Who are Sindhi Hindus | My Wife's Story

This is my wife. In 2011, in my second year of college, we started dating. And in 2019, we got married.

Many times we discuss that it is very strange that we became a couple . . .

because we are so different. She likes to talk, but I don't talk much. My native language is Hindi.

In fact, until I went to college, my English wasn't that good. But her native language is Bahasa Indonesia. Why Indonesia?

Because about 80 years ago, her grandparents decided to move to a city in Indonesia from India. The city was called Surabaya. Her parents were born there, and so was she.

Shaneez is a Sindhi. This could be surprising for many because actually, a lot of Sindhis marry other Sindhis only. I'm not a Sindhi.

In fact, when we were dating, I used to worry that her parents might turn me down as I'm not a Sindhi. Sindhis can marry Punjabis. But I'm not a Punjabi.

But thankfully, I'm smart and good-looking enough. So her parents said yes. Now, there are many stereotypes about Sindhis.

On one side there's a snake, and on the other, there's a Sindhi kid. You know whom to hit first. About Sindhis, people say that if you kill a snake, you kill a stick.

. . and if you kill a Sindhi.

. . I don't know the exact idiom.

But the Sindhi community in India is like an ignored community. Because we know what happened to the Punjabis and Bengalis because of the partition. But we don't know what the Sindhi-Hindu community did to protect their culture.

And this culture is in danger. Samay Raina recently said a line about Kashmiri Pandits. "I feel like our [Kashmiri Pandit's] culture is dying.

" "Because my generation never really lived there. " You can say the same about the Sindhi-Hindus. That's why I decided to interview Shaneez.

But to understand Shaneez's full history, you need to understand her community's history. The history of the Sindhi-Hindus. This is Sindh, which is now a province in Pakistan.

In the West, there's Balochistan. In the North, there's Punjab. And in the North-East, there's India, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The word 'Sindh' comes from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which is also the name of the river in this area. The area that is now a province in Pakistan, there used to be an Indus civilization there. Its capital was Mohenjodaro, whose culture, trade, and political system is still being discussed today.

This land was so fertile that there was no shortage of food. Because of this, this area was invaded many times. When historians started digging in this area, they found out that there used to be many temples here.

And this shouldn't be surprising because for 2,000 years, a Hindu Rai dynasty ruled this area. Its last ruler was Raja Sahasi II. The king of this dynasty not only supported Hinduism, but also Buddhism.

That's why in the 7th century, there were three types of people in this area. Buddhists, Maha Kalia Hindus, who worshipped Mahakaal, and in the end, those who believe in the moon and the sun. For a long time, there was a feud political domination between Hindus and Buddhists.

And Al-Hajaj ibn Yusuf and his family took advantage of this feud. With an army of 20,000 soldiers, they invaded Sindh. Defeating the son of Raja Jahir Chach, they planted the flag of Islam in Sindh.

General Muhammad ibn Qasim became the king of this area. But during his rule, Qasim didn't interfere much in religion. But this soon changed.

When India was invaded by Turkish Muslims, Mahmud Ghazni and Muhammad Ghori, in the 10th century, In the 10th century, Makrabhan or Mirk Shah became the governor of the Thatta area of South Sindh. He started converting Hindus to Islam. Mirk Shah ruled with dictatorship.

One day, he announced that all Hindus had to accept Islam within 24 hours, or else they would be killed. All Hindus got scared and went to their minister, Ahirio, to extend the deadline to two weeks. Then all the Hindus went to the river Sindhu for their prayers.

They vowed that on the 7th day, they would throw their children into the river and on the 14th day, they would throw themselves. It was the 7th day. As soon as they were about to throw their children, Lord Sindhu appeared.

He said that before the time is up, he would be born as a child in the house of a gram-seller named Ratno and his wife Devki in Nasarpur. And what Lord Sindhu promised came true. On the 14th day, a child, Uderolal, is born.

He is called Jhulelal because of his swing. Jhulelal illuminates Mirk Shah about the importance of religion, and warns him that if he forcefully converted people, there will be a flood. That's why Sindhis believe that Jhulelal saved them from Mirk Shah.

In this society, Sindhi-Hindus are very influential. Traders, business owners, or Money lenders, especially in Karachi, Hyderabad, and Shikarpur, are mostly Sindhi Hindus. But after the arrival of Muslim rulers, several restrictions were put on Hindus.

