Dayaram Katchi, 34, and 22 other family members return to India.
DESIGN: JAHANZAIB HAQUE
Dayaram Katchi, 34, and 22 other family members return to India due to the prevailing law and order situation in Pakistan.
Katchi was a leading physician in Saghar, Sindh and ran his own practice. His family sold all their property in Pakistan and fled to Gujarat.
"Life was tough for us and other family members there. We came here on a month's visa and have requested an extension of our visa term," he said.
The Katchi family applied for a visa two months ago. When asked what the reason for their arrival in Gujarat was, Katchi said, "We had problems adjusting with community there and felt that the prevailing law and order situation did not seem favourable. Close to Nadiad there are a number of Kutchi businessmen and we will be safe here and live peacefully."
"We have no plans as such and are trying to figure out some way to sustain ourselves here by doing small jobs. Things were really hard for us as a family in Pakistan. There are many Gujarati families in Sindh and most of them are businessmen," said Dayaram Katchi.
COMMENTS (41)
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There was no Pakistan 94 yrs ago . ET should make the correction about the heading of the news and should opolgize about the mistake. That is the way it is done in the western media.
Welcome back brothers and sisters.my defination of an Indian is simply who believes in the concept of India and our constitution which is secular. Rab rakha
@SHB
I was only taking @Rex Minor's suggestion one step further. He is not an Indian, neither am I. So I am no one to send you the invitation.
@Observer
Partition took place 65 years ago. The people who asked for a different country belong to generation that's long gone (may be 99% of them). Why should you hold the present generation responsible for a decision over which they never had a say?
If your grandfather and mine killed our respective grandfathers, would you suggest both of should serve time for the sin they committed?
The way establishment moves read (punjabi mindset), they have zero tolerance for any other form of life, the first casualty was in the form Bangladesh, then constant discrimination of migrant from Indian sub-continent, than alienation of Baluch and now this.They must develop ideals of peaceful-coexistence and social justice before they cause another debacle
@Plain speak:
"Why only Hindus, even Muslims can go back to India. After all it was their country as well before 1947. I am sure that they will not fight among themselves once they are in India."
Only Hindus because they were not the ones saying "we can't live with Hindus, we are a different nation" and demanded the partition. Hindus and Sikhs were simply caught on the wrong side. India owes them asylum. India morally doesn't owe anything for the Muslims (and Christians who supported the partition) since it was their choice to divide India to create a land for Muslims.
"Sunnis, Shias, Ahmadiyas, Bohras all can live together in peace. Moreover they can strengthen the Indian Muslim’s struggle against oppressive Hindu Indian rule."
Sure, once they move into India and "strengthen" the Muslim population, they can demand a second partition where Sunnis will be majority again and can happily kill Shias, Ahmedis and Bohras in the brand new county.
@Plain speak: Thanks for the invitation. I do not want to live as a third class citizen in India. I love my own country which is Pakistan . I was born and raised in that country . India is a foreign country for me . Yes there are problems in Pskistan but we will fix them over period of time . Nothing like your own home.
@Rex Minor
Why only Hindus, even Muslims can go back to India. After all it was their country as well before 1947. I am sure that they will not fight among themselves once they are in India. Sunnis, Shias, Ahmadiyas, Bohras all can live together in peace. Moreover they can strengthen the Indian Muslim's struggle against oppressive Hindu Indian rule.
I think its a conspiracy by CIA/RAW/Mossad to defame Pakistan.
@mystreeman: "94 years ago, there was no Pakistan." . Anyone younger than that won't attract your attention. It makes good business sense.
Neither Pak nor India should permit this. Katchi Family moved from Gujarat to the area which is in Pakistan around 1919. After two generations & 65 years under State of Pakistan their loyalties are with the land. They were & are Pakistanis & should be treated as such, and given all possible protection by Pak authorities. Such Pakistanis, from India point of view, are aliens from a country that is at times unfriendly. Allowing them asylum is potentially dangerous. Also, by seeking publicity like this the Katchi family is making it difficult for other Hindu Pakistanis whose patriotism will be now questioned more than before. As Hindus they want to run because there is an India; where would poor Christians & Muslims of certain sects from Pak run since not all can afford to move to the West.
@antanu: In case you did not notice the country which this family migrated from is called "The Islamic Republic of Pakistan". A country where in the recent election they did not have equal rights to vote as the rest. In this same land (of the "Pure") they could not stand for Prime Minister or President unlike in India. Are you surprised that the West is now predicting the end of Pakistan? In 94 months I suspect the world map will have to be redrawn. Get a life and start thinking rationally. There is no room for bigotry in this world.
@Rex Minor
We all know the traffic will only be in one direction. Not a single muslim, who complains about discrimination in India will ever move to Pakistan. For confirmation please ask the champions of "GRIEVANCE MANUFACTURING", shahrukh khan, shabana azmi, emraan hashmi, salman khan, if they ever want to move to pakistan.
@SHB: Please understand the difference between asylum and migration for economic reasons.
