Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has said that Pakistan’s Sindh province will always be a part of India in terms of civilization.Image Credit source: Getty Images
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has said that today the land of Sindh may not be a part of India, but in terms of civilization it will always be a part of India. As far as land is concerned, who knows when the boundary may change? At the Sindhi conference in Delhi, the Defense Minister also mentioned senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani that he has written in one of his books that Sindhi Hindus, especially people of his generation, still do not consider Sindh as separate from India.
Pakistan is shocked after this statement. On this pretext, let us know how Sindh province of Pakistan became the stronghold of Sindhi community? What are the five major features of Sindh?
citadel of sindhis
In fact, Sindh province of Pakistan did not become the stronghold of Sindhis in a day or suddenly, rather it has always been the stronghold of Sindhis. Only the people living in Sindh province have been called Sindhi, who have their own ancient civilization, culture and language. The history of Sindh is as ancient as the Indus Valley civilization. Indus Valley Civilization i.e. areas like Mohenjodaro, Harappa and Kot Diji where urban culture developed in a planned manner about 4500 years ago. This area on the banks of Indus river is called Sindh.
Market of Karachi, Sindh province. Photo: Adsiz Gunebakan/Anadolu via Getty Images
The people living in this Sindh were called Sindhi and from this words like Hind, Hindi and Hindustan were formed. Actually, ‘sa’ is pronounced ‘ha’ in Persian. That is why the Persians called Sindh as Hind and the people living here were called Hindus and hence the word Hindustan was formed. That means Sindh has a direct connection with India. Or we can say that Sindh is actually the basic identity of India, where the Indus Valley Civilization, one of the oldest civilizations in the world, developed.
Became part of Pakistan after partition
When the British partitioned India in 1947, Sindh province went to Pakistan. After this, a large number of people from Sindh province, especially Hindus, came to India. At the same time, a large number of Muslims from here settled in Sindh, Pakistan. Sindhis are the original inhabitants of this Sindh province of Pakistan. Their language is also called Sindhi. The people of this extremely hardworking community have always been known for commerce and trade. However, Sindh province, which was always known for progress and prosperity, started sinking into the quagmire of poverty after partition. Pakistani rulers started discriminating against this province. Sindhis consider themselves the original inhabitants, whereas the Muslims who came from India came to be called Muhajirs there. The development of this area was also affected by this. Despite all this, all the qualities of Sindh province still remain intact.
Shahjahan Mosque built in Thatta city of Sindh province of Pakistan. Photo: Adsiz Gunebakan/Anadolu via Getty Images
5 major features of Sindh province of Pakistan
1- Development of Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world’s oldest civilizations, developed in the Sindh region. Apart from civilization, it is also an ancient center of trade and maritime contacts. It is here that examples of Sufi tradition and Hindu-Muslim social harmony can be seen. Even today, it is a big center of entrepreneurship as well as writing and art.
2- Third largest province of Pakistan
Sindh province is today the third largest state of Pakistan. Its capital is Karachi, which is a city famous throughout the world. Apart from Urdu, Sindhi and English are also spoken in this province. Karachi is actually the most populous city of Pakistan and its population is said to be more than 15 million.
3- Major economic center of Pakistan
Sindh province of Pakistan is actually the major economic and financial center there. Apart from Karachi, there are cities like Sukkar, Larkana and Hyderabad in this province. Pakistan’s largest port and airport is located in Karachi city of Sindh.
Karachi, city of Sindh province. Photo: Adsiz Gunebakan/Anadolu via Getty Images
4- Cultural heritage of Sindhi community
Sindhis not only came to India after migrating from Sindh during partition, but have spread all over the world on the strength of their entrepreneurship. For the migrant Sindhis, Sindh province is no less than a cultural heritage. This is a major chapter of the multicultural identity of the Indian subcontinent. The Sindhi community living in India has also kept alive their language, culture and traditions related to Sindh. The Sindhis here also feel deeply connected to the soil of Sindh province. Wherever Sindhis live, they keep the language, schools and culture of Sindh alive.
5- Gateway to Islam
Sindh province of Pakistan is called the gateway of Islam i.e. Bab-ul-Islam in South Asia. Islam first spread in South Asia from this region. The deep influence of Sufi doctrine is visible in its own distinct culture and traditions. Personalities like Jhulelal and Raja Dahir are the identity of the culture here.
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