstrators had already vandalized three temples, a private school and multiple houses belonging to the Hindu community, posing a threat to the minority community in Pakistan. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had also reported mob violence after accusations of blasphemy in Ghotki. “Hindu community is in danger”, it quoted in a tweet.
On January 26, the Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that at least 89 people had been killed in the country since 1947. Furthermore, 1,415 people (both men and women) have been accused of blasphemy since 1947. Out of these, 1,287 people were accused of blasphemy from 2011-21.
