Millions of Hindus make up Pakistan's largest non Muslim minority, almost all of whom are underprivileged and live in the province of Sindh. They are treated as second-class citizens and are systematically discriminated in every aspect of life. Hindu women in Pakistan face double discrimination, most notably through forced conversions. These conversions often involve abduction, kidnapping, rape, and forceful marriages. However, many people often see forced conversion as the end goal but in fact, cases of forced conversions are rarely motivated by religious zeal and are instead a consequence of the commodification of and denial of agency to women in a deeply rigid patriarchal society. In today's episode, we sit with Dr. Jürgen Schaflechner, author of 'Hinglaj Devi: Identity, Change, and Solidification at a Hindu Temple in Pakistan' and look at the different beliefs and practices of Hindus in today's Islamic Republic of Pakistan while depicting the complexities behind forced conversions as well as highlighting the economic, social, and political realities of many Pakistani-Hindu women.
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EP 66: Pakistani Hindus