Page 53 - English Tehelka Issue 7 - April 15, 2018

column foreign affairs

How two Pak women is remarkable. She provided enough

proof of having leadership qualities
senators create history of a high order during her tenures
as a minister and an ambassador.
She is considered a great asset for
her party.
Pakistan recently made history by electing its first woman Leader of Asserting that the PPP would
ASIAN DRAMA Opposition and a former Hindu woman bonded labour to its Senate. be making history again, party
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
Syed Theirs are nonetheless stories of inspiration for the world said while congratulating Sherry
Rehman on her victory, „Election
NooruzzamaN of Sherry Rehman as the Leader
wo women who got elected make a mark as a human rights activist, of Opposition in the Senate was in
to the Pakistan Senate last helping the uneducated, poverty- line with the PPP’s inherited policy
The columnist — former month have created his- stricken and marginalised people living of empowerment of women and
Deputy Editor of The tory in their own way. One, in remote areas in Tharparkar. Now 38 providing them equal opportunities
Tribune, Chandigarh — Krishna Kumari, is a former and a household name in Tharparkar, to play their role in every sphere of
specialises in foreign T bonded labour and the sec- Krishna has launched a drive to ensure life.»
affairs. With a career ond Hindu woman senator (after Ratna that there is no bonded labour in her Born on December 21, 1960, in
spanning 41 years, he Bhagwandas Chawla), and the other is area and no woman gets exploited. But Karachi, she did her graduation
keeps close watch on an accomplished political figure, Sherry her mission is a very challenging one as • Trendsetter Krishna Kumari’s story is who stood solidly behind Benazir at Smith College there and post-
issues related to South Rehman, who has become the first her drive involves taking on the power- mentioned the case of one of the re- graduation in art history from the
Asian countries. The woman Leader of Opposition in that ful landlords. an extraordinary case of achievement by vered wives of Prophet Muhammad, University of Sussex in the UK.
views expressed are country’s Senate. Incidentally, both are Sindh is well known for a cultural a backward class woman Hazrat Aisha, who headed an Her candidature was challenged
personal Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders. practice called “vani” which involves army ready for a fight against armed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf
Krishna’s story is an extraordinary teenage or ever younger girls getting ing her mission is. But she does not forces led by her own son-in-law (PTI) party, headed by cricketer-
case of achievement by a backward married off forcibly by an informal seem to be scared. and the fourth Caliph of Islam, Haz- turned politician Imran Khan,
class woman, who initially appeared to social court with a view to punishing rat Ali, owing to some misunder- which fielded its own candidate for
be destined to live a life of a wretched an entire family if any male member Sherry Rehman standing caused after the murder the Opposition leader’s position
person. Now a popular human rights is found to have been involved in an An accomplished politician and of the third Great Caliph of Islam, in the Upper House of Pakistan’s
activist, she, along with her other family incident of crime. In such a situation, no senior leader of the PPP, Sherry Hazrat Usman. That the issue was Parliament. The PTI made consider-
members, was sold to a landlord to work one can muster courage to question the Rehman has added a new feather resolved without the two sides get- able efforts to get the PPP candidate
as a bonded labour. She was hardly a socially sanctioned system though it is to her cap by acquiring the status of ting involved in an armed conflict is defeated in the race for the Sen-
10-year-old child at that time. But luck clearly an illegal activity. the first woman Leader of Opposi- a different matter. ate’s top position but in vain. PTI
began to smile on her when her entire According to media reports, Krish- tion in her country’s Senate. Her Coming back to the case of Sher- leaders met the Muttahida Qaumi
family was freed from the clutches of na’s brother, Veerji Kohli, who too has own party leader, the late Benazir ry Rehman, her political journey to Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and
the landlord during a raid in the Thar- been a human rights activist, is in jail for Bhutto, had a similar distinction become the first woman Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami representatives
parkar desert area in Sindh’s Umerkot having launched a movement against of being the first woman Leader of Opposition in the Pakistani Senate besides senators from the Federally
district to punish people who kept the illegal practice of bonded labour. His Opposition in Pakistan’s National Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in
bonded labour. activism led to many victims of bonded Assembly (Parliament). However, this regard but without success.
Born in a family belonging to the labour getting freedom from their tor- Benazir’s case was different in the A former journalist and human
Kohli community, she got admission mentors — all powerful landlords. But sense that she also headed the party Both women rights activist, Sherry joined Herald
in a school where she would get much these powerful land sharks ultimately founded by her illustrious father, magazine as its Editor in 1988 and
respect from her teachers owing to be- got Veerji implicated in false cases, re- Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. senators belong remained associated with it till 1999.
ing a brilliant student. Her parents, how- sulting in his conviction by a court and Of course, the achievement of to the Pakistan In 2002, she was elected to the Na-
ever, got her married when she was just getting jailed. Sherry Rahman (real name Shehr- tional Assembly of Pakistan. She got
in the ninth class (hardly 16-years-old). Among Veerji’s supporters are Oscar- bano Rahman) is nothing compared People’s Party opportunities to work closely with
But her early marriage did not come in winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid to that of Benazir, whose rise to the (PPP) that gave Benazir Bhutto.
her way of acquiring as much education Chinoy and prominent human rights position of Prime Minister led to a Sherry is one of the 20 women
as possible. Her husband supported her activist Jibran Nasir, and they have major controversy. Some religious the Islamic nation lawmakers in the 104-member Sen-
at every stage in her pursuit of higher alleged that Veerji has been punished diehards raised a sensitive question: its first and only ate of Pakistan. Highly respected for
education. for helping the poor in escaping the How could a woman be accepted her intellectual capabilities, she has
Krishna continued her education till clutches of the powerful landlords. as the Head of Government in the woman Prime brighter future ahead.
she became a postgraduate in sociology. The treatment meted out to Krishna’s Islamic Republic of Pakistan? The
A public-spirited person, she decided to brother clearly indicates how challeng- controversy died down when those Minister so far letters@tehelka.com

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