Key member of community demands separate state for Sindhis

MUMBAI: Ram Buxani, Dubai-based non-resident Indian and a prominent member of Sindhi community has demanded a separate Sindhi linguistic state for Sindhis who he said had became landless after partition in 1947.

Such demand comes in the wake of fears expressed by the community brethren that in the absence of a separate state, the Sindhis have no identity of their own, said Buxani.

The social thinker appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider creating a separate linguistic state for Sindhis so that the community can boast proudly that they have a land of their own in India.

Sindhis are inheritors of the 7000-year-old civilisation of Mohen-jo-daro and are on the verge of facing extinction as they do not have a state and a separate identity, Buxani, who was on a visit to the city recently, said.

Justifying the need for a separate linguistic state, he said "there are areas in Rajasthan and Kutch (Gujarat) in India where even today people speak in Sindhi language and thrive in the same culture which prevailed in Sindh before partition."

He further said, "While a portion of Punjab and Bengal was included in Independent India during the partition of undivided India, the entire Sindh was merged with Pakistan. As a result, Sindhi Hindus were driven away from their homes and came to India as refugees where they began their livelihood afresh."

Buxani migrated to Dubai 50 years ago and rose to become the Chairman of ITL Cosmos Group, a 60-year-old conglomerate.

"Sindhis also migrated to various countries. Today, there are more than 14 million Sindhis scattered across the globe. Although they have earned enough money with a dint of hard work and sharp business acumen, they do not have a land of their own," he said.

Buxani said the Sindh linguistic territory within the existing boundaries of India consist of princely state of Kutch, Jaiselmer, Barmer, Jalore and other towns bordering Tharparkar and Kutch.

'Kutchchi' which is spoken in Kutch and nearby towns is a dialect of Sindhi language. In the princely state of Jaiselmer in Rajasthan, 'Dhakti' is spoken which is also a Sindhi dialect. Similarly, in Barmer, Jalore and other towns close to Tharparkar and Kutch, 'Thali' and 'Thareli' is spoken which too is a dialect of Sindhi language, he said.