The festival of lights: Diwali fails to light up Gracey Lines

Fates of Hindus hang in balance as 54 families asked to vacate homes

ISLAMABAD: A small group of youngsters walked through the narrow lanes in Gracey Lines in Rawalpindi for an entire week, shyly knocking on doors to ask Hindus in the area to pitch in for an upcoming festival. While some handed over crumpled bills, others had to apologise with grim expressions. They couldn’t afford to contribute to arrange for a Diwali event this year.

“We have asked Hindu residents to contribute as little as Rs300 to 500 per person, while party members were asked to give Rs1,000. Other contributions are always welcome,” said Ashok Chand, vice chairman of the All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement.



Chand said that the auspicious festival of Diwali is celebrated with great enthusiasm by Hindus all over the world, but for adherents of the religion in Rawalpindi, the festival might not be as joyous.

Chand has been an active voice for Hindu and minority rights in Pakistan for several years. Speaking to The Express Tribune, he said previously, an amount of Rs500,000 to Rs1 million was allocated each year for the Diwali celebrations.

“For the past two to three years, however, the government has not allocated any funds for the festival,” he lamented.

He explained that the funds were utilised to put together a grand event with a wide variety of food items specially prepared for the day. “Seven types of vegetable dishes, halwa-puri and two kinds of desert dishes were prepared every year, while members of the community were also given Rs.5,000. This was enough to pay for fairy lights that adorn homes and temples,” he said.

“There were lights, colours, sweets and fireworks. But unfortunately we won’t have any of those this time,” said Chand.

Without state funding, this year there were only donations totaling Rs.90,000 to pay for the festival. “We managed to serve one dish of rice with vegetables and some fruit at the temple,” informed Chand. “There are fewer lights than ever on homes and at the temple. But this is all we can offer with a fraction of the funds,” he pleads.

He reveals that multiple requests for funding had been submitted but they still did not get any response from the authorities.

Lights out

But the largest cause of stress here is not the dimly-lit ‘festival of lights’. Residents of Gracy Lines have a much more pressing matter at hand.

Sitting on a mud steps leading into his home in Gracey Lines, a Hindu resident wonders if he will even be in the same home for Diwali next year.

Last month, residents of Gracey Lines were given eviction notices as the Pakistan Army plans to go ahead with the construction of an education complex in the area — home to 54 families, mostly Hindu.

Eleven homes have already been razed by the authorities. Other residents are now worried about their own fates.

The Maharishi Valmik Swamji Hindu temple, constructed in 1935, is also in the vicinity. “If the temple is demolished, this area will be deserted,” said Ram Shiv.

Chand said that they had filed a case in a civil court and were waiting for the judgment, which is due on October 28.

Another member of the community claimed that the government was not providing sufficient security at religious events. “We only have two major events every year. Even then, we are extremely insecure about expressing ourselves. We depend on young members of the community that volunteer for security duties,” he said. “Even if one new person enters our circle we get nervous. How can you be festive in an environment of fear?” he asked.

“People are very conscious. They are celebrating behind closed doors” said Peter, another area resident.

A few programs for Diwali have been scheduled by the government to take place this week. Due to Moharram, Diwali events at the PNCA have been postponed to November 11.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2014.