For instance, they couldn't buy land or even ride horses. They only had permission to ride donkeys and camels. On one hand, Muslim rulers imposed restrictions on Hindus.

On the other hand, Hindu caste system imposed restrictions on many vulnerable people. That's why many farmers, workers, and labourers embraced Islam in the coming years. Despite these restrictions, the Muslim rules knew that to excel in economy and trade, Hindus were still needed.

That's why from the 15th to the 17th century, many Hindu traders flourished in the capital of South Sindh, Thatta. Since Hindus were mostly involved in trading, they had to go to different places and talk to different people. That's why this society wasn't just based on Hinduism, but on the values of many religions and communities.

Even today, you'll find Sindhi-Hindus who go to Gurudwara. In fact, even after my marriage, my wife's family took me to a Gurudwara in Surabaya, Indonesia. In fact, in the 19th century, British traveller Richard Burton said that Sindh is the most peaceful area in British India.

He said that Sindhi Muslims aren't like other Muslims, and Sindhi Hindus aren't like other Hindus. Sindhi Hindus could eat meat, drink alcohol, and leave the land without loosing their caste. Remember that in those days, many Hindus believed that if you leave the land and go on a ship, you're abandoning your caste.

Sindhi Hindus were basically a mix of three different cultures. Islam's Sufism, Hinduism, and Guru Nanak's Sikhism. Guru Nanak came to Sindh with his message.

After that, many Hindus of this area became Nanakpanthis, that is, followers of Guru Nanak. Along with this, Sufi saints came here in the 8th century. But the relationship between Hindus and Muslims in Sindh is going to change very soon.

In 1843, in the Battle of Miani the Bombay army of the East India Company defeated the Baloch army of Sindh. And now Sindh has the flag of the British. After this, the equation between Hindus and Muslims completely changes.

After the arrival of the British, Sindhi Hindus get many benefits. For example, it becomes easier for them to trade. After the 1880s, many Sindhi Hindus left India and went to Europe.

In the 20th century, these traders spread their operations to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Gibraltar in Spain. Because these people want to trade, they go to the cities where there's a port. These people left their region, but not their culture.

Here, the Sindhis build temples where they can do satsang and celebrate festivals. This is Divina, a Sindhi woman who grew up in Paraguay. She told me how Sindhi culture is being preserved in countries like Paraguay.

As Muslim ruled for centuries in Sindh, the Hindus didn't have any land. Instead, they traded. The land belonged to the Muslims.

Because of the revenue system of the British, they imposed heavy taxes on the landowners. This weakened the Muslim community. They also told the Sindhi Hindus that they could also own the land.

That's why, when the Hindus didn't have any land, suddenly, 23% of the population got almost half of the land. The taxes by the British led to the downfall of the Muslims. They didn't even adopt an education.

That's why the Sindhis, apart from landowners and traders, also became bureaucrats. That means they have money and power. And with this, tensions between Hindus and Muslims increased.

We get to see the outcome of this through the partition. "Independence hasn't yet brought them peace. " "Rejoicing turns quickly into horror and mourning.

" "Throughout this vast land, Hindus and Muslims seek safety in new surroundings. " The partition decision of 1947 was no less than an outbreak for the Sindhi Hindus. While Punjab and Bengal were divided, Sindh was given to Pakistan.

The societal tension brewing there for years, and bloodshed on Punjab and Bengal border. . .

the Hindus had to pay price for that. On 6th January, 1947, in the northern Sindh's Jacobabad area many threatening letters were thrown at 17 Hindu shops. Dr Gidwani, the President of Sindhi's Congress Committee questioned Muslim League's intentions.

He said that if 25% of the country's Muslims couldn't trust 65% of the country's non-Muslims and that's why they want their country, then how can 30% non-Muslims in Pakistan believe Mr Jinnah's words? Mr Gidwani's doubts were right. Gobind Malhi has his own office.

One day, a man comes there and tells him in Urdu to take Rs. 100 and give the key to the office to him. Mr Malhi says, 'I won't give you this office.

' 'Its furniture alone is worth Rs. 2000. ' The man says, 'take Rs.

500 and leave. ' Mr Malhi says, 'why? I'm a Pakistani.

