‘India has always been my home’
NEW DELHI: Hindu refugees from Pakistan living in Delhi’s Majnu ka Tila celebrated after the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Monday. The locality is home to nearly 900 refugees, many of whom have been awaiting citizenship for over a decade now.
Pooja (16) was 3-year-old when her family migrated to India from Hyderabad in Pakistan’s Sindh Province. “I have no memories of Pakistan. India has always been my home,” she said. Pooja said that she frequently faces discrimination at school. “People often taunt us and call us Pakistani. We used to ignore such slurs but now we can proudly say that we are Indian,” she said.
Dharmveer Solanki, who is considered the chief of the Pakistani Hindu refugee families in Delhi, said that the community has been waiting for 13 years to achieve citizenship. “After years of pain and oppression we have received justice,” he said.
Solanki said that the 160 refugee families in the locality have been living in poverty with most families earning a living by selling mobile covers and other accessories on roadside stalls. The community suffers from a lack of cleanliness and access to healthcare is also scant.
“We will now be able to access various government schemes and benefits like regular citizens. I just hope that the government can also provide us with some agricultural land to settle down on as we are originally a farming community,” said Solanki.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva honoured the Hindu refugees at an event. The refugees handed a letter to Sachdeva, expressing their gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sachdeva said that there are such refugees who, after the implementation of the CAA, will now be recognized as citizens of any country at the age of 30.
JMI students protest, demand withdrawal
Students’ groups at Jamia Millia Islamia on Tuesday protested against the implementation of CAA and demanded the Centre to withdraw it. The protesting students pressed for repeal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and release all students who were booked in the anti-CAA protest nearly four years ago. They also demanded withdrawal of the cases against the students.
I have no memories of Pakistan, says a refugee
Pooja (16) was 3-years-old when her family migrated to India from Hyderabad in Pakistan’s Sindh Province. “I have no memories of Pakistan. India has always been my home,” she said. Pooja said that she frequently faces discrimination at school. “People often taunt us and call us Pakistani. We used to ignore such slurs but now we can proudly say that we are Indian,” she said.