Umerkot: Pakistan's only Hindu-majority district with deprivation camps

 "They come at the time of election and say, 'Let's go, Baba, let's go to vote,' then they put their thumbs up and show their thumbs.

Winni Odd, 70, lives in Goth Ramji Odd, Umerkot, where basic amenities like drinking water are not available. There is no school or health center in the vicinity of this goth. Winnie the Pooh says elected representatives do not even consider coming here after receiving votes in the election.

According to the results of the recent census in Pakistan, the Hindu population is in the majority in Umerkot district. In Umerkot district with a population of 1.073 million, the Hindu population is about 52%, yet no Hindu MPA from this district has been elected in the elected houses.

Where is Umerkot?

Umerkot is located at a distance of about 325 km from Karachi. The birth of Emperor Akbar, the founder of the Mughal Empire and the folklore of Sindh Omar Marvi was also born here.

Umerkot province was ruled by the Sodha Rajput clan of Hindu Rajputs during the medieval time period.[4] Rana Parshad, the Sodha Rajput ruler of Umarkot, gave him refuge. Later on, Akbar brought northwestern India, including modern day Pakistan under Mughal rule.

After the disintegration of the Mughal empire, Umerkot was captured by several regional powers including the Perisans, Afghans, Kalhora and Talpura Baloche's of Sindh, Rathore Rajputs of Jodhpur and finally by the British.

Umerkot was annexed by Jodhpur State in 1779 from the Kalhora Nawab of Sindh Umerkot and its fort was later handed to the British in 1847 by the Maharaja of Jodhpur in return for reducing the tribute imposed on Jodhpur State by Rs.10,000.

Its ruler Rana Ratan Singh was hanged by the British at this fort for standing up for the rights of the Sindhis. Rana Chandra Singh, a federal minister and the chieftain of the Hindu Sodha Thakur Rajput clan and the Umerkot Jagir, was one of the founder members of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan from Umarkot, seven times with PPP between 1977 and 1999, when he founded the Pakistan Hindu Party (PHP).Currently, his politician son Rana Hamir Singh is the 26th Rana of Tharparkar, Umarkot and Mithi.

Economy of Umerkot

Prem Sagar is a former president of the local vegetable market and works as a middleman. His forefathers have also been associated with this profession. Before the formation of Pakistan, only the Malhi community worked as middlemen, but later other communities joined the business.

Prem Sagar says that even today 80% of the shops in this area belong to the Hindu community while 20% are Muslims. Most of the vegetables are grown here while the fruit comes from other parts of the country.

Umerkot's economy is entirely dependent on agriculture. The majority of the landlords are Muslims while the farmers belong to 80% Hindu Dalit community. The majority of shopkeepers in the cities are upper caste Hindus, who have