Who is Krishna Kohli, Pakistan's first-ever Dalit senator?

Kumari Kohli has became the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman to be elected to Pakistan's Senate. Photo Courtesy: Twitter

Rights activist Krishna Kumari Kohli has became the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman to be elected to Pakistan's Senate. The 39-year-old Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader from a village in Tharparkar is also the first-ever senator from a scheduled caste.

Kumari's rise, however, wasn't easy. Born to a poor family in February 1979, she belongs to the Kohli community. She hails from Nagarparkar where women are still deprived of basic facilities. She battled hunger and poverty as a child and was also a victim of bonded labour.

Krishna Kumari Kohli from Sindh has become the first ever Hindu Dalit woman to be elected to the upper house of Pakistan’s Parliament the 'Senate'. #Democracy #Equality #Feminism #Diversity #Dalit #DiversityandInclusion #SenateElections2018 #Senate #Pakistan #EmergingPakistan pic.twitter.com/RxyGkLij5f

— Emerging Pakistan (@dev9_) March 4, 2018

"We didn't have electricity so I used to study under the light of an oil lantern," she said in an interview from Geo TV.According to Dawn news, when Kumari was in class III, she and her family were confined to a private jail for nearly three years. The jail was allegedly owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district.

#PPP raising dashed hopes among most vulnerable. Nominations of Krishna Kumari, a #Dalit woman and Anwar Laldean, a #Christian worker for the Senate makes PPP the torchbearer of an egalitarian #Pakistan. Thank you Chairman @BBhuttoZardari#ThisHappensOnlyInPPP pic.twitter.com/WUZwwQOVgw

— Surendar Valasai (@SurendarValasai) February 10, 2018

At 16, Kumari got married to Lalchand who supported her education and she got her masters degree in 2013 from Sindh University. As an activist, she worked against bonded labour, sexual harassment at workplaces, and for the rights of women and the people of her village.

After being elected to the Senate, Krishna said: "I will not only represent women of Thar but act as a representative for women across the country and speak for their rights," to Geo TV.

Meet Senator Krishna Kumari Kohli, first Hindu Dalit woman to reach senate. Congratulations! Only PPP can do this! 👍 pic.twitter.com/ojUpE6IPMI

— Saadia Afzaal (@SaadiaAfzaal) March 4, 2018

"Many laws have been drafted for the rights of women but none of them has been implemented -- something I wish to change," she continued.

Stressing that the major issues faced by the people of Tharparkar are child marriages and forced conversions, she said these needed to be addressed urgently. She thanked the PPP leadership for nominating her, and clarified she has won on the women's seat and not the minority seat.

(With inputs from IANS)