@ashar: What kind of a logic is this? Minorities flee Pakistan for saving their lives. Indians migrating to the West is for economic opportunities. The former is like seeking asylum. There are no migration of Muslims from India to Pakistan seeking asylum. I am sure you understand it yet stay in denial.
@Shehryar: I agree with you that situation is bad for all Pakistanis but Hindu Pakistanis have an addition this additional factor of insecurity, which you must understand.
they are 34 and 22 years old so were does 94 years even come in from
@SHB: There is economic migration - yes. But there is also migration due to intolerance. When people's daughters are kidnapped and forcibly converted, no amount of money is enough o keep you in the home country.
@ashar - first of all percentage emigration from India is less Han 0.5% compared to around 2% for Pakistan. But even that is not as relevant as facts about how many people seek and are granted asylum and thus cannot be considered economic migrants. The total number of Pakistani asylum seekers to a country like Canada is higher than total number of asylum seekers from India despite India having 6 times the population. So that tells you the full story.
@ashar: indian applying for visa outside is for getting much better job and to do business. pakistani applying visa is for saving his life
@K Khan: "I read a news article today that Pakistani Hindus that recently moved to India are complaining of harassment by raw agents, police and general public..." Which toilet paper newspaper was this in? Please give some reference, to prove your point.
99% of the time migration is because of economic reasons . Tomorrow. Same family get a better opportunity in any western country , they will migrate over there. So please donot blame Pakistan or give any credit to India.
@Good: @SM: Pakistan new Government should on humanitarian grounds allow people to return to India, provided the Indian Government supports their entry, as well as those who were born in India or those whose ancestors were from India. The caravans should be allowed to march on with the nomadic people. We have in Europe nomadic groups of Gypsies and Romas, originaly from India who despite living for centuries do not integrat with locals and even speak Indian languages. They are indeed entrepeneours.
Rex Minor
sad that pakistan has no respect for minorities....they simply rape and kill and forcibly convert hindu women......too bad....tch tch
@RAW is WAR Ever other Pakistani will leave given the chance whether they are muslim or hindu. We are fed-up of the corruption, load shedding and the growing intolerance.
@K Khan yes you are right, in India they don't give citizenship or work permit easily (doesn't matter whether you are Hindu. Sikh, Christian, Jew, Muslim or ethiest) I saw some of Hindu refuges struggling for their daily survival, they can feel safe that is another point. but you are absolutely right. Large numbers of Bangladeshi & Myanmar refugee are the only illegal migrants which are respectable for Indian government because of their votes .(Hence they are getting all government benefits) but for Pakistani Hindus.......it is going to be very bad in India
@mystreeman: lolx
Oh it was a Hindu family. Good for them. Hindu family after all belongs in Hindustan
@antanu: Bhai we have secular constitution where as Pakistan is Islamic theocracy.
it also said that migrating family was Hindu first and pakistani later.... and we blame Muslims for such mindset....
I read a news article today that Pakistani Hindus that recently moved to India are complaining of harassment by raw agents, police and general public so the picture might not be so rosy for them across the border either.
@ Shehryar " I feel bad for the family…..but please also keep in mind that law and order situation is bad for everyone in Pakistan…"
Not really true. When there is general hardships like Famine, Floods, Terrorism etc, these Hindus will be able to struggle with pride with their Pakistani brothers- sharing ion their difficulties.
But when his neighbor Muslim friend targets his daughter for kidnap and conversion, nobody can tolerate it. That is the reason Hindus are leaving Pakistan. This kind of ugly attitude is prevalent in Islamic societies and nowhere else.
So saying average Pakistanis are facing hardships is really misleading.
ET its not fair, giving an opportunity to all Indians to demean Pakistan and my comments were dropped.
@Humayun: Good point. When they 'migrated' to that part of the subcontinent it was not Pak. also it means that for 60 odd years in Pak they did have a comfortable life. else they would have come back to India long time ago.
@Shoheb Bhayani: Big deal and good for you.
I m a muslim from india...a gujarati...and let me tell u all...tamaro aiiya swagat che...this is a hindu country and i love my india...soooo very much....
What a propaganda. While its not a matter of migration from one country it is actually the permission of the host country that is required. India is a land of better opportunities than Pakistan. and also allowing Hindus to live their permanently in order to show the world that people are unsafe in Pakistan if they are not Muslims.
Then what about Indians applying for nationality of UK, USA and Canada everyday and their population in these countries is increasing day by day. Definitely India is no more secure for themselves so they are migrating.
I feel bad for the family.....but please also keep in mind that law and order situation is bad for everyone in Pakistan...the family has been living in Pakistan for the past 60+ years so in fact it had no problem during that time...now its a tough time and we together must face it.....all i request is not to make it as they were targeted in particular as many innocent Pakistanis die every day......let's hope things change soon for all of us.
94 years ago, there was no Pakistan.
Just I read a news about Heart transplant for a Pakistani in India with Indian Heart doner, it was heart warming, but when I see the helpless minorities routed out of Pakistan my heart start bleeding. This is what is called two face theory [ in context with two nation theory], look at the hyprocracy and tragedy of a nation which !always except good from outer world but in return gives out hatred.
Good bless you all with good heart with out no attack
Welcome back home!