Pakistan senator from scheduled caste listed among BBC’s 100 Women of 2018
Senator Krishna Kumari says her resolve to work for bonded women is further strengthened
Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senator from Tharparkar, Sindh, Krishna Kumari has termed her inclusion in BBC’s list of “100 Women of 2018” a reassuring and morale-boosting honour.
This is also an acknowledgement of her efforts for the rights of the interior Sindh’s women who were deprived of basic facilities of life and were forced to work as bonded labour.
In the citation of the Pakistani politician, BBC has written, “Krishna was elected to the Pakistan Senate after campaigning for women’s rights, having previously been forced into bonded labour for three years.”
While talking to Gulf News here on Tuesday, Senator Kumari said the honour would encourage other women of the scheduled caste of Tharparkar and rest of the province to make their presence felt by working hard in their respective fields and win laurels for their country.
Our women don’t have opportunities to find some occupation for living an independent life ... For empowerment of women, education is a must.
Senator Kumari is not ready to accept women in Tharparkar are backward. “If you visit any university you will find Hindu girls of Tharparkar and adjacent districts studying there,” she said adding if supported, they can make their mark in every field.
However, she agreed her village Nagarparkar was underdeveloped and particularly those belonging to Kohli caste were living in poverty.
“Our women don’t have opportunities to find some occupation for living an independent life, however, now under the leadership of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari the provincial government has launched education reforms programme and very soon all the schools of the district Tharparkar will be functional,” she said.
“For empowerment of women, education is must,” she said. To a question, Krishna Kumari said she saw Benazir Bhutto as her leader. “My only regret is that I never met her,” said the 39-year old Senator.
Another human rights worker and Hindu activist from Tharparkar, Kapil Dev while talking to Gulf News termed BBC’s honour for Krishna an award for all the underprivileged, oppressed women of Pakistan. “This is a symbolic gesture and will go a long way to empower the marginalised communities, particularly women of Sindh,” said Kapil.
He agreed with Kumari’s emphasis on education saying in Tharparkar literacy rate is only 17 per cent and the government needed to work in a number of areas including education, health, early child marriages, Mother Mortality Rate, etc.
The fact that Krishna Kumari, a representative of the Hindu community was awarded ticket by Pakistan People’s Party shows the PPP is a progressive party and believes in streamlining all the segments of society, said Kapil Dev.
He also commended Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for awarding tickets on general seats to three Hindu community members and all three of them—two for provincial assembly and one on National Assembly—were elected in general elections of July 2018.