ARTICLE ON SINDHI RIGHTS IN AMERICAN LEGAL JOURNAL

Scholarly Article on Sindhi Rights in Prestigious American Legal Journal

Santa Clara Journal of International Law, Volume III, Issue 1


The Discrimination and Denial of Fundamental Rights for the People of Sindh
Kavita Tekchandani[1]

Conclusions in the thorough article by Attorney Tekchandani:

> Conclusion
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> Since the creation of the Pakistani State, there has been a denial of fundamental freedoms to the Sindhi People. Sindhis have undergone staunch political repression under a highly centralized and unyielding government, including being denied the right to free speech and peaceful assembly. Despite the fact that they enjoy a majority and indigenous status in Sindh, the minority Muhajir population has been politically and economically dominant. Under a government policy of forced assimilation, Sindhis have been denied the right to promote their language and traditions and are now left with the reality that their 5,000 year-old culture is quickly vanishing. The Kalabagh Dam controversy is just the most recent phenomenon of the National Government's policy to discriminate against the Sindhi people.
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> The Government justifies its actions on a need to build national unity, however, these actions have been self-defeating. Pakistan's policy of forced cultural assimilation, political repression and lack of political accountability by the State, has pushed those populations living on the brink of poverty and repression, such as the Sindhis, to become disillusioned with the Pakistani Government. When a state denies even the most fundamental political rights and human rights, as recognized by international law, to groups within its population, it cannot but expect these groups to eventually grow frustrated and demand self-governance.
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> Pakistan's only hope at building national unity is to work quickly to restore its people's confidence in the central government by accepting the reality that it is a diverse nation with ethnic and linguistic minorities existing within its borders. This includes recognizing that these indigenous populations have a right to fundamental freedoms, respect and dignity.