' The man says, 'it's the Muslims who rule here, not the Pakistanis. ' Mr Malhi goes home, packs his bags, and leaves for Ahmedabad. In the coming days, a sign is placed in front of the Hindu house that it's a Hindu house.

The girls are told that if a Muslim man tries to enter the house, take your finger, put it in the electric socket, and switch it on so that you can commit su****e. If this didn't work, small packets of poison were distributed. A family leaves their home in Karachi without informing anyone.

The mother doesn't even have time to pack. She just picks up Jhulelal and says that they'll need him everywhere. "There was panic everywhere.

" "People started to tell each other that they needed to leave. " "So one by one, our Sindhi community left. " "Some left in a ship, some in a train.

" "We carried whatever we could. " This is Divina's grandfather, who was 5 years old when he came to Bombay from Karachi. "When I came from Karachi, I was 5 years old.

" The worst situation is that of the Dalits. There are around 2 lakh Dalits in Sindh at that time. They are Hindus, but because of their language, caste, class, and lifestyle, other Hindus don't even consider them Hindus.

They live in Karachi and usually clean the schools and hospitals. When the partition is announced, the Dalits want to leave Pakistan and come to India. Gandhiji even tries to help them.

But if the Dalits leave, who will clean Sindh? So the Sindh government announces that they won't let the essential workers leave. So while the upper-caste Hindus board a ship, the Dalits are trapped in Sindh.

Many Hindu families come to India to escape violence, hoping that one day they'll return. But the Sindh government announces that if these people don't return to their families within 2 weeks, their homes will be confiscated. The Sindhi-Hindu community gradually realizes that they've left their land, homes, and memories behind.

After the partition, at least 12-14 lakh Sindhi Hindus come to India. Many of them come to Bombay. During the British rule, the connection between Bombay and Sindhi was very strong.

So it was natural for many to come to Bombay. While others go to Rajasthan. These people are Hindus.

But after coming to India, they realize that they're being treated like refugees and outsiders. Many Sindhi-Hindus had three options. They could either live with their family and friends who were in India before the partition, or they could go to a refugee camp, or they could buy a house or live on rent.

Obviously, the first option is better for everyone. But they gradually realize that people don't want them to stay here for long. In a famous story, there's a discussion between Mohan and a refugee officer.

Officer tells Mohan that you Sindhis are neither Indians nor Pakistanis. You're just a refugee. You don't have a country or a home.

You're like a washerman's dog. You neither belong to the home nor the riverside. Mohan realizes that there's no place for Sindhi Hindus in this new India.

Because of thousands of years of history, these Hindus, who believe in Sufi saints and Guru Nanak, are not like other Hindus. These Hindus eat meat. Their language is written in an Arabic script.

Many Hindus in India don't eat meat and their language is written in Devanagari. But these people don't give up. They try to somehow adjust in society.

First of all, they stop using the Sindhi language. Gradually, in their homes, schools, and with their relatives, they use local language instead of Sindhi. Gradually, these people try to change their identity so that no one recognizes them.

After their language, they change their name. Sindhi names can be easily recognized because they end with -ani. Like Heeranandani.

Ani means 'belonging to the family of. ' So Heeranandani means belonging to Heeranand's family. My wife's surname is Mohinani It started once with Mohan's family.

And many Sindhis started changing their surname so that no one recognizes them. So Chandiramani became Chandi. Kewalramani became Keli.

Uttamchandani became Uttam. And Heeranandani became Heera. So many people tried their best to adjust in India.

But other people left India. And these Sindhis went to many countries like Nigeria, Spain, and Hong Kong. And many years before the partition, many Sindhis had settled in these countries.

After the partition, those Sindhis who came from Pakistan to India used these connections to leave India. "When I was in school getting education. .

. most my friends were children of professors. " "They were studious.

" "But I wished to go abroad. " "I moved to Spain at the age of 17. " "One of my brothers moved to Hong Kong.

" "And another one of my brothers managed my father's shop. " These old and new Sindhis made their communities in these countries. And they used many economic opportunities to expand their business.

For example, 50 years prior to independence, Sindhis came to the Gold Coast of Ghana where they used to sell household goods and textile. When Ghana became independent in 1957, their first leader made policies to industrialize Nigeria. The Sindhis saw an opportunity in these plans.

They then started building factories to manufacture items of daily necessities. Be it clothes, umbrellas, sunglasses, or suitcases. Some of these businesses were so successful that they became famous brands in Ghana.

