Daily Times

MITHI: In Karachi, the authorities suspended the cellular networks, conducted surveillance through closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and more than 6,000 police personnel were deployed as security measures during Muharram processions. Due to the security threats, authorities sealed dozens of streets with shipping containers and aerial surveillance was also conducted through helicopters.

Far from the Karachi, in Tharparkar’s district headquarter Mithi – a remote district with almost half of its population Hindu and located in eastern side of the Sindh province along Indian border – the scene is entirely different. Though, rangers and police are deployed in the city for security, mourners do not feel threatened.

Dressed in funereal black, the mourners gathered at Maqbool Shah Imambargah, beating their chests, and reciting Nohas and mourning the day of Imam Hussain’s (AS) martyrdom. Half of the mourners are Hindus. When the procession proceeded through the Mithi city, at different places, Hindu women brought their newborns to the procession and put the clothes of the Tazia on the forehead of their newborn and worshiped it and later kept some coin as they do while performing Pooja or worship by Hindu way at their temples.

In southern Sindh especially in different districts of Mirpurkhas districts including Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar where majority of 7 million Pakistani Hindus reside, one can see Hindu Shias or the devotees of Imam Hussain (AS).

Just in Tharparkar district there are 72 Imambargahs and many of them are historical and according to the locals, some are around 200 years old. In Mithi city, most of the Sabeels are arranged by the local Hindus and many of them join processions. At the end of the procession when mourners reach the Imambargahs, they are offered food. At the historical Maqbool Shah Imambargah, almost half of the food is provided by the local Hindus according to the caretaker of the Imambargah.

“In Mithi city for over 200 years, long before the partition of the subcontinent, Hindus have been actively taking part in the procession during Muharram,” said Hadil Faqeer, caretakers of the Shoaib Abu Talib Imambargah in Mithi.

He said that Hindus visit Imambargahs almost year round, but during Muharram they take active part in the procession, Sabeel and Niaz (food distributed during Muharram).

“Many of the local young Hindu couples come to the Imambargahs and they tie knots and walk around the Alam Pak or Tazia, as they would walk around holy fire for marriage, because they consider the Alam Pak and Tazia as sacred as the holy fire,” said caretaker of the Maqbool Shah Imambargah.

In Umerkot city, many Imambargahs are managed by Hindus and many caretakers are also Hindus.

In Sindh, Hindus are not just the mourners, but some of them are famous Zakirs (orators in Shia Islam) and they hold Majlis-e-Aza on Karbala incident during Muharram. During these Majalis, not just the Hindus and Shia Muslims, but even Sunni Muslims come and listen to them. Ravi Shankar Khatri, a resident of Umerkot is one of them. He is a Zakir and conducts Majlis-e-Aza in different cities across Sindh.

Ravi Shankar Khatri – Hindu Zakir who narrates the events of Karbala to an audience of Muslims and Hindus alike

Heman Das was another Zakir from Sanghar city who called himself Hyderi and passed away last year at the age of 83. He was invited to hold Majlis-e-Aza not just in Sindh but many cities of Punjab and even abroad.

Heman Das – the late Hindu Zakir

In most of these districts, Nohas (Shia laments) that mourners wail during the procession, are often written by the Hindu writers.

“If Imam Hussain (AS) was born in this part of the world, we, the Hindus of Sindh could be worshiping him as an avatar (a concept in Hinduism refers to the incarnation of a deity on earth),” said Kirshan Khatri of Umerkot. He said that Imam Hussain (AS) was like a devta (a divine being) who came to the world against injustice and brutality and sacrificed his life for humanity.