Humans Of Coffee World

Minority Report

So a couple of weeks ago, I went on a Travel Journalism tour as part of a college society event I helped organize. (Director Creatives yo. Not to brag, but I had a laminated name tag and Everything. 😎 #Perks)

We visited Churches, a couple of big Hindu Mandirs, one of which was attached to a Sikh Gurdwara, while on a Photo walk with the dude who runs the 'Humans Of Pakistan' page. He taught us how to capture stories that resonate. Definitely a unique experience!

Cool story #1:
The Shriswami Narayan Mandir in Karachi is the biggest Hindu temple of Pakistan, and sits right next to this Sikh worship place. I love that the minorities in Muslim majority Pakistan are so supportive of each other. The second Hindu temple we visited was financially supported by the Parsi community! How awesome is that!??

Then we visited this really poor, colony with a mixed population of Christian, Sikh, and Hindu people.

Majority of our student group were Muslims. In fact, the group was a statistically appropriate representation of Pakistan itself. A mixture of Muslims of different sects, a couple of Christians, and a Hindu.

In spite of the poverty, and the obviousness of our differences, we were eagerly welcomed into the dozens of tiny temples, and gurdwaras and churches dotting the colony. The locals eagerly became our guides. Occasionally, busybody ladies swathed in saris, would lean over their grimy, close-fitted balconies and direct us to visit a particular home-temple or community center!

I saw a bright red 'Merrey Chrismass' (misspelled) painted on the walls of a tiny home-hosted hindu Mandir/temple. Such diversity and acceptance! It awed me.

It was nuts in the colony, where we met this cute looking puppy who wagged his tail when I took his picture, but started growling when my friend said "Hiii!" 😂 LOL.

Cool Story #2:
So we were walking around this slummish colony as small groups. We spoke to the residents, took pictures etc. Then after one church visit, I noticed that a couple of my male friends wouldn't leave our side, which irked me, because I was kinda in my own wannabe photographer zone where I want to absorb the new experiences by myself.

Me *in my mind*: This place is so great, even though it smells like cow poop. Omg. The people are so hospitable, and generous with their worship places, and omg, I should totally organize more such travel days so we get to learn about the diversity in our very own city blah blah...

But then, as soon as our guide moved out of earshot, this one friend says to me in an undertone;

Dude: "The guide just told us (the guys) that this place is famous for..." *Mimes swinging his arm in a weird arc*

Me: *Blinks* "Cricket?"

Dude *smirks*: "Groping, E. This area is famous for ladies getting groped and harassed openly. They haven't made moves on you girls yet, because you're with us."

Me: *Speechless and scared out of my mind*

Dude: "...hmm the name of this place is in Sanskrit. *Tells me an unpronounceable name*..."

Me: "Does it mean groper in Sanskrit?"

Dude: "No actually it was named after a Sikh guru...."

So yeah. Do not recommend solo travels around these parts, girls. *sigh* sometimes I just want to move the male population to another distant planet you know?... Smh.

....

So one thing that was repeatedly obvious to me during this trip; minorities in Pakistan don't feel all that safe.