Pakistan is all set to have Hindu woman among its lawmakers next month. Krishna Kumari, is contesting on opposition Pakistan People’s Party(PPP) in the election scheduled to be held on March 3 for the upper house of the parliament. If elected, Krishna Kumari will become the first Hindu woman lawmaker since 1947 when Pakistan came into existence following the bifurcation of India. Party spokesperson Nasir Shah told media that his party had asked all lawmaker to vote for Krishna Kumari,w ho comes from a economically deprived family from Nagarparkar village in Sindh Province. He win looks certain as PPP is largest party in Sindh Assembly. Her election will end her long journey from slavery to Senate. Interestingly she, a dalit woman, is nominated from a general seat while Imran Khan of PTI has fielded Pro-Taliban Mulla Sami Ul Haq.
She is Kolhi (Dalit community) woman from the family of freedom fighter Rooplo Kolhi, who participated in the famous mutiny of 1857 to attack Sindh. Rooplo is revered as hero of Sindh.(below Krishna Kumar with her father)
Like in India, parties in Pakistan nominate wealthy or influential people for the Senate. Much to the surprise of many, Kumari was picked by PPP. Kumari said she had never dared dream of becoming a lawmaker. She said she was grateful to her party of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Narrating about her family background, Kumari said she faced slave-like situation during her childhood in remove village near Nagarparkar, Thar Sindh, where she worked as a farm labourer and faced abuses at the hands of her landlord. She is upbeat that she will be rubbing shoulders with powerful landowners of Pakistan once she enters the upper house.
Despite their poverty, her parents encouraged her education and she got a university degree. Krishna Kumari first worked as social worker campaigning among the poor on the importance of education. She later joined the PPP along with brother.