Why create problems when we live in peace: Marathi-speaking community from Karachi to Shiv Sena

A small group of Maharashtrians, from a place the Shiv Sena hates, has a question to the party: Why create problems when we live in peace here?

"We are Maharashtrians, Hindus and Pakistani citizens," said the Marathi-speaking people interviewed by dna.

In Karachi, there are a little over 100 Marathi-speaking families with around 500 members, who trace their roots to Maharashtra. One of the last remnants of Marathi history in Karachi is the 160-year-old Narayan Jagannath High School, the first government school to be established in Sindh.

As many as 25,000 Marathi-speaking people lived in Karachi before Independence. Today, only a handful of families are there. Though Pakistani citizens, they are fiercely proud of their roots, culture and traditions.

Ask 42-year-old Sujata Jadhav. Three decades ago, she moved to Karachi as a young bride from Pimpri near Pune after completing her class 10. She chose to continue her life as a Maharashtrian. "When the sound for azaan comes in the evening from the nearby mosque, we begin our aarti for Navratri,'' she tells dna on phone.

In an attempt to exhibit to ally BJP its influence as a Hindu right-wing party, the Shiv Sena in the last fortnight revived its decade-old anti-Pakistan stance, targeting artistes, sportspersons and writers from that country.

On Wednesday, senior leader and state environment minister Ramdas Kadam even asked those opposed to Sena's stance to go to Pakistan.

Vishal Rajput, a Pakistani citizen and member of the Shri Maharashtra Punchayat, Karachi, rued the current state of affairs. Rajput, whose relatives from his mother's side are spread from Ulhasnagar to Pune, said protests like the current ones by the Sena spread hatred.

Despite being a minority community, Maharashtrians have always received full support from the Pakistan government to celebrate Ganpati festival, carry out processions and even refurbish temples. "In fact, Muslim families participate in our celebrations and festivals,'' he said.

In Pakistan, fringe Islamist groups consider idol-worshippers as infidels and, hence, a target for persecution. In the last decade, Pakistan has seen an increase in sectarian violence where Christian, Shia Muslim and Hindu minorities have been slayed.

Hindus constitute a little over 1% of Pakistan's population. Minorities are discriminated against economically, socially and politically. It is hard for Hindus to get government jobs despite a 5% reservation, let alone aiming for promotions.

Those from the economically backward class in Sindh and around live in the fear of forced religious conversions and marriages, abductions for ransom and rape. Since partition, many Hindus have returned to India and many more continue to flee on the pretext of pilgrimage and live as refugees in Rajasthan, Delhi and other areas.

But the Marathi-speaking community has come to terms with living in an Islamic country. However, they say, when it comes to religious freedom, they never faced any hurdles from their Muslim neighbours or even the state.

Suresh Kamble (name changed), another Marathi-speaking resident of Karachi, doesn't recall from which part of Maharashtra his family originally hailed. "From the beginning, we are Pakistanis -- me, my parents and my ancestors,'' he says in broken Marathi, adding, "We belong here and there has never been any problem as far as our freedom was concerned."

Rajput, who runs a popular page of the Maharashtrian community on Facebook, said the government should take full responsibility to control incidents like Sena's opposition to Pakistan. "Tomorrow, if we want to come back, we should be allowed to and not opposed.''

Jadhav, who has come to Maharashtra four times since her marriage, says she has never been targeted for being a Pakistani citizen. "Why should I when I have a valid visa? People who come on a passport and official visa entry from Pakistan should be considered as guests,'' she stresses.

Delhi-based Sena leader Mangat Ram Munde, who was responsible for digging the Ferozhshah Kotla stadium during the India-Pakistan match in 1999 and also for several other protests in the national capital, said the protests against Pakistanis would continue.

"Hindus are living in a bad state in Pakistan. If they want to come back, we will welcome them. But we will not let any artiste or other Pakistanis to come to India. Those who have relatives here are welcome to come, not others,'' he said.

But the Sena, the party that projects itself to be the saviour of the Marathis, must pay heed to the concern of Rajput: "We hope such events don't have any repercussion on our community in Karachi.''

Hope the Thackerays and Kadams will listen to fellow Marathis' concern, even if it is from across the border.