The Land of Shiva or Lal?
The city burns. The sun over Hyderabad, Pakistan has already reached peak temperatures for this time of the year. The pedestrians search for shade and hardly any car drives with the windows down in the unforgiving sweltering heat. However, Hyderabad burns literally. The recent attacks on the Hindu minority have travelled through the shores of the river Indus into the second largest city of Sindh.
In the early hours of the morning on the 28th of March, three arsonists reportedly entered a small Hindu temple in Hyderabad, setting it ablaze amidst protests by the locals who were present for the morning service. To no avail, the Hindu community protested on the streets only to be told to ‘stay calm’. Unfortunately, the attack is just one of the many that have occurred in the previous month throughout Pakistan, on the worship places of other religious communities.
Situated within the heart of Hyderabad, Tilak Chari is home to one of the largest and oldest communities of Hindus living in Pakistan. Predating the partition of India, the area boasts some of the oldest buildings of Sindh that are still inhabited as well some of the most famous temples of Hyderabad. In other words, the area serves as the working headquarters of the Hindu community in Sindh. Here, the news of arson has spread like wildfire. The community once again questions the integrity of the government and their role in providing safety to the minorities of Pakistan.
Within the hustle and bustle of Tilak Chari, stands a crumbling temple. Painted emerald green and hues of blue, the temple has a name painted on it as well along a swastika. It is called ‘Shiv Mandli’ or in layman terms, the abode of Shiv, the Hindu God of transformationand destruction. Crossing the rusted gates of the temple, the interior is a stark contrast to the dilapidated conditions of the façade. The temple teems with life. This as I find out later, is the home of the most adorned Shiv idol in Pakistan. The room fills with a pungent smell of rose. The crowds stand up, and the priest enters with a rose garland and two oil lamps set on a tray. The evening prayer service commences and the synchronized singing of Mahadeva Bhajan is audible throughout the temple.
As the service concludes, the crowds of worshippers leave. A police car stands outside the premises of the temple. “They come here every day .At least three times, to check up on the situation” Says, Raj Kumar. Kumar, the caretaker of the temple, then walks on over to the policemen and after a swift conversation, the police car leaves.
The deployment of the police is a step taken by the local government of Hyderabad to monitor the safety of minorities and their worship houses. Shiv Mandli, being one of the largest temples has earned special services such as the police actually monitoring it, daily. “We feel safer. We are scared that we will get attacked too. Thanks to the grace of Shiv, we are protected till now!” exclaims Kumar while cleaning the floor of the temple with ‘holy Indus water’ which holds the same importance as the Gangajal (Holy water from the Ganges) for the Hindu community of Sindh.
Historically, the land of Sindh holds much importance for the Hindu population of the Subcontinent with many even claiming that the actual term Hindustan comes from the name of Indus, or Sindhu as it is locally called. Akin to the Ganges, the river Indus is deemed to be the only other river mentioned in the holy books of Hinduism such as the Rig Veda. Thus, the land of Sindh is considered one of the most sacred for the Hindu diaspora and the recent attacks have been taken rather as an attack on the whole Hindu diaspora itself.
After the floors of the temples were mopped clean, people are allowed to enter once again. Asking if I can meet the priest, Kumar leads me to a room behind the space where the Shiv idol is kept. Sitting crossed legged on a prayer mat quite similar to the Muslim version, Mangal Ram the priest, has prayer beads in one hand, slowly chanting Holy Scriptures. After the initial introduction, Ram offers to sit outside. In the empty courtyard, Ram sits in front of Shiv. “Sometimes I’m scared to say anything. Today, anything that I say can cause a stir for our community. Is there an actual guarantee that any one will save us if our temples are burned?” questions Ram. “Times have not changed, the people have. I don’t see the same brotherhood between us and the Muslims.” Kumar adds while Mangal Ram nods in agreement.
Unfortunately, there is not an appropriate answer or guarantee that one can provide. From small towns to big cities such as Hyderabad, the current attacks on the Hindu minority have caused a deep scar on the Sufi land of Sindh. Standing in at 2 percent out of the 180 million population of Pakistan, but at 22 percent of the total population of Sindh, the Hindu community holds a small but powerful role in the socio-political agenda of Sindh with many areas having a majority population of Hindus such as Tharparkar and Nagarparkar.
Consequently, the recent attack on the Hindu community leaves one flabbergasted. Can these attacks actually be carried out by terrorists in the land that has always lived in peace with the Hindu community? The Hindu community thinks not. “It is India! They don’t want to see us happy.” Kumar exclaims, blaming India for infiltrating the peace between the communities. “Why would the Muslims of Sindhu desh attack us? We have been brothers throughout history. We all believe in Lal, don’t we?” Kumar adds, hinting towards the shared Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz, as well the culture of Sindh which holds relevance to both Muslims and Hindus of the region.
With the number of attacks increasing almost by the month, the Hindu population of Sindh remains confused. On one corner, resentment has begun to rise while on the other there’s utter disbelief over what is happening. In many other areas like Tilak Chari, the story remains the same; no one wants the peace between the two major communities to die down.
Be it external agents of change or the intolerance of the community as a whole, a clash between the Hindu and Muslim communities of Sindh holds only disastrous result where no side can win. Being an integral part of the history of Sindh, the Hindu minority claims the right to the land of Sindh as much as any other religion of the country. In the land of the sweltering heat and the puzzling Indus River, the government is being held responsible for not taking enough measures to provide safety to the minorities.
As the sun sets over Hyderabad, the Shiv Mandli is once again buzzing. Chants of ‘Har Har Mahadeva’ fill the space. The temple like many others in Sindh is an example of the unity that has existed in this land, as well as the thin line that Pakistan stands on today in controlling the violence done in the name of religion. For many like Kumar and Ram, the land of Shiva has been attacked; the Lal that lived here doesn’t exist anymore.