Exclusivism of the 1980s in Sindh: An Historical Perspective

Abstract

Sindh was a homogenous province before the creation of Pakistan. After independence it absorbed large number of immigrant population from India and, subsequently, has been attracting people from different parts of the country. After giving a brief history of Sindh, the article looks at the evolution of ethnic heterogeneity of the province and the policy of the state in this respect. While critically examining the politicization of ethnic issue in the province, during different periods of military and civilian rule, the article focuses on the emergence of ethnic polarity in Sindh in the 1980s that paved the way for ethnic violence which has become the norm since then. It also covers attempts of the civilian government, in the late 1980s, to address this ethnic strife. ______