Kirshna Kumari Kohli Could Be Pakistan’s First Dalit Woman Senator

The Senate elections will take place on 3 March.

Kirshna Kumari Kolhi is from Thar in Pakistan’s Sindh province.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Ayaz Buriro)

If elected, Kirshna Kumari Kolhi from Thar in Pakistan's Sindh province will make history by becoming the first-ever Dalit woman Senator in Pakistan.

Thirty-nine-year-old Kolhi has been nominated for a Senate seat on minority from Sindh Assembly by the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP). The Election Commission of Pakistan has accepted her papers.

Kolhi will be the first-ever Dalit woman in Pakistan who becomes a Senator.

PPP spokesman, in a statement

The election will take place on 3 March.

Kolhi's caste is mentioned at no 23 in the Pakistani Schedule Castes Ordinance-1957.

Not a First for PPP to Make History

The honour to nominate the first-ever non-Muslim Senator is enjoyed by the PPP, which elected a Dalit, Dr Khatumal Jeewan, as Senator in 2009 on a general seat. Likewise, Engineer Gianchand is the second Dalit to be elected as Senator in 2015 by the PPP – again on a general seat.

PPP spokesman

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led PPP also nominated and got elected Hariram Kishorilal as Senator on seat reserved for non-Muslims from Sindh in 2012.

With the election of Kolhi and Anwar Laldean, a Christian worker of the party, the number of non-Muslims elected so far as Senators by the PPP would grow to six, an unmatched representation in the Upper House for minorities by any other political party in the 70-year history of Pakistan.

PPP spokesman

Troubled Childhood

Kolhi belongs to a remote village in Nagarparkar district of Thar in Sindh province.

Born to a poor peasant, Jugno Kolhi, in February 1979, Kolhi and her family members spent nearly three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district. She was a grade 3 student at the time when she was held as a bonded labour, according to Samaa TV.

She is from the family of the valiant freedom fighter Rooplo Kolhi, who had waged a war against the invading British colonialist forces when they had attacked Sindh from Nagarparkar side in 1857. Subsequently, he was arrested and hanged by the Britishers on 22 August 1858.

Kolhi was married to Lalchand, a student of the Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, at the age of 16, when she was studying in grade 9. However, she did not give up her studies. In 2013, Kolhi did masters in sociology from the Sindh University.

The Beginning of Her Career

During her years of activism – starting 2005 – Kolhi organised workshops and seminars on human and women’s rights issues, including bonded labour and sexual harassment at workplace. She even wrote about these issues in newspapers.

She had joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother, who was later elected as Chairman of Union Council Berano. Kolhi also actively participated and worked for the rights of downtrodden people of marginalised communities living in Thar and other areas.

(With inputs from PTI and Samaa.tv)