Daily Times

Krishna Kumari was born to a modest peasant family in Nagarparkar, a village located in Tharparkar.

Known for her women rights and anti-bonded labour activism, Kumari became Pakistan’s first Hindu-Dalit senator after she was elected to the upper house of parliament

Kumari along with her family members and relatives were held for three years as bonded labour in a private jail allegedly owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district. They were released in a police raid on the farmland of their employer. She started her primary education initially from Talhi village of Umerkot district and then the Tando Kolachi area of Mirpur Khas district.

She received her early education in Umerkot district and later moved to Mirpur Khas district.

Krishna’s rise to the Senate was not easy.  She battled hunger and poverty early in her life, and was also a victim of bonded labour. Despite her hardships, driven by her passion for knowledge, Krishna continued her education at a ‘run down’ school in her neighbourhood.

She got married at the age of 16 in 1994 while she was studying in grade nine. She continued her education after her marriage and in 2013 earned a master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Sindh. In 2007, she attended the third Mehergarh Human Rights Youth Leadership Training Camp in Islamabad.

Many laws have been drafted for the rights of women, but none of them have been implemented.Child marriages and forced conversions are some of the pressing issues which need to be addressed

Krishna Kohli joined Pakistan People’s Party as a social activist to campaign for the rights of marginalised communities in the Thar region.

Many laws have been drafted for the rights of women but none of them have been implemented which she wishes to get changed. Child marriages and forced conversions are some of the pressing issues which need to be addressed urgently.

PPP is the first party in Pakistan to take such bold steps to mainstream the marginalised communities. In the past, Bilawal Bhutto took several steps to bring non-Muslims in his party. There are six non-Muslims in the party holding important positions.

It is expected that as a sensitive and adamant rights activist, Kumari will do a lot for the betterment of the marginalised communities in the country.

Though PPP has a lot to boast, it is yet to be seen whether the promises regarding minority rights are fulfilled or not. There is no doubt that Krishna Kumari is a sensitive and sensible rights activist ready to take challenges, but what remains a daunting task is the external forces of religious extremism and large-scale persecution.

Krishna Kumari will also have to influence the party’s policies on minority rights and get them implemented without letting the so-called ‘pragmatic politics’ of the party interfere in her activism.

The writer is author of several books, a columnist and political analyst based in Islamabad. He can be reached at naveedamankhan@hotmail.com

Published in Daily Times, April 10^th 2018.