Fooled Ya!

Before Hindutvawallahs get hysterical, before we declare war on Sindh, or threaten to take the issue to the UN, we must remember that Outlook's report from the province was put together by our brave and enterprising Pakistan correspondent, Mariana Baabar, and she in turn was aided and abetted by Pakistan civil society. Without the active assistance of the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, the Pakistan Supreme Court, the Karachi Bar Council, various Pakistani human rights activists and Pakistani MPs, the story would never have come out. Thus, it was Pakistani civil society which was pursuing the treatment being meted out to Hindu girls. While one can and should condemn the Musharraf government for turning a blind eye to the problem, one must at the same time congratulate and commend Pakistani civil society for taking up the cause which Mariana described in such heart-rending detail. And it was Pakistani civil society which was keen to distinguish between crimes against native women and crimes against Hindu girls, insisting that the state was duty-bound to pay special attention to the latter.

The people of India would be justified in being alarmed and angry at the situation of Hindu girls in Pakistan. However, before we get too smug and self-righteous, we must remind ourselves that when it comes to crimes against women, India is far ahead of its estranged neighbour.