The first Hindu woman officer of Sindh Police in Pakistan said that her story will inspire more girls from her community to choose to join this profession. Manisha Ropeta, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from Jacobabad, passed the Sindh Public Service Commission examination in 2021, which is a rare thing for a middle-class family like hers with progressive ideology.
He said, ‘When I was 13 years old, we lost my father who was a businessman in Jacobabad. Since then, my only brother always encouraged and supported me to join the police force.’ DSP Ropeta said that his fellow officers and colleagues respect him and appreciate his work.
Manisha Ropeta said, ‘There may be some gender issues, but I do not feel isolated and it does not matter that I am a Hindu woman. Even today when I wear a police uniform, I feel proud and I hope that the girls of our community will be inspired by my story and follow the path I have chosen.’ Manisha Ropeta said that her joining the police force is a big step, because in Sindh, girls from educated Hindu families usually pursue medical or teaching profession.
There are two types of officers in Pakistan Police: one class is that which reaches higher positions on the basis of its experience and the other class of officers are appointed and promoted after passing the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination. There are very few educated women officers in the Pakistani police. In such a situation, Manisha Ropeta, posted as DSP in the defense sector, has contributed a lot in changing the image of the police force in Sindh province.
Manisha Ropeta played an important role in handling the case of attempted kidnapping of Pakistani actress Nimra Khan. Nimra said, ‘Initially, fingers were pointed at me too and many people in the media and social media called my kidnapping attempt a minor incident, but DSP Manisha Ropeta handled my case which helped me to keep calm and deal with the situation in a better way.
Nimra said that after talking to an educated woman police officer, she realised that she did the right thing by speaking about the incident publicly. Manisha Ropeta admits that being a woman police officer and that too belonging to a minority community was initially a challenge for her, but it also helped her to talk to victims of various crimes and help them. She said, ‘When I took up Nimra’s case, I could feel her fear after this painful incident.’
