Official though, Diwali celebrations this year are going to cost the minority Hindus in PPP-dominated Sindh province the safety of their worship places.
Having declared Thursday’s (today) yearly festival an official affair, the cash-strapped Sindh government is all set to divert the funds budgeted in FY15 for the maintenance of Hindu temples to the head of controversial Financial Assistance (FA).
While detractors of the People’s Party categorise the distribution of cash as a political bribe to strengthen its vote bank in the impoverished interior of Sindh, those approving it dub it a targeted monetary assistance that the provincial government extends to the have-nots among minority members on humanitarian grounds.
Reacting strongly to the government’s funds adjustment plan, the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) has warned that any such thing would be unacceptable to the minority members.
The move, PHC patron-in-chief Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani said, would risk the maintenance of at least 1,200 temples across Sindh.
“This is absolutely wrong and unacceptable,” said Dr Ramesh, also a PML-N MNA from Sindh.
Ironically, the Sindh government, under the head of FA, distributes every year only 5,000 cheques, each of Rs 5,000 value, among what Dr Ramesh said more than seven million Sindhi Hindus on Diwali occasion.
“Of this total, at least five million Hindus are poor while 2.5 million are living below the poverty line,” the PHC leader added. In monetary terms, the 5,000 cheques amounting to Rs 25 million constitutes part of the total Rs 75 million the Sindh government has earmarked for minority welfare in FY15 budget.
“The allocated money is to be used under four heads: medical, dowry, scholarships and FA,” MY Bhatti, a staff officer at minority affairs department, told Pakistan Today.
On Tuesday, this scribe saw dozens of Hindus, mostly females, agitating at the minority affairs department for the clerk inside had denied them the “cheque”.
Kamla, Soni, Kishory, Shanti, Dhani Bai and Ramchand were holding the photocopies of the CNICs and complaining against the clerks inside. “We have been visiting this place for last 10 days but to no avail,” said Kamla, a fruit vendor at Anarkali Chawk.
The 54-year-old from Khameso Goth of New Karachi claims to have received not even a single penny for last four years on Diwalis. Ramchand, a polio victim from Liaquatabad, was dragging on the tiled floor of the provincial department hoping to have the much-desired “cheque”. “I would use this money for buying medicine and some Diwali stuff for kids,” said the 47-year-old.
While some present there claimed to have received no cheque from the government, others blamed the corrupt officials in their respective town offices for having embezzled their money.
“The minister (Gianchand Esrani) has no money in his account,” a lady clerk told this reporter, seeking anonymity. Visibly displeased with the crowd, she said the government could only give assistance to the deserving ones. MNA Dr Ramesh, however, wanted the provincial government to increase the number of cheques to 25,000.
Bhatti said the government had distributed 5,000 cheques last year and the same would be given away this year.
“To cater more people we are diverting the temples’ maintenance fund to the FA one,” said the staff officer showing to this scribe a summary waiting on his table for Minister Giyanchand Esrani’s approval.
The FA, he said, was being distributed on quarterly basis on the recommendation of 13-member Sindh Non-Muslim Welfare Committee (SNMWC).
Comprising of senators, MNAs, MPAs and “area notables”, the committee is also mulling to divert the 60 per cent development fund (of Rs 75m) to the Diwali assistance fund.
“This would double the FA amount,” he said. PHC official, MNA Dr Ramesh, however, was outright in rejecting any move risking the safety of Hindu temples. “We won’t compromise on it. The maintenance expenditure must be used for the maintenance of temples,” the PML-N leader warned.
Dr Ramesh was critical of the elected leaders of Hindu minority saying “they are party’s and not minority representatives who are only interested in opening new wine shops”.
Asked if the FA was a sort of political bribe, Bhatti was quick to put a finger at the federal government which, he said, was also giving assistance to minorities through “open cheques”.
About the protesters outside, the official claimed, most of them were brought by the corrupt people who would embezzle part of their FA amount, if received.
