Migrated Hindus seek asylum in India

A group of Pakistani Hindus, who went India for pilgrimage, has refused to return to the country, seeking refuge in Indian state of Rajasthan.

According to a report published in BBC Urdu, the group of 171 people arrived in Rajhasthan’s Jodhpur city have refused to go back to Pakistan in fear of their lives.

Having pilgrimage visas, this group travelled the Indian state for religious purpose but they want settlement in India, the report said.

The Seemant Lok Sangthan (SLS), an organization working for Hindus from Pakistan settling in India, has asked the Indian government to grant the group immigrant visas.

“All 171 people in the group have arrived in Jodhpur from Pakistan’s Sindh province, and they all belong to Sanghar or Hyderabad”, the report quoting spokesperson of the organization said.

It is vital to mention here that the group comprises 32 women and children of whom a majority belongs to the low-caste Bheel community of Hindus.

The report quoting one of the people arriving with the group said, “You cannot understand our pain. My father recently passed away; I could not even find a place to perform my father’s last rites. We will not go back to Pakistan. You may kill us if you wish, but we will not return”.

Last month, it was reported in the media that hundreds of Pakistani Hindu national from Sindh allegedly migrated to India over concerns of religious persecution and in fears of their lives.

Although President Asif Ali Zardari took notice of the issue and constituted a committee to prepare a detailed report over the mass migration, nothing happened.

The body rejected the claims that members of the minority community were leaving the province.

According to a report, authorities in Rajasthan state announced that around 900 Pakistani Hindus had become eligible to apply for Indian citizenship.

The people included those Pakistanis who had traveled to India prior to December 31, 2004 and refused return to their home country.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=32384

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Sep 10 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.