One such famous company is Tolaram Group, which was started by Khanchand Vaswani in Indonesia. This multinational group now hires fresh graduates from Indian colleges to work in Africa. This was the story of the Sindhis who left India.

Those who stayed in India, if you had money, your situation was fine. But if you didn't have money or connections, your survival mode would get switched on. Many refugee camps were built for the Sindhis.

These camps became permanent colonies. Be it in Bombay's Kalyan, Chembur, or Thane, Ahmedabad's Kubernagar, Pune's Pimpri, or Bhopal's Bairagarh. Here, you'll find predominantly Sindhi populations.

Cities like Secunderabad have areas called Sindhi colonies. As I told you earlier, many Sindhis came to Bombay because they believed that their trading skills would be valued in Bombay. Mohan Shahani, who was only 19-year-old when he came to Mumbai from Karachi with his mother and three sisters.

He said that somehow, he found a home in South Bombay. Thanks to their hard work, many Sindhis were able to buy houses in areas like Colaba. Gradually, they built a community in Mumbai.

Even today, after Mahalakshmi Mandir, you'll find a Saad Belo Mandir that was built by the Sindhis. And because of the economic problems, things that were unthinkable in the society, are now happening in the Sindhi society. Women usually didn't work in their families.

But after the partition, women would make things like papad, pickle, bottle caps, soap, biscuits, and cardboard cartons so that the men of household could sell these things on trains and footpaths. Because it was a matter of survival. That's why the Sindhis would do something to earn money.

For example, at that time, every day, thousands of refugees would travel from Ulaas Nagar to Bombay to look for a job. That's why many Sindhis set up an illegal business where they'd give their monthly train pass on rent to these people. According to the last census, there are 27 lakh Sindhis in our country who you'll find mainly in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

Many Sindhi Hindus' economic situation has improved in our country. But their culture has changed, especially in the young generation. For example, Bhumika is a young Sindhi girl who doesn't talk to her parents in Sindhi.

She even told her parents not to speak in Sindhi. Whereas Deepak goes to a Gujarati medium school and bluntly says that he won't speak in Sindhi. Deepak says that people in his college believe that Sindhis are weird people.

They're dirty, they eat meat, and their house stinks. So the stereotype that his grandparents had faced during the partition, he tolerates in his school today. Preeti is called a miser, and jokes are made about Sindhis' big noses because they breathe free air.

Or Sindhis wear shiny materials to show off their money. If Sindhi Hindus in India are afraid of losing their culture, Sindhi Hindus in Pakistan are afraid of losing their lives. "We want to live and die here.

" When Pakistan became independent, there were around 21% Hindus. Today, this number is 1. 9%.

And there are 40 lakh Hindus, out of which 15 lakh live in Sindh. And violence against them is common. "A labourer who was targeted in the Hyderabad region of Sindh in Pakistan.

" "And this is over a false case, an accused alleged case of blasphemy. " The situation of many Hindu girls is worse because they're either forced to convert or kidnapped. "This is the Gurzar Khalili Madarssa in Samaroh.

" "Here, several Hindus are converted to Muslims every year. " "Last year, this figure was 192. " Many Pakistani Hindus have left Pakistan and come to India.

But many don't want to come because their home is in Pakistan. And we should also remember that most Hindus in Pakistan are scheduled castes. They work as labourers for their rich landlords.

And Shaneez wanted to know more about her identity. So she went to Pakistan 2 years ago. And she got both positives and negatives.

But on the negative side, the Sindhi culture that was in her mind doesn't exist in Pakistan. But not everything is so negative. Many people are trying to save Sindhi culture.

The culture is being preserved through recepies from one generation to the next generation. "Rich Sindhis like Harish Fabiani has built a huge Julelal temple in Gujarat. Dirven from Thane's Ullas Nagar talks about his culture in his YouTube videos.

Because of his videos, many people now know Sindhi words. Divina was born in Paraguay. But she was able to connect with her culture and identity when she came to Mumbai to learn Yoga.

So no matter how many challenges there are, the Sindhi community never stops. But Shaneez said something interesting. Many communities have a home.

But when you ask a Sindhi where their home is, they might not be able to answer. They built a home wherever they found opportunities. And this is the beauty of their culture.

And I am proud to be a part of the culture now.