Mashallah, great to see Sindhi’s are a big part of the growing middle class in Pakistan that has emerged in the Musharraf years. :jhanda:
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=75271
The emerging Sindhi middle class
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
By Imtiaz Ali
Karachi
With changing economic conditions and opportunities, it can be seen that a new Sindhi middle class is emerging, which is gradually shedding feudal values and adopting more modern and urban characteristics.
Though the distorted pattern of political development in the country adversely affected development of the middle class in an organised form, it is likely that in the coming years, the role of the Sindhi middle class will undergo tremendous changes. They may gradually acquire the characteristics of a relatively refined urban class, say some observers. “Sindhi middle class is in a transitional form, which lacks sufficient resources but intends to adopt habits from the wealthier classes,” said Rauf Nizamani, a perceptive observer of Sindh. He said that there were two types of upper classes in Sindh. One represented feudal values, with their people mostly living in rural areas. The second type lives in cities, who have adopted a cosmopolitan culture and disregard their rural backgrounds.
The Sindhi middle class is facing a dilemma because of several different pressures. “The middle class lacks organisation due to feudal anarchy,” Nizamani said. Elaborating, he said that, “The class wants to adopt the cosmopolitan culture but it faces pressures from its feudal heritage as their families live in rural areas, embroiling them in confusion”.
He said that ‘particular Sindhi social characters’ represent this dilemma. However, with the passage of time, Sindhi middle class has come out of its ‘shell’ and some changes are discernable, Rauf Nizamani said.
He said that, firstly, the Sindhi middle class was increasingly integrating itself with other cultures and communities. Secondly, its social and political radicalisation had been subdued as it had developed a considerable stake in the Pakistani state. Thirdly, the “rationalisation of the situation” is increasing with pragmatic and professional attitudes.
He said that its one manifestation was the ‘flexibility’ shown by it for different ‘habits’. He said that the urban Sindhi middle class did not mull over peculiar traditions involving so-called honour, which still provokes strong reactions in certain parts of Sindh today. In extreme cases, middle class men have been found divorcing their wives or placing restrictions in extreme cases.