Pakistani Hindu families find it hard to settle in India

In search of greener pastures many Hindu families from Pakistan immigrate to India but the treatment they receive makes them realise that the grass is not as green as perceived, at the other side of the border.

Hundreds of Hindu families who left Pakistan in the past decade, allured by the Indian government’s promises of citizenship and work, have either been living in tent settlements in New Delhi or have returned back home due to the lack of access to basic services and the Indian government’s empty promises. One such family is that of Pyaru Shawani, a resident of Mithi, Tharparkar.

“I spent two years in India but my longing to go back to Pakistan eventually won. India is okay to live in when one is a guest but staying there permanently is a massive challenge,” informed Shawani, adding that there was no place like home. Faqiroo Khachi, who went to India along with his family and 46 other Hindus, moved back to Pakistan in December of 2020 and shares Shawani’s feelings.

“We went for a religious pilgrimage but our relatives in India forced us to stay back and start a new life. It was a dreadful experience,” recalled Khachi.

“We stayed in a tent settlement and everyone would refer to us as Pakistanis and look down upon us. Some would even call us terrorists because we wore shalwar kameez. Overall it was a dreadful time.”

While some like Shawani and Khachi do not put up with the treatment dished out to them, there are others who stay. As per data by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, more than 4,100 Pakistanis have received Indian citizenship in the past five years and many more are pending.

However, as per the Hindu families who have recently returned from India, the Pakistanis who do stay back, live in immigrant camps, most of which are in Jodhpur and are in dire straits. The Express Tribune learnt that the Pakistani Hindu families do not get access to medical facilities, have to queue up for hours to get water, and the children are not admitted to schools.

In this regard, The Express Tribune spoke with Hindu Singh Sodha, who moved from Pakistan to India and is now actively involved in the process of getting Indian citizenship for Pakistani Hindu immigrants.

“Both the Indian and Pakistani governments are responsible for the difficulties that Hindu immigrants face once they get to India. The Pakistani government does not resolve the issues of the Hindus living there, so they immigrate. Meanwhile, the Indian government makes false promises to these immigrants and does not grant them citizenship,” he explained.

Despite the challenges that await them in India, earlier in February of this year, 190 members of Hindu families from Pakistan crossed the Wagah border into India, who under the pretence of religious pilgrimage were looking to permanently move to the country. Even though intelligence agencies’ officials barred them from entry into India initially, they were permitted into India once the families assured them they would return to Pakistan.

While it remains to be seen whether the 190 individuals will return to Pakistan, Krishan Sharma, Chairman of the Pakistan Hindu Temple Management Committee, said that Pakistani Hindus should come back to their country instead of facing hardships in India.

“I want my Hindu brothers and sisters to come back home. We will work together with the government to resolve their issues. India is not safe for them as 11 Pakistani Hindu immigrants were murdered in Rajasthan in 2020 and their heirs are yet to receive justice,” said Sharma while talking to The Express Tribune.