Kolhi

Not to be confused with fellow " Kohli " Punjabi Community Kohli

Kolhi (Sindhi: ڪولهي (Perso-Arabic), कोल्ही (Devanagari)) is a Sindhi tribe native to Sindh, Pakistan. There are Muslim and Hindu/Dalit Kolhis. They are a branch of the larger Koli community found in west India.

History

Kolhis are descendants of the hunting and gathering population once subsisted on Thar's abundant fauna, fruit and wild products such as honey. They are now the poorest of the poor and least established and uneducated.

During General Ziaul Haq period one of the Kolhi was elected as Member of National Assembly.Teekam Das Kolhi was elected MPA in Sindh Assembly through direct votes on a reserved seat for Minorities.

Kolhis are the most affected Dalit/Scheduled Community in Pakistan's Sindh province and they are taken as bonded labour easily by the landlords. Suicide ratio among Kolhi community is the worst in entire Pakistan. Though, they are Dalits but the politicians pampered and buttered by Upper Caste Hindus count them as Hindus just for the sake of showing majority and winning the political seats.

Rooplo Kolhi is known in the history as warrior, who fought against the Britishers in Tharparkar District. Rooplo along with his companions was hanged by the Britishers near Nagarparkar.

Distribution

This tribe is mainly settled in Tharparkar District, near Karoonjhar Mountains range. Due to drought many of them have migrated to other parts of Sindh province and settled there. These areas included Mirpurkhas, Badin, Umerkot, Sanghar, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan and Hyderabad districts.

Due to poverty some of them were trapped in bonded labour, basically as hard working agriculturists.

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See also