Religious Minorities are constantly ignored and targeted by the Muslim Majority
PAKISTAN – Veerji Kohli, a Hindu activist in Pakistan has been accused of murder after trying to stand up for Hindu rights in Islamabad Pakistan.
Veerji is a well-known human rights activist who particulary focuses on the issues related to bonded labour. Recently, he helped to release a number of children, women and men from the hands of feudal lords in a community where many Kohli families live. He helped to release the men, women and children from a brutal environment where they were being treated unfairly by feudal lords, to do work in unlivable conditions for a next to nothing pay. He has been successful in getting many individuals out of such trouble while helping them to find better positions that are more suitable to their needs.
By taking a stand against the biased attitude of Pakistani police in a rape case of a Hindu girl by the name of Kastoori Kohli, Veerji Kohli has gotten into trouble. He has realized from this incident that taking a stance against a case involving feudal lords has its share of consequences. After being held in custody wrongfully for a few weeks, a high-level inquiry proved Veerji Kohli to be innocent while proving the police officers to be biased thus losing their jobs.
The feudal lords that are involved in the case are members of the local Muslim majority community, Raees Ghani Khan Khosa, and Bachal Khan Khosa who retaliated against Kohli by kidnapping him and keeping him in a dungeon for over four days. After serious pressure from some community members including prominent politicians, senior police officers, journalists and human rights activists, Kohli was released by the feudal lords. However, this did not mean their grudge had repealed.
The feudal lords set Kohli’s car on fire followed by framing him for a murder case that took place in Nagarparkar although Kohli was in Hyderabad at the time of the murder. Using their power and political ties, the Khan Khosa’s pressured the police to issue punishment under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Kohli, was once again in trouble–but now for killing something who he knew nothing about. All this followed from the night he decided to help his fellow community members from working under feudal lords who mistreated them and enslaved them like animals.
Kohli, since has asked his supporters and everyone in Islamabad to support his cause and case, after releasing a report to the public. He has told people to stay strong and continue to fight for human rights and injustices that victimize people in a way they should not be victimized. Regardless of consequences, Kohli still stands by all his decision made and is encouraging others to do what is right.
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